Keeping Your Heart

And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you;
and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh,
and will give them an heart of flesh:
That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances,
and do them:
and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
(Ezekiel 11:19-20 KJV)

I thought of this graphic from a post I did three years ago. I had a different verse in mind for today, though:

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:20-23 KJV)

Now I’d like to look at that verse as it is written in the International Children’s Bible:

20 My child, pay attention to my words.
    Listen closely to what I say.
21 Don’t ever forget my words.
    Keep them deep within your heart.
22 These words are the secret to life for those who find them.
    They bring health to the whole body.
23 Be very careful about what you think.
    Your thoughts run your life

This could very well be every parent’s prayer for their child, especially those who believe in God and that He has a purpose for our lives.

While we are very aware that the heart is not the seat of our emotions, we still use the phrases that seem as though it does. “I love you with all my heart.”  “My heart is broken.” “I have a heavy heart.” The examples could go on and on, and they do in the Bible.

Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. (Psalms 4:4 KJV)

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5 KJV)

And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. (Acts 13:22 KJV)

Jesus confirmed how important our heart is:

For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. (Luke 6:43-45 KJV)

All this ties in to a Facebook post my teenage great-grandson posted. It’s a video done by a wrestler (my GGS is one, too!) who did not listen to his mother’s advice until after she passed away. Now he tells teens what he learned:  "Show me your friends and I'll show you your future."

That’s almost biblical, too, close to what Jesus said:

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:21 KJV)

Take care of your heart, your emotions, your dedication and most especially your love. Know who has your heart. Do they have God’s interest in your heart, too? In your soul? That’s known through a relationship with God, who has your very soul’s care in His heart.