THE MATTER OF THE HEART
Pro. 4: 23; Psalm 51:10
The heart is a critical organ of the body, without which no man can survive. If adequate attention is not paid to one’s heart, it might result in death either physical death or spiritual death.
This is why the word of God tells us in our text Prov. 4:23 that we should keep our hearts with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. The heart of a man can be either clean, pure, crooked or perverse. No wonder the psalmist in Psalm 51:10 prayed to the Lord to create in him a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within him.
The mannerism of a man is determined by the state of his heart whatever one acts out or behaves, it first starts from the way he or she has thought it out. For instance, if one wants to embark on a journey, it must have first of all been processed in the person’s heart which at times is referred to as the mind, that tomorrow I want to embark on a journey to a particular place before the necessary step is taken to actualize the thought.
It will be recalled that Daniel and the three other Hebrew children were in captivity in Babylon and the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank to nourish them for three years and at the end of which he wanted them to become his servants. The scriptures tell us in Dan. 1:8, despite this gimmicks by the king, Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat nor with the wine which he drank and that was exactly what he did.
We must therefore understand that whether a man will be great in life or otherwise, it all starts from the heart. Hence, we must make conscious effort according to Philippian 4: 8 only think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report ,of good virtue and of praise always in-dwell our hearts.
Memory verse: Prov. 23: 7.
