Bible Studies and Devotionals

Notes from my devotional study of Proverbs 4:23.

(All scripture is taken from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise indicated)

"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23).

The heart (HEB: lebab/leb - GK: kardia), occurs over 1000 times in the Bible.

The heart is the center of both physical, and hidden emotional, intellectual and moral activity. It is a persons entire inner life.

The heart is the center of all the functions of the soul's life. The soul is the bearer of the personality.

It is the central organ of physical circulation.

• Keep (Strong's H#5241 nasar) - denotes to guard, to keep, to observe, to preserve, to hide (Vine's).
• To take notice of by appropriate conduct; a. to be faithful to; b. to act fittingly in relation      to; c. to conform to in habits or in conduct (Websters).
• Diligence (Strongs H#4929 mishmar) it indicates the condition of being guarded, watched, controlled (Vines's).
• (Strong's G#4704 spoudazo, pronounced spoo-dad'-zo), To hasten to do a thing, to exert oneself, endeavor, give diligence (vine's).

The heart is the depository of all wisdom and the source of whatever affects life and character (Jamison, Fausst and Brown).  It represents your ethical center, your intellectual center...your perceptions of yourself and your knowledge of God (Matters of the Heart Daily Devotions, 2/27).

Jesus spoke on the issues of the heart several times as he taught his disciples. These teachings are relevant to us today. 

• Matthew 15:16-20 - So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? but those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man, For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man"
• Mark 7:20-23 - And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye , blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defiles a man".
• Matthew 12:34-35 - Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

FOR AS A MAN THINKETH IN HIS HEART, SO IS HE!

• The heart speaks of the inner life, the mind, the thoughts, the motives, the desires. The mind is the fountain from which the action spring. If the fountain is pure, the stream that flows from it will be pure (Believers Bible Commentary). James 3;11-12 asks, "Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Dan a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
• It is designed to be the seat and center of the spiritual life from which all spiritual activities flow.

We must keep a watchful eye and a strict hand upon all the motions of our inward man. We must maintain a holy jealousy of ourselves, and set a strict guard, accordingly, upon all the avenues of the soul; "We must keep the mind from vanity, the understanding from error, the will from perverseness, the conscience clear of guilt, the affections from being inordinate and set on evil objects, the thoughts from being employed on bad subjects and the whole from falling into the hands of the enemy, or being the possession of Satan"(Gills). We must keep our hearts from doing hurt and getting hurt, from being defiled by sin and disturbed by troubled. Keep them as our jewel, as our vineyard; keep a conscience boid of offence, keep pit bad thoughts; keep up good thoughts; keep the affections upon right objects and in due bounds. Keep them with all keeping (Matthew Henry Commentary).

The heart is to be kept by all means necessary; by praying for the sanctifying power of God to keep and perserve us, by reading and hearing the word of God, by meditating the word of God that we might not sin against Him. 

• Psalm 119:11 - Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

Have a blessed week!

Pst. Leona