All About the Heart
by Sarah Pearsons
King Solomon left us buried treasure in the book of Proverbs: 31 chapters of wealth and wisdom straight from God’s heart. But to me there is one gold nugget that stands out above the other gems. Proverbs 4:23 begins with these three attention-gripping words: “Above everything else” ("International Standard Version").
Now we know that whatever words are about to follow this phrase must be extremely valuable and have the power to alter the course of our lives. So let’s take a minute to dig up the stash that God has hidden for us and is longing for us to find.
Here it is: “Above everything else guard your heart, because from it flow the springs of life.”
We have been not only encouraged but also commanded to guard our hearts. Why? Our lives depend on it. A guard has the responsibility to watch over, to make secure and to protect from danger. Some people may passively skim over this verse and think, Oh, that’s nice and sounds easy enough. But take a closer look. Some translations say to guard your heart with diligence. A diligent guard is always on duty.
But how do we guard our hearts? Let’s back up a few verses.
Verses 20-22, "New King James Version," say, “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.”
We guard our hearts by keeping the Word in our hearts.
In this passage, Solomon is not referring to the physical heart—the organ that pumps blood throughout the body. He is talking about your core, the very essence of who you are.
24 : BVOV
