Guarding the Heart of Man
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Introduction
Introduction
One of the most important parts of our walk with the Lord is guarding are heart as much as we walk and grow in Him.
So let me ask you a question.....
What does it mean to guard your heart?
You know when we look at the world around us, we can use the word heart in so many different ways,
For example: We say things like...
For example:
he has no heart I know it by heart she stole my heart
I know it by heart
she stole my heart
I'm heartbroken
Those are just a few of the saying we have heard in our life, there are truly many, many more...
In the Bible, Solomon used the word heart many times:
I'm heartbroken
I know that by heart
the heart of the matter
don't be half-hearted
I'm heartbroken
I know that by heart
In the Bible, Solomon used the word heart many times:
70 times in times in times in Song of Solomon
One of my favorite heart verses is :
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
In the verses following, Solomon explains how to protect our hearts. In short he teaches us to watch our mouth, eyes and feet.
In the verses following, Solomon explains how to protect our hearts. In short he teaches us to watch our mouth, eyes and feet.
This means that we should carefully guard what we say, what we look at and where we go.
My Mouth
24 Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
says, Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk from your lips.
says, Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk from your lips.
The Hebrew speaks to the falseness of the mouth.
They do not help the one who hears them and they injure the one of whom they are spoken.
The mouth is meant to edify, to build up in the kingdom of God, but when sin is present in our life, when the ways of our walk are not his ways… you know what happens, the words of our mouth suddenly begin to tear down and hurt those around us instead of building each person up...
I love what James tells us, the tongue, or the mouth is like a match that could burn down a entire forest, we must be careful with our words and our mouth
IMP_____________
Bu the best way to protect the mouth, is to protect what you put into your heart. If your heart is crooked, if it is being filled with dirty TV, music and such then the mouth will over flow with evil.
Now consider the eyes....
My Eyes
25 Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
says, Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.
says, Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.
Many distractions enter our heart through our eyes.
We start looking at something else or someone else and before long we are emotionally involved. Strong emotions usually block rational thinking.
What is the solution...
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2
When our eyes are truly on the Master we are well.
And the reason we look to Jesus is for what he has down for us… he is the founder and perfecter of our faith....
The founder means author, the captain of our salvation, ; says that he is the source of life.
15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
So if our eyes are on him, when we are seeing all that is good and proper how then can we fail...
Keep our eyes on Jesus
And then our feet
My Feet
26 Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
The word ponder is important here, it means to consider well… think about this, how many times have we walked into a problem quickly because we did not ponder before we stepped…
I think we all have… and at times we cost us.
26 Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
The path of our feet speaks to our daily steps, our walk in this life and through this world.
You must be purposeful if you hope to have a good journey.
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
The words of our Lord gives us direction and it helps establish our path ways
Nothing engages your soul like the choice to go somewhere.
The very decision to go anywhere reveals that there is something we want.
Many times we learn about the poor judgment of others and we wonder, "What were they doing there in the first place?" When we are tempted to think that no one will know, remember this:
For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths ().
For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths ().
Time for Review
Take some time to review these three areas of your life:
what you say
what you see
where you go
See if the choices you make are hurting or helping your heart. Jesus wants us to love the Lord our God with all our heart.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him ().
Discussion questions for your small group or Sunday School class.
1. How does guarding your mouth help keep your heart pure?
2. How does guarding your eyes help keep your heart pure?
3. How does guarding your feet help keep your heart pure?
4. Which of the three is more challenging to you?
5. What choices will you make this week in order to guard your heart?
6. What is your best advice to others to help them guard their heart?
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