Daily Devotion - Guard your heart (Day 20)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Truly, our behavior springs from our hearts!  That is why it is critical that we spend time immersed in God’s Word every day.  God’s Word will protect our hearts from being consumed with the things of this world. This is the only way we can obtain a perspective which properly balances temporal and eternal concerns in life.  This perspective will impact what we do and do not do in this world.  We must soak our hearts in the Word of God!  And that takes time.  I like to call it “heart time.”

The ways in which we invest in God’s kingdom are truly a reflection of heart time.  It determines where we spend our time, talent and treasure.  The more time we spend in God’s Word, the more we realize that the matter of kingdom investing needs to have a high priority in our lives.  Heart time influences our desires.  Are our minds preoccupied with the desires of the flesh or with the desires of the Holy Spirit?

Juggling the temporal and the eternal can be a tricky endeavor at times.  Discernment is needed.  Judgment calls have to be made.  It is a challenge, but it can be stimulating to see how we can transform time, talent, and treasure into the eternal when we originally were focused primarily on temporal objectives. When we focus on God’s goals, it is amazing to see how the Spirit of God molds us to be conformed to God’s purposes rather than our own.      

 
Heart Deposit: 
What is currently flowing out of your heart?  Are you thinking about the ways your life can have an eternal impact on the lives of other people?  How often do these issues occupy your thoughts?  What criteria are you currently using to make decisions about how to use your time, talent, and treasure?  In what ways are you guarding your heart?

Related Verses:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians
4:6-7

“My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will greatly rejoice.”  Proverbs 23:15 (ISV)