BE ON GUARD! (Part 2)

Text: Psalm 1:1-2

A good soldier knows that there is no rest and no permanent safety in a military “hot spot.” There is always a need to guard the fortress, guard the headquarters, and guard the most vulnerable people in the war zone. Therefore, steps must be taken to make sure security is at its very best. And the same is true when it comes to guarding our hearts.

In our last post I suggested that the most important tool for protecting the very core of our existence is Scripture. God’s Word enables us to readjust our faulty thinking and then embrace what God says is true. Since we are constantly being bombarded by deceptive thoughts, we must be on guard to protect our hearts! And in addition to filling our minds with God’s Word, there is a second step we can take. In accordance with Psalm 1:2 we must “meditate on (the Lord’s instruction) day and night.”

The key word in the verse is “meditate.” It means to “ponder something over an extended period of time.” One Hebrew lexicon even defines “meditation” as “talking to oneself extensively.” That is why the psalmist says that we are to engage in this process “day and night.” That means that in guarding our hearts we are also guarding our schedules, making sure that we have uninterrupted time to think about what God has revealed to us in His Word, and how that revelation impacts all that we do.

However, that leads to the question, “What are we actually focusing upon when we engage in biblical meditation?” Yes, it includes taking into our minds the literal words that we encounter in the Bible (cf. PS 1:2 & 119:15). But that’s not the end of the matter when it comes to biblical meditation.

• We are exhorted to take the time to think about the majestic works of God, especially His work of creation (PS 143:5).
• We are to think about how God Almighty has rescued His people from precarious situations (ISA 33:16).
• And then from a New Testament perspective, Christians are encouraged to meditate on the fact that they are dead to the power of sin and alive to serve Jesus Christ in all that they do (ROM 6:11).
• [The list of things to meditate upon is endless!]

Do you realize that you are in a war zone, a never-ending battle this side of heaven, that makes you vulnerable to hopelessness and despair? You are! But God has not left you alone and without spiritual protection. He has given you the wonderful tool of biblical meditation to protect your heart and mind from spiritual attack. But you must do your part. Therefore, set aside time in your busy schedule to read and meditate on scripture. It won’t be enough to read a short devotional and then head into your day. You will need time to ask questions of the text and seek answers to those questions. And then you will need to take time to pray, asking God to give you both insight and strength to obey all that He is asking you to do.

So above all the other things you have to do in life, make sure that you guard your heart!

BE ON GUARD! (Part 1)

Text: Proverbs 4:23, Luke 6:45, Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 12:1-2

In my last post I asked you to notice a couple of things from our foundation verse in Proverbs 4:23. 

• I wanted you to be aware that when the Bible makes mention of the heart, it is referring to the innermost aspect of a person’s life.  It often refers to the way a person thinks about oneself and about life in general.  
• I also made mention of the fact that from the very beginning of our individual existence, our hearts are under attack from indwelling sin (cf. MK 7:21-23) and from the devil (cf. 1 Peter 5:8). We could add to these two spiritual enemies the world system—a way of thinking that is opposed to the will and ways of God (cf. 1 JN 2:15).
• And I also noted that the writer of Proverbs 4:23 calls us to be on guard regarding what we are thinking, feeling and doing, because the heart is the starting place for everything that we eventually feel and do. 

As a result of these enemies that surround the heart, I challenged you to start the process of guarding your heart by acknowledging that we are all under daily spiritual attack.

There is an important word that I don’t want you to miss in the last sentence of the preceding paragraph.  It is the word “process.”  You see, guarding your heart is a process.  It takes time and intentionality for us to guard our hearts from the deceptive ideas of this world.  So how then do we actually go about guarding our hearts?

Let’s allow Scripture to inform us as to our next steps.  Take a look at Luke 6:45.  Jesus says, “A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.” Our Savior is telling us where good and evil words and actions originate.  They come from the heart!  But notice that word “storeroom.”  Apparently the things we say and do come from what we have been storing up in our hearts for…YEARS!  

Consider another text.  It is actually one long sentence found in Proverbs 2:1-5.  I want you to see the wisdom writer’s call to obedience in verse 1, followed by the result of that obedience in verse 5.  He writes, “1My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you…5then you will understand the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.”  In both of these texts there is an emphasis on storing up things within the heart—the very place that is prone to what I like to call “spiritual terrorism.”  

