September 29, 2023
Why We Must Guard the Heart
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. O that You would slay the wicked, O God; Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed. For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. Psalm 139:17-24
We all have things we treasure, whether they are prize objects, activities, or experiences. And what we most value is what is closest to our heart.
Proverbs 4:23 admonishes us to keep watch over our heart because it holds our treasures, and in it is potential for good or evil. Originally, the heart is full of wickedness (Jeremiah 17:9), but when it is purified, we are able to see the very face of God (Matthew 5:8). With such possibilities within us, is it any wonder that we are exhorted to employ all diligence in guarding our heart?
So how do we remove the impurities and uncover those secrets of the heart spoken of in Psalm 44:21? The answer is through our omniscient Father. He knows what litters the landscape of our hearts. He tells us in Revelation 2:23 that “I am He who searches the minds and hearts” and again in Hebrews 4:13 that “all things are open and laid bare” to His eyes.
Our role in all of this is to ask the Lord for help. We may not know what sin lies within, but He does. Like David in today’s psalm, we too can say, “Search me, O God, and know my heart ... and lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23-24).
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