On Guard!

On Guard!

Proverbs 4:23 AMPC

[23] Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

The writer of the words above is credted by God as the greatest king in Israel. He was a man who was visited by God, and given a blank cheque to ask for anything. He got all he asked for, and much more. One of the things he got was wisdom beyond the limits of men. Kings and queens from all over the world came to listen to him. There is also a warning in all these; God can do anything, as well as give a man anything, but there is a responsibility and accountability that are linked to whatever God does for you. He will give grace, and plenty of it too, but a man will be held accountable for its use or misuse. This is where today's verse applies to all of us; the bible makes clear that all men have been given a measure of grace. God will be unfair to judge a man based on expectations He has not defined or given grace for. If He says to do something, be sure that he will demand an account. 

Let's define two terms in the verse above. To 'keep' is to 'have or retain possession of something'. Another definition says it is to 'cause to continue in a specified condition, position, course'. To 'guard' is to 'watch over in order to protect or control'. These two terms are the focus of the verse above. God wants me to keep my heart by retaining or having possession of it. I must not allow it leave my possession at any point in time, which also means that I must not allow anyone or anything take possession of it from me. I must make every effort to keep it under control, giving it what it needs to stay focused and aligned with God's will. What this means is that I must also possess that which my heart will feed on. How can I keep something safe, if I do not even have what I need to keep it? The verse also enjoins me to guard my heart, which means to consciously watch over it to protect or control it. 

I have to watch my heart to ensure that external influences do not impact it. The image here is one where I am on guard, alert to and conscious of all the information going on around me, and being deliberate about what I allow to settle.The heart will always receive information from a lot of sources, but my critical task is to ensure that only that with eternal value is allowed to rest. The picture also looks like a man with the key to the door, who vets all who seek to come in. You will not willingly allow a thief to come into your house to steal your belongings. It is the same way with the heart. Unfortunately for the writer of the words above, he neglected to keep and guard his heart, and his many distractions led his heart away from God. Never rely solely on your 'core strength-. Rely on the One who gives strength to the weary and can preserve whatever is committed into His hand. God's time of favour is here.