“Listen carefully, my dear child, to everything that I teach you,
and pay attention to all that I have to say.
Fill your thoughts with my words
until they penetrate deep into your spirit.
Then, as you unwrap my words,
they will impart true life and radiant health
into the very core of your being.
So above all, guard the affections of your heart,
for they affect all that you are.
Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being,
for from there flows the wellspring of life.”
- Proverbs 4:20-23 (TPT)
Our heart is central to the battle between what is good and holy, from that which is evil and destructive. The core of us that chooses what is wise or what is foolish. It is the heart that dictates how we live… and here in these verses, the wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon, warns us to guard our heart above all else.
Guarding implies the idea of being wise with our heart – perhaps because it’s our physical and spiritual lifeline. The source of all wisdom is having a right relationship with God - that’s when our heart truly is at its wisest. When we cling to the Truth of Who God is, and fill our thoughts with His Word, and allow His Word to permeate every part of us, then we will truly know what living is all about. I love the thought that when the Spirit of God unwraps the Word of God in us, that we receive radiant health. Health of the heart, operating in one accord with our Holy God. Health of the mind, that no longer believes the lies of the enemy, but rests in the wholeness of our identity in Jesus. Health of our emotions that filter everything through the Truth of the Scriptures and reject anything that doesn’t align. Health of the body that joyfully cares for the Temple of the Holy Spirit.
The radiant spiritual health of a person is visible to others around them. Godliness shines through those who wisely guard their heart, and it’s evidenced by their words and their actions.
Lord, help me guard my heart. Bring radiant health to my mind, will, emotions and body. May Your Word and Spirit lead me to the fullness of life that I can have in You – abundant, joyful and true. Penetrate Your Truth deep into my spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
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