Keep Thy Heart with all Diligence

Daily Devotional – Friday, January 20, 2022
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV)

The people downstream were suffering. For two years, they had received less and less water until the river had stopped flowing. They could not irrigate their farms. Hunger and thirst became common in a community that was hitherto thriving.

Guard the River Above Else

The government set up a team to investigate the matter. The report revealed the problem was upstream. Farmers had cultivated in the water catchment. Others had cut down trees to burn charcoal.

Determined to restore the flow of water, the state evicted all the encroachers from the catchment and riparian zones, and initiated a tree-planting program. The government also fenced the area and stationed armed guards at strategic points.

Keep Your Heart with all Vigilance

Within two years of these actions, water was back downstream. Life returned to normal. It had taken the government’s zeal and practical and strict actions to protect the water source and livelihoods.

In Proverbs, King Solomon identifies another more important catchment area that requires even more zeal and deliberate effort to protect. He says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23).

Guard Your Heart Above all Else

Like the source of a river, the heart (mind) is wellspring of thoughts, affections, emotions and plans. A pure mind translates into a pure human being. Protecting and conserving the mind ensures there is a constant flow of godly and productive thoughts and actions.

The health of the body, mind and soul depends on how well protected the mind is. We need to protect the mind as zealously as governments protect water catchment areas. Unless we remove all encroaching evil thoughts and guard our minds, we will deprive others and ourselves divine blessings.

Carefully Guard Your Thoughts

Everything about you revolves around your mind. Your successes and failures begin in your mind. How far you go in life is determined by the beliefs and thoughts you entertain. How ardently, then, should your guard your mind?

To safeguard your mind implies filtering what you listen to, watch, think about and read. It means filling you mind with “whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy.” (Philippians 4:8). That is how you protect your thought catchment area.

Keep Thy Heart with all Diligence

How passionately have you been defending your mind from ungodly thoughts and influences? Which attitudes and beliefs have you allowed to limit you from reaching your potential? Are you under the control of fear or faith? Keep thy heart with all diligence.

Prayer
Dear God, help me to be careful how I think because my life is shaped by my thoughts.