Wisdom Cries...Let not thine heart decline

Proverbs 7:25  Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

Well, for this series I wasn't looking to go all lexicon on anyone, but I could not let this one go by. The word here for decline in the Hebrew is satah, pronounced saw-taw', and it means to deviate from duty. This verse is specifically in the context of a young man following after a "harlot", but the over-riding thought can not be ignored. Whether by a girl or anyone else or anything else, we can't let our heart be deviated from duty.

Okay, think soldier of the cross. This isn't applicable to everyone, but as a born again believer, you are a member of the army of God. We have a directive given to us through the word of God and really the only weapon the enemy has against you is distraction, most call it temptation. The devil desires to make you deviate from the work God has commissioned you to. So, of all the pleas from Wisdom, this one is paramount. Notice, to deviate from your duty is to go astray, AWOL, absent without leave. As a soldier of the cross, it ought to be your highest honor to be vigilant, alert, on ready, and always on task. Be aware of the breeches in your defenses. Shore up the weak areas. Walk the perimeter and see where the work is needed. Do you need to concentrate more on Bible study? If certain temptations are getting you, you need to get some scripture to combat the enemy head on. If self is getting the best of you, buckle down on your prayer life. Submit yourself before God. Has the enemy distracted you from the fellowship of your local church? We are in play-off mode, especially here in the Baltimore area. Are you putting an athletic event with absolutely no eternal significance ahead of communing with the Heavenly Father and His people? Are you greedy or selfish with your money? You need to honor God with your substance. These, and many more, are places of attack of the enemy to make your heart decline, or deviate from your duty. I hesitate to put it in these terms because I am no legalist, yet the truth of the matter is that we do have some duties, responsibilities to carry out. Our faith needs to be known and will be known by our works, otherwise it is dead. Listen to the cry of wisdom...don't deviate from the mission.

Wisdom Cries...Keep your heart with all diligence

Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

I have to start out by saying that this verse is one of my favorites out of the entire Bible. I have preached from it, taught from it, and even counselled from it. I believe that this verse is God's answer to all of the drama that we see in our lives, whether in person or on social media. There are only a few people that deserve your heart or a place in it, but in a search for identity, significance, or meaningfulness, we let everyone that comes along into our heart. We share all of our secrets, all of our problems, and everything else. Facebook is just a snapshot of the public lives that we choose to live. We have grown accustomed to sharing all manner of personal information from what we are eating right now all the way to how we feel about other people in our lives, good or bad, it's out there. We relish the attention until it turns negative and then we demand, "Don't judge me" when it can't be helped. All of the evidence is exhibited for the world to see.

Believe me when I say that I am human (well that part isn't so hard to believe) and I enjoy the interest some have taken in my life. I mean, let's get real here. I am tickled pink that you are reading my blog, my personal thoughts. I am sure we all want acceptance in some form, whether it be a "Liked" status, a "Poke" or follow, or better yet, a comment or retweet. But it all comes at a certain cost. We have opened our hearts more than we would our front door. We reveal the truth about us to total strangers. That is the furthest thing from keeping your heart. Imagine what your foyer would look like if you just opened the door everyday and allowed anyone and everyone to just walk in and see the inside anytime they wanted. It would not take too long for the foyer floor to be dirty, muddy, and cluttered. Things would get broke and it would end up just a plain mess. Once we have allowed such social traffic through our own heart by on-line "Friends", hook-ups, and so many other kinds of relationships, is it any wonder that our hearts and even our lives become such a broken mess. Wisdom is pleading with you and me, keep your heart. In other words, guard your heart. It's valuable and so are you; so much so that it is worth the "diligence".