Guarding Our Hearts
Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Intro:
A list came out this past week listing the top 10 most secure places in the world. Let me give you four of the ten.
George Bush’s Air Force One
Area 51 Top Secret Air Force Base in Nevada. So secretive that the military refuses to acknowledge that it exists. Said to have sensors that actually are able to determine what enters the area by smell. 1000 miles off-limit airspace.
The most interesting....A mulit-story car park in the heart of England. It is ten floors high and will house 440 cars. It uses for security a barcode system and sensors. In six years of operation, no cars have been stolen, broken into or vandilized.
Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado...location of the US war room which is housed under 600 metres of solid rock.
But the most secure place in the world is said to be Fort Knox.
Fort Knox is located close to Louisville, Ky. and is home to much of the nations gold reserve. Let me share with you how this reserve is protected. Our nations gold reserve is housed in a two story building constructed of granite, steel, and concrete. It is 105 ft by 121 ft, and is 42 ft above ground level. Within this building is a two level steel and concrete vault that is divided into compartments. The vault door weighs more than 20 tons. No one person is entrusted with the combination. Various members of the staff must dial separate combinations known only to them. The vault casing is constructed of steel plates, steel I-beams and steel cylinders laced with hoop bands, and encased in concrete. The outer wall of the depository is constructed of granite lined with concrete. Construction materials used on the bldg included 16,500 cubic feet of granite, 4,200 cubic yards of concrete, 750 tons of reinforcing steel and 670 tons of structural steel. At each corner of the structure on the outside, but connected with it, are four guard boxes. Sentry boxes. Sentry boxes, similar to the guard boxes at the corners of the Depository, are located at the entrance gate. A driveway encircles the building and a steel fence marks the boundaries of the site.
The building is equipped with the latest and most modern protective devices. The nearby Army Post provides additional protection. The Depository is equipped with its own emergency power plant, water system and other facilities. In the basement is a pistol range for use by the guards.
There is another place which needs to be well guarded. We need to make certain of it’s security because it is the most important place in the world. That place is our heart ! Why is the heart so important ? Why does it need to be guarded with such diligence ?
The word heart is found 963 times in the Bible. Of these usages the heart can mean the mind, the emotions, the will, or the inner man. It can even refer to the person as a whole.
The heart is of important because The Lord Considers The Heart.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
When Samuel was considering the sons of Jesse trying to determine which one the Lord has chosen, he looked on the outside of the man at his appearance, and statue....but the Lord considers the heart of a man !
Psa 44:21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
The Heart Is Important Because Life Is Conceived In The Heart.
Think of the heart as being the womb from which all of our actions, attitudes, ambitions and articulations are conceived. When Solomon encourages us to keep our hearts....he is saying "above all things that you keep.....keep your heart because life springs from it ! The word "Keep" is elsewhere translated preserve, observe, watchers, watchmen, and even besieged.
What we do is a product of the heart ! What we say is evident of what lies within the heart ! Think of the heart as the womb where all of our actions, attitudes, and words are conceived.
Mat 15:18-20 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
One of the fears of the homeland security department.....chemical or biological attacks upon our water supply ! Why would such an attack be so devastating ? Because it would be so widespread effecting so many, and so much ! It would be almost impossible to stop !
The author of this great book tells us that the heart must be diligently guarded, watched, preserved, because it is the "wellspring" of life. Out of the heart life flows !
Satan, the first terrorist, knows that if he can poison our heart, then he can corrupt our life ! The quality of our life is determined by the condition of our heart !
Listen to the words of Jesus concerning the heart:
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
How do we guard out heart ?
I. Be Careful Of The Condition Of Our Heart.
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
The condition of the human heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked according to the prophet Jeremiah. Only God can change, and cleanse the human heart. Man in not only incapable of changing it, he is even incapable of knowing it ! Have you allowed the Lord Jesus Christ to change your heart ?
Psa 78:37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
II. Be Certain Of The Custodian Of Our Heart.
We experience peace with God when we are reconciled to God through faith in Christ.
However we receive the peace of God as wepray to him with supplication, and thanksgiving making our requests know unto him
Phi 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Phi 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
III. Be Cautious Of The Contents Of Our Heart.
Pro 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:
Phil 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way properous, and then thou shalt have good success.
IV. Be Commited To Communing With Our Heart.
Psa 4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Psa 77:6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.
Psa 63:6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
In the quiteness of the night, lying upon our bed, we should commune with our own heart. We should meditate upon the Lord, and examine our heart, our motives, our attitudes, and actions before closing our eyes in rest. We should ask the Spirit of God to reveal to us any unclean thing that has entered into our heart, and impregnated it with bad seed.
The heart is a precious place. We must guard our heart with diligence, and allow Jesus to be Lord of our heart. If he is Lord in our heart, he will be Lord of our lives !
