25 September 2009 Devotion for Today “Guard Your Heart” Proverbs 4:23-27

25 September 2009 Devotion for Today “Guard Your Heart” Proverbs 4:23-27

23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:23-27)

A few years ago, we were all shocked to hear about the tragic death of the late Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter. We were stunned, not that he died, for he faced tremendous dangers on a daily basis we were, rather, surprised by the way that he died. About the only way that a Stingray could kill you is to stab you directly in the heart with his barbed spine. Irwin was keenly in tune with nature, and knew his boundaries. He was very centered and focused. Who would have thought that the great Crocodile Hunter would go in this fashion? If ever we expected him to have a great injury we would think it would be his leg, his hand, or maybe his head-but no, it was his heart!

At the close of this Proverb, Solomon tells us to keep our heart with all diligence. Keeping our heart means keeping it protected. The heart he refers to, however, is not just the blood pumping organ, but the very center of our souls. It is out of the heart where we define what life is all about, demonstrating what our values which also determines our destiny. The way to do this, Solomon says, is to put away a deceitful mouth. Keep people who want to drag you down as far away from you as you can get. They say that misery loves company. You can spot a deceitful mouth by listening to them put down and criticizing others, or acting as though they know more than anyone else- yet their lives reflect little more than poverty. Shun such a person. Keep them away and do not adopt them as a pet project or you will soon find yourself thinking the way they do.

Keep your eyes focused on the goals you sense God has for your life. Don’t let anyone distract you from them or try to belittle you for them. Watch where you step. Many of the messes I have stepped in have resulted from not watching what was in front of me. Once in a while someone will tell you, “Look out, don’t walk in that!” But those people will not always be around, so we are responsible for looking ahead for ourselves. Let your ways be established simply means build a strong foundation. Cultivate that strength by reinforcing it everyday by prayer and by reading and meditating upon the Word of God. Don’t allow untried and whimsical ideas and philosophies to become the sole basis of your life.

Lastly, Solomon tells us to remove your foot from evil. There are times when evil may catch up with us or trip us up. Usually it will be not because we went looking for it, but because it deceived us. When it does, get out of that trap as soon as we become aware of it or else it will literally become a foothold from which we cannot escape. Once I accidentally stepped in wet cement, but as soon as I became aware of it, I got out as quickly as I could. Had I stayed in it, it would have hardened, requiring a jackhammer to get me out. The same is true for evil. The residue can easily be washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Above all, protect your heart. Put on the Breastplate of Righteousness as a covering for your spiritual vitality.

Dear Lord, Help me watch where I step today, and help me to keep my heart covered. Keep me from looking or listening to any evil thing. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Have a blessed day.