Guard Your Heart!

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Today's Passage: Proverbs chapter 4
Memory Verse> Prov. 4:23

The heart. What a complicated machine. It's the thing that keeps the entire body going. If the veins and arteries function properly, clean blood is pumped to it, and impurities are carried far away from it. But if they are not, the body goes through a process of telltale symptoms to prevent itself from having a heart attack. The human being to whom the deficient heart belongs can choose to ignore these symptoms, or take heed and begin to reverse this process and get the heart back to a state of health again.

One of the symptoms is high cholesterol, which is caused by consuming foods that are not easily absorbed into the bloodstream... Foods high in fatty substances like oils and the skin of certain meats which can clog up the arteries. High cholesterol leads to high blood pressure, which is a buildup of the blood that has nowhere to go as a result of the clogged arteries. After these symptoms manifest, the patient experiences chest pain and shortness of breath, all warning signs that the body is not receiving blood to the critical parts (basically all over). Now, if you or a loved one has ever been to a doctor and heard these words, "Bring your cholesterol down", you've just been advised to guard your heart from things that will eventually lead to heart attack and death.

In the spirit realm, there cannot be a stronger parallel. Our mind, will and emotions serve as the arteries and veins that SHOULD be transporting fresh blood to our heart, and carrying away any impurities. But herein lies the complication. Just like with our physical bodies, we KNOW full well that there are thoughts that cannot be broken down and processed by our system. Thoughts of anger, strife, malice, vengeance, wrath, unforgiveness, and every evil thing can threaten to enter ANY heart-- it does not matter whether the individual is saved or unsaved. But if we allow them in, and refuse to flush them out with the detoxing power of the Water of the Word through the Holy Spirit, they will begin to lodge themselves in the arteries of our spirit and eventually slow the life of God in us down, ultimately causing spiritual death.

Today's passage gives us the solution to never having to suffer a heart attack: GUARD your heart with vigilance, like a bulldog. Understand that in order for it to continue pumping life freely and unrestrained through us, we cannot let anything in that will clog our spiritual arteries. This means if we have to lovingly tell that friend who insists on dumping junk in our spirit that we can no longer receive it, that is what we must do. Even if WE have to go through a season of speaking nothing but the Word because WE have a problem controlling our own mouths, that is what we must do. It's crucial to our very survival as believers, Saints. Our heart's health will determine whether we will be on-fire threats to the kingdom, or weak, broken-down vessels that are of no use to the kingdom. Doctor Jesus is speaking(RED LETTERS, y'all): "Bring the cholesterol down, or suffer a spiritual heart attack."

Prayer: Father, create in me a CLEAN heart, and renew a right spirit within me. As I cling to You, may I cast down every thought that would clog up my arteries and bring death to my spirit man. I declare only life and health, so that You can be glorified in me. I give You praise forever. In Jesus' Name, Amen.