Protect Your Heart

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Eph. 6:11-18)

We are living in a world full of turmoil everywhere we look. To survive the chaos that is taking over our Israel lands we must put on the full armour of God to protect us. Our hearts especially must be protected, as the heart not only pumps blood through our body but it is also the place where the Holy Spirit speaks to us. The Bible mentions the heart 884 times. I would think then, that it is an important issue with God. In contrast, the mind is only mentioned 132 times and often, along with the heart. Jeremiah 17: 5-10 promises us that all we need will be provided when we trust in the Lord and our heart is turned to Him, “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” We are all affected by sin today and it affects everything that we do and say but if we draw near to our dear Lord and open our heart to Him, He will help cleanse us. We must protect our heart and not let our environment influence us and change our heart. “Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.” (Joshua 24:23)

We must not be like the Sunday Christians who appear holy and righteous on Sunday but act like the rest of the world every other day of the week. We cannot rely on our traditions and accomplishments as they do not change our heart. It is what goes into our heart and then comes out of our mouth that shows who we really are. In Matthew 15 the Scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus asking why the disciples transgressed the tradition of the elders when they did not wash their hands while eating. “But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?… Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men… And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” (Matt. 15:3,7-9,16-20). When our hearts are not with the Lord we can fall into many vices that the world provides. We must be strong in the Lord and protect our hearts so that we can run the race of faith to be good and faithful servants. It is when we are weak that we are strong in the Lord. “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psa. 34:18). The way we approach God is with a contrite heart {feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; humble}. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and put your faith in Him because without Him and the Word of God everything else is irrelevant. I like these verses from the hymns, “O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing” written in 1739 by Charles Wesley.

11. He speaks, – and, listening to his voice,
New life the dead receive;
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice;
The humble poor believe.
12. Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb,
Your loosen’d tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Saviour come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.
13. Look unto him, ye nations; own
Your God, ye fallen race;
Look, and be saved through faith alone,
Be justified by grace.