January 4 2025
"Keep thy heart with all diligence”
Proverbs 4:23 KJV
When the Bible talks about the ‘heart’, it refers to the emotional center of our mind, the place where our deepest thoughts brew and where decisions are made. Having a ‘broken heart’ speaks of being in a state where we can not function at our best because that emotional part of our mind is troubled.
Brokenheartedness is an inevitable part of our lives, especially where loss, disappointment or betrayal occurs. In these moments, God is more than able to comfort us. In Psalm 34:18 we are told, ‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’ Psalm 51:17 lets us know God is pleased with a broken heart when it is caused by us recognising the heinous nature of our sin, ‘...a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise’, because this kind of heart condition leads to sincere repentance.
However, what does not please God is when we cause ourselves to get into emotionally dicey situations because we have followed our feelings and failed to operate by godly wisdom. This can happen for example, when we pursue someone or something (e.g. a career ambition or position) out of desire without clearing it with God first. This is a failure to protect our own heart. Some instances of heart-break are within God’s will, but instances where we have run past God toward the thing we desire, can lead to heartbreak that God never intended for us.
We must remember that our own hearts can deceive us (Jeremiah 17:9). So if we really want to be good guardians of our heart, we must not let ourselves get carried away with its emotions, and led into situations that are outside of God’s best for us.
Bible in a year: Genesis 7–8
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