So how do you protect your heart (your thoughts) from spiritual terrorism?  
YOU GUARD YOUR HEART WHEN YOU FILL IT WITH GOD’S WORD.

I think I can anticipate what you are going to ask at this point.  How do I fill my heart with God’s Word?  How do I store up the things that will protect me from the fierce enemies of my heart?  I’m glad you asked.  Here are four things you can start to do immediately.

• First, if you are going to fill your heart with God’s Word, you need to intentionally surrender to a new teacher.  Jesus said, “All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves (cf. Matthew 11:29).”  Just as a parent drives a son or daughter to college, and surrenders that child to the college faculty, so must we surrender to the teachings of Jesus.  It is our choice, but we must be intentional about making that choice to let Jesus be our teacher.
• Second, if you are going to fill your heart with God’s Word, you must approach Jesus as a worshiper.  The Apostle Paul put it this way, “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship (cf. Romans 12:1).” Once we realize that our salvation is all of grace and has nothing to do with our personal efforts, the only logical response is to…WORSHIP Jesus!  Therefore,to surrender to Jesus the Teacher means that we must come to Him out of a desire to worship Him exclusively. We aren’t coming to get more facts about Jesus.  We are approaching Him for the supreme purpose of worship!
• Third, if you are going to fill your heart with God’s Word, you need to start replacing ungodly thoughts with God’s thoughts.  Paul went on to say in Romans 12:1, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God (cf. Romans 12:2).”  Think of it this way: In a matter of months the temperatures will change, and the wardrobe of summer will have to be replaced with the warmer garments of winter.  Some things will come out of your closet and will be replaced by something completely different.  Renewing of the mind is similar.  We confess that the old thoughts are wrong, and we affirm new thoughts that have been given to us from God.  
• Fourth, it goes without saying that if we are to fill our hearts with God’s Word, we will need to obey what our teacher says.  Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me (cf. Matthew 11:29a).” Jesus was referring to the process of “yoking,” where a young, untrained animal would be “yoked” to an older, well-trained and obedient animal.  As time passed the immature animal learned to “obey” the path the “teaching animal” was following.  The same is true for those who guard their hearts.  They obey what Jesus is teaching, believing it is the true “source of life.”

So how would you know what thoughts to discard and eventually replace with God’s thoughts?  So often we face uncomfortable, disconcerting situations, only to assume that what we are facing is someone else’s fault. And yet, the Bible is clear that the emotional upset we are facing isultimately a problem of the heart.  So to get to the bottom of things and start “renewing” our minds and hearts, let me suggest that you start a “thought journal.”  In a notebook or on your computer, draw four columns on an 81/2 by 11 sheet of paper.  

• Label the first column “Tension.”  In the “tension” column write down any frustrating or unsettling events that happened that day.  Keep your entries brief.  Place a date next to them, because you will want to review these “recordings” as time progresses.
• Label the second column “Thoughts.”  As you reflect on the disturbing things that happened, write down (in total honesty) what you were actually thinking when it happened.  Were you angry, sad, disappointed, fearful, or even filled with shame?  Write down what was going on in your mind.  
• Label the third column “Truth.”  After giving some time to reflect on the first two columns, ask God to reveal what it is that is going on in your heart.  Ask Him to reveal His specific truth to you for the event upon which you are focusing.  Ask Him to reveal anything that might be robbing you of truly worshiping Jesus as your King and Teacher.  
• Label the fourth column “Take-Away.”  That is, what is the “take-away” from what God is teaching you?  Is there some verse of Scripture you need to memorize?  Is there some relationship you need to restore? What is it that God wants you to do in response to His truth?

I want to call your attention to a word that I identified at the beginning of this post.  It is the word “process.”  Guarding your heart is not a one-time-event.  It is something you need to do every hour of every day.  But to be effective in this “heart-guarding-process” you must commit to getting rid of destructive, idolatrous thoughts and start storing up God’s Word. When you do, your heart will become the true wellspring of life.  So for today and every day…GUARD YOUR HEART!

BE CAREFUL! YOU'RE SURROUNDED.

