Protect Your Heart

Proverbs 4:23-27 (KJV) ²³ Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. ²⁴ Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. ²⁵ Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. ²⁶ Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. ²⁷ Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Keep:               protect, watch over, guard, keep in view.  This is the act of protecting.

Heart:              the inner man, our thoughts and desires, the soul, the mind, will, and                            emotions of man.

Diligence:        constant effort, care, attend to, watch guard.

God is instructing us to protect our thoughts and desires constantly watching what enter our hearts. God explains why in the latter part of verse 23.

Out of it:         Our heart, our inner man, our soul.

Issues of Life: offspring, outgoings.

This verse is indicating that what we allow to enter into our hearts eventually comes out in our actions.  Our actions are influenced by our thoughts, desires, and emotions. 

In verses 24-27, God gives specific instruction on how to keep our hearts. 

1.         Watch what you say.

I have two thoughts on the froward mouth and perverse lips mentioned in verse 24.  First, the word froward and perverse have similar meanings.  They both mean crooked or perverted.  Here God is indicating that our speech subjects should be guarded.  We should not allow ourselves to be drawn into conversations where the subject matter is unbiblical or sinful.  Our speech should not be dirty or disgusting.  It should not be filled with gossip, slander, or lies.  Second, our speech should be true.  Plain and simple once we begin telling lies, we start believing our own lies.  I heard a preacher one time say we are hung by the tongue.  I am not completely sold on the doctrinal accuracy of the statement, but have recognized that bad behavior is excused and rationalized in the words we speak.  All of our speech should be contrasted to the truth of God’s Word. 

2.         Watch what you look at.

In verse 25 God instructs us to guard what we look at.   We follow our sight.  What we look at and focus upon is the path we follow.  If our eyes are fixed on the pleasure of this world, then the pleasure of this world becomes our path in life.  If our eyes are fixed on the material things of life, then materialism becomes our path in life.  If our eyes are fixed on the sinful, the sinful becomes our path in life.  God is instructing us to keep our eyes, our focus upon the path of wisdom.  Remember, wisdom is living the Bible.  It is living according to God’s plan for our lives.  If wisdom is our focus, then wisdom becomes our path in life.

3.         Watch where you go.

In verse 26 and 27 God instructs us to guard where we go.  Keep in mind; there are places the Christian should not go and places where they should go.  Each and every day God has a will for us.  Many times sin occurs when we are not at the place God would have us be.    For example, how many times does sin occur because we are not at the place we should be?  You miss work, skip church, brush off your recovery meeting, push to the side your journaling time with God without understanding that God’s will usually involves a place.  Stay in your place!  Watch your schedule.  Ponder your steps.

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