ISSUES OF LIFE
- Part One -
Text: Proverbs 4:20 thru 23
Prayer:
We should always take care to listen carefully to God’s Word.
The NIV says in verse 20 to “listen closely to my words.”
I am impressed that the Lord wants to speak plainly to His people today. When we do, those words (from God) will find their way into our hearts where they will change our lives.
Recent surveys indicate many believe the bible to be the Word of God, but very few read it.
Many of us know that every word from the Lord is important to us. God’s Word can/will change us. We don’t want to miss anything God has for us. In order for our lives to change, our hearts must change first.
Tonight I want to talk to you about your heart. Let me to be your spiritual cardiologist for the next few moments.
I know very little about the actual organ in your body that pumps blood, other than it is the most active muscle we have. What I do know is that your heart plays an important role in how healthy you are. The doctor is constantly reminding us of this with our diet and exercise.
Next to your heart are your lungs.
And, although your lungs are important, your heart is actually more important than your ability to breathe.
For example, some of you have suffered from the typical flu symptoms this winter. You know how miserable you can feel when you are congested.
Nevertheless, we all seem to eventually get over the flu.
Get some rest, take some medication and you will recover. Eventually you will feel better. Our lungs have the ability to heal quickly, but your heart doesn’t.
Talking about your Heart and your Lungs may seem very simple to most of us, but if your heart were to become that ill, you would be in serious trouble. This is because your heart determines the health and well being of your whole body.
Even if your heart were to become just slightly sick, you would suffer in every area of your life.
Transition
Actually, the human heart can determine a lot of things in your life. Both physically and spiritually. In our text, the NIV translation tells us that the word of God is good for your heart, and will become health to a “man’s whole body”.
Side Note – Here’s the prescription we all need. Got a cold, get the Word in you (along with the aspirin). Amen?
You may not feel up to being spiritual, but God says He wants His Word in you (Read the Word & Drink the Nytol).
Remember, God’s Word is “life to those who find them”.
They say that if you get sick, it’s usually because your resistance is low/down. If you are not up to full strength, you can easily get sick. Your heart does play an important role in your resistance and with the health of your
Physical Well Being.
More importantly, your heart is responsible for your
Spiritual Well Being. You may have a spiritual body that is sometimes neglected or forgotten.
If your soul, or your spirit man, is sick, it is because you have let your resistance get down. Your spiritual heart is suffering from neglect. You need a dose of the Word, from Dr. Jesus.
We must realize today how careful we must be with our heart. Especially in spiritual matters.
This is because the heart
Governs the things of the body and the soul.
Governs life and death issues for us.
The health of your heart is determined with how you take care of it. You may choose to keep your heart soft and subtle. Or, you can allow your heart become hardened.
There is medical term that some of us may have heard before. It is called “hardening of the arteries”.
This is when there is a build up that begins to clog up the arteries restricting the blood flow to the whole body.
Over time, this build up can harden the arteries and (obviously) can become life threatening.
In a spiritual sense, we must take care that this doesn’t happen with our hearts for the things of God.
If you want medical information about your physical heart, you would look in the Medical Journals. These journals tell us that it is estimated that your heart will pump more that 2 billion times in your life. Amazing, isn’t it?
But we have a more important and amazing book to read.
It is our Spiritual Journal. This book tells us much more.
In Proverbs 4, we can see that our heart is pumping more than just blood. The heart is pumping the “issues of life”.
The heart is the “wellspring of life.”
Unfortunately as some people grow older, there physical heart begins to age. Our spiritual heart may age, also.
Some people will allow their hearts to become hardened, cold and indifferent to the things of God, and about others.
I don’t want this for my life when I get old. I want to protect my heart. So, I have to ask myself some questions.
What can cause our hearts to become hardened to the things of God? And, how can I protect my heart?
The answers to any of life’s questions can be found in God’s Word. We can look to our Spiritual Journal.
Turn to Exodus 4:19 thru 21
I want to look at the heart of two different men.
Many of you know most of the stories of Moses’ childhood. You may remember that Moses was raised up in the palace of Pharoah. What a miraculous story that is?
Moses once had everything anyone could ever want.
But he lost everything in a moment of anger and murder. Moses’ future was put on hold due to his killing an Egyptian.
At the time, I am sure Moses felt justified in his actions, but it cost him dearly. Moses lost his birthright. No longer was he the son of the king. Moses had to run away from his problems. Moses became a wanted criminal and a fugitive.
This sin of murder did not stop the plan of God for his life.
Moses’ was foolish and hard headed. Moses lacked godly wisdom and he had to live in exile for some 40 years.
Nevertheless, as the years passed, Moses grew in wisdom.
And, God softened Moses’ hard head by first softening his hard heart. Moses knew he had failed God, but his heart became soft and receptive to the voice of the Lord.
After these many years, God appeared to Moses and commissioned him to become the greatest leader of men that would ever live. God had a plan for Moses’ life to be fulfilled.
Read Exodus 4:19 thru 21.
God was determined to
See the plan He had for Moses’ life take place.
Liberate His people from Egyptian bondage.
Use Moses to lead His people to safety and prosperity.
Harden the heart of the ungodly/unjust ruler, Pharoah.
Did you know that God is sovereign and is sure to get His way? God would rather that all men would be obedient to His Word.
But it doesn’t matter if you are a man like Moses, or a man like Pharoah, God will get His way every time.
Whether you are a saint or a back slidden sinner, God will have His way with you. What did Proverbs 4:20 tell us?
My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. (I am here to help you…)
My friend, God is serious. Ultimately, God will get His way.
On the other hand, those with soft and subtle hearts will continue to beat and pump out the “issues of life”.
Unfortunately there are those who are like Moses and are willing to listen to what the Lord is saying. And, there are those like Pharoah who will refuse to listen to the voice of the Lord.
Those who are rebellious and disobedient to the voice of the Lord have a price to pay.
I fear Jehovah God when He becomes angry and chooses to harden the heart of an ungodly man or woman.
Transition and Close
Let’s take a closer look at the “issues of life” in both Moses and Pharoah.
What were the “issues of life” for Pharoah?
He was controlling and manipulative. Pharoah was always dictating to others. He was living his life purely for self gain.
Pharoah saw first hand the blessings on Israel. He despised and envied them and all he wanted was to have more wealth and power than any one else.
If you were to read on into chapters 5 and 6 of Exodus, you would find more demands put on the Hebrew people.
It was because of Pharoah’s hardened heart, that he made life more and more miserable for the nation of Israel.
Pharoah’s philosophy for life was simple.
You do this for me, and I will do this for you.
If you don’t do this for me, I will make your life more difficult to live.
Pharoah’s “issues of life” was only bitterness and anger towards Moses and the children of Israel.
He had a total disbelief and disregard for the things of God.
What about the “issues of life” for Moses?
In his younger years, it was his quick temper and disobedience. He also had a hard heart.
But later his heart was softened.
As a result, Moses found the forgiveness of God and surrendered himself completely to the plan God had for his life. Moses’ heart was so softened by God that he was willing to go back and face the problems he had once ran from.
The soft heart of Moses found:
Wisdom and obedience - (in hearing from God).
Authority and boldness - (in leading God’s people).
Closing:
The hardened heart of Pharoah was destroying his life and the lives of those around him. Pharoah was interfering with the destiny God had planned for His people.
Whereas, the softened heart of Moses fulfilled this plan.
The plan God had was for salvation and deliverance.
It is interesting that both men came from the same household. How is it that they could become so different from one another?
The “issues of life” for Moses became the calling for his life.
God had a tremendous plan for Israel, and He blessed Moses for submitting to it.
