Chapter 4

Proverbs 4 (Karen)

Proverbs 4:23 “Watch over (guard) your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (NASB)


Heart - Thy thoughts, will, and affections. For - From thence proceed all the actions, as of the natural, so of the spiritual life, which lead to eternal life. (John Wesley Explanatory Notes)

"Heart" (Hebrew lebab/leb [b'bel], Gk. kardia [kardiva]) occurs over one thousand times in the Bible, making it the most common anthropological term in the Scripture. It denotes a person's center for both physical and emotional-intellectual-moral activities; sometimes it is used figuratively for any inaccessible thing. (Barkers Evangelical Dictionary)

We must keep our eyes (Job 31:1), keep our tongues (Ps. 34:13), keep our feet (Eccl. 5:1), but, above all, keep our hearts. Our lives will be regular or irregular, comfortable or uncomfortable, according as our hearts are kept or neglected.

Think of different guards:
Palace Guards (White House or Buckingham Palace) They guard so that unwanted people can’t get in. We need to guard our hearts against unwanted evil things. (Examples: lust, greed, bitterness, envy, lies, etc….)
Prison Guards They guard so that people can’t get out. We need to guard our hearts so they don’t run after the wrong things. (Examples: money, boyfriend/girlfriend, music/movies/video games, etc…)

What would be your answer if asked, "Do you have a heart for God?" A heart for God is one that is concerned only with pleasing Him. It describes a person who puts God's Word and will above all else. Whatever is most important to you will show in all you do. What drives and motivates you from day to day? Is it the accumulation of material wealth, relationships, prestige or are you truly seeking to become what God has purposed you to be?

The heart of a man is his spirit. It is the place where your life force exists. Just like the life of an oak tree is housed in its roots, your spirit, or heart, houses your life and determines what comes out of you (Proverbs 4:23).

Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Locate what you treasure and you will discover what has become the focus of your life. If your house, car and monetary wealth are your treasures, then you've located what is most important to you. If God is your treasure; if He is your prime focus and desire, then your heart is with Him. When you keep Him first in your life, everything else will follow (Matthew 6:33).

If you don’t keep Him first, the Bible says this; Matt. 15:18-19 “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness and blasphemies.”

First Chronicles 28:9 reveals God's relationship with man and his heart, "And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts..." There are a lot of Christians who boldly say God is the head of their lives, but when you examine their hearts, the truth is far from that confession. In fact, you can tell where a man's heart is just by looking at his checkbook and calendar; because where he spends his money and time will tell you everything you need to know about his relationship with God.

Do you want to develop a heart for God? You can by first examining yourself and honestly locating what has become your focus. Decide what’s important in your life according to God's Word. This takes a conscious decision on your part. Ask God to make you sensitive to His plans and purpose for your life. Meditate on the Word, so His promises can take root on the inside of you. Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and make the choice to make God your priority. When you seek the things of God, eventually your thoughts and desires will align with His. Focus on the Father and His Kingdom. When He becomes the center of your life, you will have every good thing He promises you.

Don't allow the things of this world to overshadow God or His Word. He knows all hearts, including yours; and when He begins to search you, the question is what will He find? What will He find sitting on the throne of your heart, which was intended for Him alone? Have you replaced Him with other things?

Lord, I pray that you will teach us to live in a way that pleases you. That our thoughts and actions will be for your glory. Forgive us for allowing earthly things to take the throne of our hearts and replace those things with you. Teach us to be more aware and cautious of things that want to take hold of your place in our hearts. Create in us a clean heart, O Lord and renew a steadfast spirit within us.