11/7
Proverbs 4:23
23Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
You can guard your wealth, your family, your friends, and many things, but if you do not guard your heart, you are in danger of losing everything valuable to you. The desires that you allow your heart to be set upon will direct the course of your life. If it is set upon the temporal, you will lose all that is eternal in the pursuit of the temporal. The things will end up enslaving you. Proverbs 5:22 The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast.
Lust for the physical will always demand more. The first satisfaction soon wears off, and a greater indulgence is then required to get that initial feeling. Eventually the world can see your enslavement, though you think you have hidden it from others. It is a meaningless existence.
But for those who have set their heart upon the eternal, life is always increasing in significance. Instead of being mastered, they are mastering their heart and going after the things that will end in blessing and peace. There is no need to hide what is in their heart. They share it freely with all, and others are blessed by it. Though they may not have the abundance of some, they thoroughly enjoy what they do have and share that enjoyment with genuine friends. Their life increases in richness and value as they grow spiritually. They look forward, with longing, to eternity with the God on whom they have set their hearts.
Here are two totally different ways of life decided by where the heart is. Where is your heart set? Guard it with all diligence. The temptation to turn toward the temporal is ever present.
Meditation: Keep your eye on the goal and fix your heart there.
