Proverbs 4:23 - GUARD YOUR HEART!!!
Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV) Keep your heart with
all diligence, For out of it spring the issues
of life.
Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) Guard your heart above
all else, for it determines the course of your
life.
WORD STUDY
The "heart commonly refers to the mind as
the center of thinking and reason (3:3; 6:21;
7:3), but also includes the emotions (5:15, 30),
the will (11:20; 14:14), and thus, the whole
inner being (3:5). The heart is the depository of
all wisdom and the source of whatever affects
speech (v. 24), sight (v. 25), and conduct (vv. 26,
27). [MacArthur Daily Bible 2003]
COMMENTARY PEARL
The heart must be renewed by divine grace,
or it will be in vain to seek for purity of
life. He who attempts to build up a noble,
virtuous character independent of the grace of Christ
is building his house upon the shifting sand.
In the fierce storms of temptation it will
surely be overthrown. Those who would not fall a
prey to Satan's devices must guard well the
avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading,
seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure
thoughts. The mind should not be left to wander at
random upon every subject that the adversary of
souls may suggest. This will require earnest
prayer and unceasing watchfulness. We must be aided
by the abiding influence of the Holy Spirit,
which will attract the mind upward, and habituate
it to dwell on pure and holy things. And we
must give diligent study to the word of God.
PP460
COMMENTARY
As God works upon the heart by His Holy
Spirit, man must cooperate with Him. The thoughts
must be bound about, restricted, withdrawn from
branching out and contemplating things that will only
weaken and defile the soul. By beholding we are
to become changed, and as we meditate upon the
perfections of our divine Model, we shall desire to
become wholly transformed and renewed in the image
of His purity. There will be a hungering and
thirsting of soul to be made like Him whom we adore.
The more our thoughts are upon Christ, the more
we shall speak of Him to others, and represent
Him to the world. 3BC1145
Diligent heart-keeping is essential to a
healthy growth in grace. The heart in its natural
state is a habitation for unholy thoughts and
sinful passions. When brought into subjection to
Christ, it must be cleansed by the Spirit from all
defilement. In the work of heart-keeping we must be
instant in prayer, unwearied in petitioning the
throne of grace for assistance. The Saviour has
told us to pray without ceasing. The Christian
can not always be in the position of prayer, but
his thoughts and desires can always be upward.
They should cultivate a love for meditation, and
cherish a spirit of devotion. 3BC1157
To keep your heart in heaven, will give
vigor to all your graces, and put life into all
your duties. To discipline the mind to dwell upon
heavenly things, will put life and earnestness into
all our endeavors. As exercise increases the
appetite, and gives strength and healthy vigor to the
body, so will devotional exercises bring an
increase of grace and spiritual vigor. 3BC1157
CLOSING THOUGHT
You can pick what you ponder.
You didn't choose your parents or
siblings. You don't determine the weather. There are
many things in life over which you have no
choice. But the greatest activity of life is well
within your dominion. You can choose what you think
about.
You can be the air traffic controller of
your mental airport. Thoughts circle above,
coming and going. If one of them lands, it is
because you gave it permission. If it leaves, it is
because you directed it to do so.
Do you want to be happy tomorrow? Then
sow seeds of happiness today. (Count blessings.
Memorize Bible verses. Pray. Sing hymns. Spend time
with encouraging people.) Do you want to
guarantee tomorrow's misery? Then wallow in a mental
mud pit of self-pity or guilt or anxiety today.
(Assume the worst. Beat yourself up. Rehearse your
regrets. Complain to complainers.) Thoughts have
consequences.
Your challenge is not your challenge.
Your challenge is the way you think about your
challenge. Your problem is not your problem; it is the
way you look at it. [You Can Count On God by Max
Lucado]
EXAMPLE
The Battle for Sexual Purity Starts in Your
Mind
Every temptation starts in the mind.
Proverbs 4:23 says, Be careful what you think,
because your thoughts run your life (NCV). The
battle for sexual purity is won or lost in your
mind.
Anytime you see people really messing up
their lives, you can bet their problems didnt
start with their actions, because their actions
began with their thoughts. They lingered on dumb
thoughts before making dumb decisions. The Bible says
this very clearly, and science backs it up: The
way you think determines how you feel. Feelings
motivate actions. To change your life, you dont
just work on a bad habit, the action. Instead,
you work on what caused it"the thoughts that
caused the feelings that caused the action. Your
thoughts control your life!
This explains how affairs happen.
First, you begin by accepting sinful
thoughts into your mind: What would it be like to
have sex with that person? Is it so wrong? You
start having doubts, and you start fantasizing in
your mind. You begin to think its harmless.
But its not. Your thoughts produce
feelings. And feelings inevitably lead to actions.
You then move into emotional,
non-physical involvement. Thats when you start
flirting. You start making gestures and comments,
subtly or not-so-subtly saying, Im
available. Next comes the physical involvement. And
finally, you rationalize your actions: Everybody
is doing it. Its no big deal. Were both
adults.
Your sinful actions started when you
accepted sinful thoughts into your mind.
The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 2:22 how
to manage our thoughts before they ever head
down this path: Avoid the passions of youth,
and strive for righteousness, faith, love, and
peace (GNT).
The Bible tells us to turn away from
lustful thoughts and turn instead toward something
positive. That two-step process is how you break a
temptation before it ever gets started. Youre
thinking wrong long before youre acting wrong. You
stop the cycle by turning your back on those
sinful thoughts and turning toward goodness,
integrity, love, and peace.
Youre not an innocent bystander to
sexual sin. You have a choice - and God has given
you everything you need to make the right one.
[Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Proverbs 4:23 - GUARD YOUR HEART!!!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210709-0922.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20201115-1118.html
Proverbs 4:23 - Your Mind and Your Destiny.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2016/20160117-1005.html
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2013/20130215-2139.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
