September 16, 2020

Todays reading

Proverbs 4:23 (KJV)
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

After saying or doing something wrong, have you ever asked yourself the question: “Where on earth did that come from?” This passage gives us the answer to that question. There is not a thing you do that does not come from your heart. Your heart represents the deepest desires that are inside you. It is the driving force that causes you to do what you do. This means that if you have ever acted prideful, then you have pride in your heart. If you have ever acted selfishly, then there is selfishness in your heart. Everything you say and do is a reflection of what is in your heart. Your actions and heart cannot be separated. This is an important truth. However, it is a truth that you may have ignored when striving to be more like Christ. I know I have. When you realize you have done something wrong, how do you respond? Do you try really hard to not be as bad the next time? Or do you ignore it and move on as if nothing happened? Both of these responses to sin do you no good, because they don’t address where the sin came from. When looking at your sin, you must confront the reality that your sinful actions come from your heart. When you begin to accept that your biggest problem is not what you do, but who you are on the inside, that is when you can truly change with the help of the Holy Spirit. This is why “guarding” your heart is so important. Have you been a good guard of your heart, or have you let the world’s system destroy your heart and define your desires? There are countless enemies who want to destroy your heart, the world, your flesh, and the Devil himself. So you have to make every effort to guard your heart from your enemies. However, you cannot guard your heart by your own strength. Your enemies will overcome you if you try to do that. Simply look to the cross where Jesus Christ showed His love for you, and find your strength there. The moment you find all of your strength in Jesus is the moment your heart will be guarded from anything that comes to destroy it.
Don’t waste this moment. Right now, I want you to take some time to look at the deepest desires of your heart, and then cast all your cares on Jesus, for He can carry them all.

Frank Newsome