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The Treasure of Your Heart

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

THE Bible says that all the issues of your life spring forth from your heart. Your heart establishes the boundary lines of your life and sets the parameters of your success. The prosperity of your life — your family, your accomplishments, your finances, even your health-depends upon the prosperity of your heart. "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers" (3 John 2).

Your heart is the treasure house of your soul. Whatever you deposit there becomes a resource for your thoughts, your emotions and your decisions. All the issues of your life pass through your heart. So be careful what you place in it and what you allow to be at home there. Guard your heart and protect it from every danger — the course of your life depends upon it.

Watch over the words of your heart, for they are very important. The proper purpose of words is to convey faith and the power of God. When God wanted to create the heavens and the earth, He did it with words. Jesus calmed the wind and the waves with words, and He taught His disciples to move mountains with faith-filled words. The Bible says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit" (Proverbs 18:21).

Such is the power of words. Keep your heart by paying close attention to the words you allow to come into it and by the words you allow to flow out of it.

The Word of God

The psalm writer said, "Your Word have I treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You" (Psalm 119:11 NASB). When we allow the Word of God to be deposited in our heart and give it the highest priority in our life, it will keep us in right relationship with God.

The Word of God is His heart expressing itself to our hearts. But it not only reveals His heart, it reveals ours as well. "For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

We treasure the Word of God by meditating on it-keeping it in our ears, fixing our eyes upon it, reflecting carefully on it, setting it in the throne room of our hearts. When we do, it brings forth a flow of wisdom and well-being into our lives. "My son, give attention to my words. Incline your ear to my saying. Do not let them depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:20-23).

According to Psalm 19, the Word of God converts the soul, bringing positive change into your life. It makes the simple man wise. It causes the heart to rejoice. It enlightens the understanding. It is a sure foundation that strengthens endurance. It instructs the heart in the truth and prosperity of God's ways. More precious than gold and sweeter than honey, the Word of God keeps us from harmful ways and leads us into all the good things of God. (Psalm 19:7-11)

The Words of Your Mouth

The Word of God reveals the treasure of your heart, but so do your own words. Jesus said, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:46).

Whether the treasure of your heart is good or bad, your words will show it. This is especially true when you find yourself in difficult situations-pressure can be a great diagnostic.

But it is not simply a matter of what is in your heart, it is what is in your heart in abundance that counts. For that is what comes out of your mouth, especially at the critical points of your life. If the Word of God is in your heart in abundance, then the words of your mouth will be in agreement with it. This is a very powerful thing because the Bible says that God's Word will not return to Him void, but will accomplish His will and prosper in whatever He sends it to do (Isaiah 55:11). God's Word in your mouth, when you speak it in faith, is every bit as powerful as God's Word in His mouth. When the treasure of God's Word is in your heart and goes forth from your mouth, it brings God's prosperity into your life.

Being careful about what we say is a key element to keeping our hearts from danger. "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you" (Proverbs 4:23-24). A deceitful mouth twists and distorts things. It does not tell the truth and cannot be trusted.

A perverse mouth speaks words that we do not really mean to say. How often we speak without thinking, saying things we do not mean, uttering words we would not want to come true. But we are responsible for them anyway! Jesus said, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37). Idle words are a symptom of a heart that is not yet overflowing with God's Word. They have no faith to them, nor do they accomplish what God desires to perform in our lives.

This connection between the heart and the mouth is very important. It is foundational to our experience, even to our salvation. The Bible says:

But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:8-10)

We believe with the heart, we confess with the mouth. Both are important, for out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. Both are required, because God speaks His Word to the world through His people. "For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21).

No wonder David prayed, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19:14). "Who is the man who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking lies" (Psalm 34:12-13). "Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3).

Keeping Your Heart

The Word of God is a very great treasure indeed! If you will carefully cultivate it in your heart and consistently express it with the words of your mouth, you will see the blessing and prosperity of God abound in your life. "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life."

Dear Lord,

Thank You for Your life-changing Word. It gives me wisdom and understanding. It instructs me in the way I should go and causes my heart to rejoice. Your Word is precious to me, and sweet.

I treasure Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path, and I am preserved by paying attention to Your Word.

Father, out of the overflow of my heart my mouth speaks. Fill my heart with Your Word, that I may have a good treasure to bring forth by my speech. Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips, that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart may be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Strength and my Redeemer.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

© 2003 by Jeff Doles.
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