Text: Proverbs 4:23

Have you noticed the same thing I’ve been observing lately? There are a significant number of people who are sad and indifferent about life. They are the people you see and interact with almost every day, whose lives are characterized by moment-to-moment sadness.

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  I hear it in the couples that tell me they made a mistake in getting married. They suggest that things would be a whole lot better if the other spouse would just change.

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  I hear it in pastors who complain that parishioners only want to be entertained. They wonder out loud why they ever entered the ministry in the first place.  If only revival would come, they muse, ministry would be more fulfilling.

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  I hear it in employees who only get excited when they talk about next week’s vacation, or the number of days remaining until they can retire.

If we were honest, many of us express similar attitudes. Attitudes characterized by confusion, defeat, and lingering sadness. But it’s not the circumstances that are the cause behind how we feel.  It’s the interpretation of those circumstances. And we interpret things the way we do because of the unfortunate condition of our hearts.  

Read Proverbs 4:23 two or three more times if you haven’t already done so. The wisdom writer states, “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”  A literal rendering of the verse would sound something like this: "In all your guarding, guard your heart, since life flows out of it.”

Two questions must be answered if we are to get a handle on this universal sense of despair we see all around us. First, what does the Bible mean when it refers to the heart?  In Hebrew, they thought the “heart” was associated with the core of one’s existence. It was the operation center from which a person thought about life. Later on the term was associated with the three primary aspects of personality: thought, emotion, and will. In Greek culture the “heart” was almost always a reference to a person’s inner being, especially the way life was interpreted.  So when we talk about the heart, we are referring to the immaterial, decision-making center that influences all that we do.  

However, there is a second question that also needs to be answered. That is, what shapes our hearts and the subsequent ways in which we interpret life?  Lots of things, but let’s consider three forces that attack us and influence what our hearts say to us every day. For instance:

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  God’s word teaches us that there is a deceptive influence.  Jeremiah 17:9 states that “the heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?" (JER 17:9 HCSB) Since every human being is born into sin, our hearts are corrupt from the very beginning.  Add to this spiritual corruption all the negative and abusive messages so many people take into their hearts from early childhood.  Consequently, the proverbial deck is stacked against them, so that it is only “natural” for them to interpret life from a negative perspective.

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  At the same time there is an intimidating influence.  The Apostle Peter describes this antagonist (the devil) as a spiritual being who is bent on robbing us of any possibility of hope (1 Peter 5:8) This “evil one” doesn’t have to use guns or rockets. Instead he places thoughts in our hearts that “tell us” to be fearful, bitter, angry, lustful, and filled with shame. This doesn't mean that we have no control over our lives. But it does mean that we have an enemy that tries to keep us from walking in righteousness and hope.

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  And consider the fact there is also an indwelling influence.  Some biblical writers refer to this enemy as the “flesh.” (cf. GAL 5:16-18)  In Mark 7:21-23, Jesus simply referred to an unnamed enemy that influences how we speak and respond in any given situation. It’s not the food we eat, the weather outside, or the unbearable boss at work. Jesus suggests that our hearts are corrupt and need to be cleansed. If they are not, the indwelling enemy of a fallen, fleshly nature will set the direction of our lives. 

So let’s get back to our anchor text for the week. The wisdom writer is assuming that we are going to guard a lot of things. We will guard our loved ones, our valuable possessions, and a host of others things that we assume we can’t live without. But there is something that we must be sure to keep and protect above everything else: the heart! And since the heart is the starting point for how we think and feel, we MUST be sure to guard our hearts.

My hope and prayer is that over the next several weeks we are going to learn a lot of things about guarding our hearts. But for now, I want to challenge you to consider how you are thinking about your life, and what initial steps you can take to foster positive change. 

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  Are you sad?  It’s not some recent event that is causing you to feel as you do. It’s much deeper. It’s your heart.

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  Are you angry? Yes, there may be people who have inflicted you with great harm. But your choice to be angry is a result of what is going on in your heart.

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  Are you filled with shame? There may have been events and people that hurt you deeply. But your on going feelings are coming from your heart.

So if our hearts are ever going to change, we need to do something. We need to start by acknowledging that we have a “heart problem.” After all, knowing the cause behind our dilemmas can be the very first step to finding the cure. So more than anything else you do in life, be sure to guard your heart.