Friday, April 25, 2014

Guard Your Heart...Look Straight Ahead


Proverbs 4:23-27 -  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.  Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.  Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.  Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.  Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

 

Solomon ends this great chapter of Proverbs with a reminder to guard our hearts…the wellspring of life.  It is protected by keeping our talk positive and encouraging…and keeping our eyes focused on God.  Our feet will be able to walk directly where God leads us…without taking any side trips or stops along the way. 

 

Looking straight ahead to God …helps to put boundaries on our earthly desires.  We look forward to God’s plan he has given us ….and are less apt to stray when satan waves those temptations in front of our face.  Focusing on God helps us have the attitude of Paul in Philippians 3:14…. “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

 

I admit that I have been distracted from my goal many times…but God keeps letting me try again. I have been the rabbit from the old children’s story….The Tortoise and The Hare. I ran and ran and got tired and laid right down to take a long nap…missing the blessing God had waiting at the end.  But God is teaching me how to be the turtle…..and stay focused and patient with the plan he has set for me.

 

Father...thank you for this reminder that I am only my best when I am focused completely on you.  Forgive me for the times that I have run ahead of your plan…or gotten completely off the path on some side mission of my own. Help me to stay focused on you…and press forward to win the prize for which you have called me.  Amen.

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