Guard Your Heart

Guard your heart - Watching & Guarding

Above all else, guard your heart, for out of it spring the issues of life. ~ Proverbs 4:23

A. Biblically, the heart (our inner being) is the center of our affections, emotions and values.

Above all else… the most important thing… is to guard you heart…

1. …for out of it ‘spring’ the ‘issues’ of life (All of one’s thoughts, desires, words, and actions )

2. Take care to protect that ‘inner spring’ that nourishes everything we do…

For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he ~ Prov 23:7 – The heart is the man.

‘Guard your character with more carefulness than you do your most precious possessions, for it needs continual watchfulness, and, untended, will go to ruin and destruction.’

B. Man looks on the outer appearance, but God looks on the heart. ~ 1 Samuel 16:7

1. God is our Primary ‘Cardiologist’

2. Our heart can get messed up and captured by many things…

3. Each of us is responsible for our ‘heart condition,’ and with God’s help, can be people who are pursuing and growing in having a healthy heart pleasing to God.

C. Heart Conditions that can affect us all from time to time

1. Fearful-hearted: Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.” ~ Isa 35:4

2. Stubborn-hearted: "Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, who are far from righteousness: ~ Isa 46:12 - Obstinate, hard-headed, bullish

3. Dull-hearted: For the shepherds have become dull-hearted, and have not sought the LORD; ~ Jer 10:21 - unreceptive, stupid

4. Hard-hearted: Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? (hardened by being callused, grow hard, lose the power of understanding) ~ Mark 8:17

Regarding Moses’precept: And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept." ~Mark 10:5

5. Arrogance of heart: ~ Isa 9:9 - Full of pride

D. Positive-heartedness: (God, in Chirst is our example: Tenderhearted, soft-hearted)

1. Tenderhearted: And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. ~ Eph 4:32

2. Pathway to tenderheartedness… Love - And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' ~ Mk 12:30

E. Guard Your Heart –

1. We can only do so much in our own strength (we are weak – the guard and the guarded one are the same person), but can totally depend on the power of God, through faith.

2. Self-confidence won’t cut it.

3. To Guard your heart, we need the Power of God to Obey

Our Source of Strength must be God. We need power of God, we need His Word!

Guard – Power of God – by faith - It is God in us that is our security.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.’ ~ Jude 1:24-25