Proverbs 4:23 - Your Mind and Your Destiny.
Proverbs 4:23 - Your Mind and Your Destiny.
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) Above all else, guard your heart, for
everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) Guard your heart above all else, for it
determines the course of your life.
First and foremost, the Presence of God is a heart issue.
That's where we experience Him most profoundly. Jesus told His
disciples that the Spirit would be like a river flowing outward from
within them, not flowing inward from outside of them. If we want to
experience the tangible touch of God, the living Presence, we will have to
become attuned to His movements within us.
That's why meditating on verses of Scripture is an effective
exercise in Presence. True meditation goes well beyond memorizing a verse
or exploring knowledge about a truth from different angles. It's a
spiritual practice of chewing and swallowing the truth, digesting it to
the point that it becomes a part of who you are. When you embrace a
scriptural truth and then turn it over and around within your soul, letting
it sink into every corner and crevice, it changes you. It becomes
part of your nature. When that happens, you don't have to obey it
against your inclinations; you simply fulfill it by being who you are.
That's how transformation happens.
Scripture says to guard our hearts. Most people interpret
that as, "Keep the bad stuff from getting in" - a good practice, but
only part of the full meaning of this verse. We are to be diligent
about our internal state - to keep the bad stuff out, to keep the good
stuff in, to dwell on truth and peace and the Presence, and to anchor
ourselves in Kingdom reality. Filling our hearts with scriptural truth is
a vital part of that process. It's one of the most important and
foundational ways we experience God.
Father, I'll do what I can to guard my heart - to fill it
with all the right things. But You are the true Master of my heart,
and I'm trusting it into Your hands. Shape it, fill it, and meet me
there. Let it be a place where Your Presence always reigns. [The One
Year Experiencing God's Presence Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
When the proverb says, "Guard your heart," it means "Guard
the part of you where your deepest, most fundamental thoughts and
beliefs are stored." That's what the heart signified in ancient Hebrew
culture. The reason for guarding these deepest thoughts is because they
determine how you feel, what you do, and therefore, how your life goes. If
your deepest attitudes are distorted, your life will reflect that.
But if the deep beliefs that motivate you are true and good, your
life will flourish.
We are usually most interested in God changing our
circumstances, taking away our suffering. But God is most interested in
changing our hearts and actions. That's because who you are and will be
for all eternity is shaped primarily not by what happens to you, but
by how you respond to what happens to you. And how you respond is
shaped by what you think deep down in your heart. So feed your heart
plenty of true, good, and lovely things (Philippians 4:8), and guard
what goes on in it. Your heart is the wellspring from which your life
flows. Guard it well. [The Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Worship Me only. Whatever occupies your mind the most becomes
your god. Worries, if indulged, develop into idols. Anxiety gains a
life of its own, parasitically infesting your mind. Break free from
this bondage by affirming your trust in Me and refreshing yourself in
My Presence. What goes on in your mind is invisible, undetectable
to other people. But I read your thoughts continually, searching
for evidence of trust in Me. I rejoice when your mind turns toward
Me. Guard your thoughts diligently; good thought-choices will keep
you close to Me. (Psa. 112:7; 1Co. 13:11) [Jesus Calling by Sarah
Young]
I am ever so near you, hovering over your shoulder, reading
every thought. People think that thoughts are fleeting and worthless,
but yours are precious to Me. I smile when you think lovingly of Me.
My Spirit, who lives within you, helps you to think My thoughts. As
your thinking goes, so goes your entire being.
Let Me be your positive Focus. When you look to Me, knowing
Me as God with you, you experience Joy. This is according to My
ancient design, when I first crafted man. Modern man seeks his positive
focus elsewhere: in sports, sensations, acquiring new possessions.
Advertising capitalizes on the longing of people for a positive focus in
their lives. I planted that longing in human souls, knowing that only
I could fully satisfy it. Delight yourself in Me; let Me become
the Desire of your heart. (Mat. 1:23; Psa. 37:4) [Deu. 31:6; Pro.
4:23; Mat. 5:3] [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
RELATED THOUGHT
Why is the tongue so important? Because the expression of a
thing deepens the impression. A word uttered becomes a word made flesh
- in us. We become the incarnation of what we express. Jesus said,
"For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will
be condemned" (Mt 12:37). After I saw that a person becomes what he
says, I have looked at this verse in a different light. If you tell a
lie, you become a lie. The deepest punishment of a lie is to be the
one who tells the lie. That person has to live with someone he
cannot trust.
Now look at what I am saying from the opposite perspective.
When we express good things, positive things, loving things,
scriptural things, these things go deeper into us. Clear expression deepens
impression. A brilliant young physicist tells how he often discusses complex
issues relating to physics with his wife who doesn't know the first
thing about the subject. He told a friend, "I describe in detail what
I am doing and she doesn't understand a word. But sometimes when
I'm through - I do."
If it is true - and I believe it is - that we become the
incarnation of what we express, then how careful we ought to be to ensure
that what we say is guarded and governed by truth, integrity, and
kindness. Always remember: every word you utter becomes flesh--in you.
O Father, how awesome is this thought - I become the
incarnation of what I express. Cleanse me deep within so that I may be pure
in soul as well as speech. I would be a clarified person. Grant it
please, dear Father. In Jesus' name. Amen. [Every Day With Jesus Bible
with Selwyn Hughes devotional re Pro. 15:2]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2013/20130215-2139.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDY:
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
LINKS FOR PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
http://www.lastdayofprophecy.com/
[March 21-26, 2016: Charlotte, NC live in person with live
streaming and multiple outreach locations]
Revelation Today by Pastor John Bradshaw:
https://revelationtoday.com/other-streams/
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
