Every experience, good or bad, shapes our heart. Because of this, it is to be protected ABOVE everything else, primarily because the issues of life come from it (Proverbs 4:23). This demonstrates the importance of our hearts, the delicacy of the care we are to provide to it and the attentiveness we should have to guard it.
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THE DILEMMA
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17:9 NIV
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We can’t, but God can! Practicing the following is a prerequisite for God to guard our hearts! So let us do our part and trust God to do His!
REJOICE in God always. A heart of gratitude will allow you to overcome all hurt, fear, and rejection! There is always a reason to be grateful. Although present circumstances will present themselves to be bigger than God, you must remind yourself God is bigger than anything! After all, heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool! (Isaiah 66:1)
GIVE ALL YOUR CONCERNS TO GOD. How often do we hold back how we truly feel? When asked a simple “how are you,” how many times have you said “good” when you truly weren’t? Someone asked me once to express myself more to them, I quickly responded, “I barely tell God how I feel completely and you think I’m going to tell you?” (Don’t judge me & I am completely honest with God now *smiles*) The root cause behind us not sincerely expressing ourselves is a lack of trust! Yet God can be trusted! He moves outside the realms of time, so God knows what lies ahead…who better to guide us? God knows what we’re thinking and wants us to know His thoughts. If we don’t talk, we deny Him liberty to direct us and share His wonderful plans for our lives! So just open your mouth and speak to Your Father, He’s waiting to hear your thoughts today! (Jeremiah 29:11)
RECAP
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REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS (Php 4:4)
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BE KIND AND GENTLE TO ALL (Php 4:5)
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GIVE ALL YOUR CONCERNS TO GOD (Php 4:6)
After you have done all this…“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7 NLT)
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7 NKJV
