Proverbs 4:23 says: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” I love to find out what the words of a Scripture really mean. The phrase “with all diligence” in the Hebrew is most interesting. It uses a preposition meaning “above, beyond” and a noun meaning “prison, guard, the act of guarding.” It can be translated “more than all other guarding, guard your heart.”
I am interested in the use of the word “prison.” Most inmates in a prison want to get out; they want to escape. It’s much the same with our hearts. Sin, worldliness, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,” want to escape the light of God shining in our hearts. They want to do their own thing. They want to be free.
Therefore, we must vigilantly guard our heart. We cannot be lenient. We must take strict measures to bring “every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
The Complete Jewish Bible says: “Above everything else, guard your heart for it is the source of life’s consequences.” The Hebrew means “the outgoings of life.”
As mothers, we cannot afford to let our hearts run away with us. We must keep pure hearts before the Lord. If we hold resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, or just stay miserable towards our husband or any other person, it not only destroys our own soul, but affects each one of our children.
You cannot hide the attitude of your heart. It eventually affects the atmosphere of your home and the hearts of your children for good or for evil.
We guard our hearts, not only for our own sake but the for the sake of our children, children’s children, and beyond.
God bless you and your family today,
Nancy Campbell