Devotional for Tuesday, February 21 2017
“Protect the Life Flow of Your Heart”
by Dona Hake
Today we will meditate upon the importance of guarding our hearts for from our hearts flow the issues of this life. May we be diligent and value all that God has given us to watch over. I will share a story with you that happened several years ago, and this story serves to remind us how harmful things can seep into our hearts even when they do not seem harmful to us by their appearance. Remember this…the devil will come as an angel of light, and his goal is to trick us, and weaken the strength of our faith and our walk with the Lord.
It was a mysterious thing that happened several years ago in West Virginia. They began to experience a puzzling thing in their water supply. There was a chemical that seeped into their water supply and threatened to sicken hundreds of thousands of people. Officials found out about the spill when people started calling in complaints about a strong licorice-type smell in the air. Who would think such a sweet smell could be a potential danger and health hazard?
I found it interesting that this potentially harmful chemical seeping into the water had a sweet smell of licorice. Some said it smelled like cough syrup, and the smell puzzled them. To protect the health of over 300,00 people they had told them not to drink, bathe or cook with the water. Interesting how one chemical literally zapped the pureness of their water. Their once safe water had now been poisoned and rendered many people to be without the water that they had once trusted.
There is an analogy to this story and we can learn from it. God’s Word speaks to us through Proverbs 4:23 and warns us as well to be careful and be vigilant to watch over our hearts. This scripture warns us to guard the purity of our heart and all that flows from it. Our heart is as a wellspring from where all issues flow. A wellspring is a source or supply of anything, especially when considered inexhaustible. Many times our hearts are endangered by poisonous things from this world, and we need to stand guard over our hearts that we be not affected by them.
Proverbs 4:23 (AMP)
“Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance
and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.”
Let us be careful to never leave down our guard over our hearts. There are so many “sweet smelling” temptations in this world that could taint and poison our hearts in which the life of God desires to flow. Oh that we will take it seriously to guard our hearts with all vigilance for this is where life begins and flows from.
Lord, we thank you this day that You come and show us how to guard our hearts with all diligence. May we be discerning over all that we see, read, and hear. Show us the way in which we should walk for we lift our hearts and souls to you in Jesus Name! amen.