Tag: Guard your heart

Guard Your Heart

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Heart, Needs, On guard, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Thursday, 2023-05-04
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Proverbs 4:23
TRANSLATION: New International Version (NIV)

BIBLE TEXT: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

OBSERVATION: At the top of the list for dads to teach their children, should be the importance of guarding their heart above everything else. Solomon spoke intently to his son on this matter, and fortunately he lived the life to support the advice he was giving to his son. Stay with me as we look into the possible reason why God also saw this necessary for us today.

APPLICATION: The most challenging thing in you giving advice, is the importance of you living the life that you are teaching others to do. Solomon was known as the wisest man on earth. Isn’t it interesting how he was also known as the richest man on earth? I wonder if there is any correlation! In our world today, we hear a lot about folk with heart disease, in fact, I have been diagnosed with it, but when we go to bed at night with our home doors locked shut, possibly bars on our windows and doors, and possibly a loaded gun under our pillow or in a bedside drawer; or if we constantly worry about money being stolen from our bank account; or a gunman firing his gun in a crowd where we may be celebrating a joyous time; could it possibly be that many are suffering from a heart that is spiritually diseased? However, I find it interesting that this was really addressed by Jesus in His day on earth where, in Matthew 15:18-20 He said: “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile him. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defiles a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” Friends, when we guard our home, we protect everything inside in ways already mentioned, locked doors, etc. When we protect our kids or our spouse, we become bold enough to stand in the way of a speeding bullet, or even fight the biggest, ugliest, meanest, man who threatens their safety. Yet, we sit in front of our televisions for hours on end and allow the filth and sin-laden actions of twisted movie makers to intoxicate our hearts with the ways of the world – in absolute and total opposition to what God commands of us. In fact, many of you will opt for this, instead of meeting with God’s people for worship to our Lord and Savior. What if we start protecting our heart like we do our money, or our belongings? Do you suppose we will find greater peace with God; healing from the great Healer; wisdom from the wise and almighty God; protection from the evil one, by the Holy of Holies? Please consider this challenge before you call on God out of desperation again. You might have a clearer conscience in approaching God, and you might expect more from the God with whom you have made an effort to develop a relationship with.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: It’s from the heart that we love others and God. From this, we develop relationships with the ones who make a positive impact in our lives and gives us hope for every tomorrow!

PRAYER: You have been so good to us Lord! Thank You for the privilege of life itself, and thank You for providing the means by which we could enjoy life in peace, knowing that our eternal home in Heaven is assured and awaiting our arrival. Praise God, this will be the opportunity for us to meet Jesus face to face and spend all eternity worshipping our Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the purity and sincerity that only Heaven can give. While on earth, please use us for Your glory as we try to bless others and love them like they expect from You. Please use every possible opportunity today to humble the hearts of those who have decided to live life here on earth without You, as their negligence will only lead to eternity in Hell with the evil one. May this be the day that many will be touched by Jesus and/or drawn to You without reservation. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Guard Your Heart From Greed and Covetousness

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2021-08-31
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 12:13-15
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 13 Just then someone spoke up from the crowd and said, “Master, you should compel my older brother to divide the family inheritance and give me my fair share!”
14 Jesus answered, “My friend, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
15 Speaking to the people, Jesus continued, “Be alert and guard your heart from greed and from always wishing for what you don’t have. For your life can never be measured by the amount of things you possess.”

APPLICATION: The reading of wills, and the content of a will dictated by a father, has probably caused more family divisions than anything else in the world! For a dad writing his will, he probably looks for a way to right the wrongs committed towards he and his wife, or the bitterness, meanness and hatred that may have developed between siblings. In our story, Jesus was teaching a crowd, but a young man in the crowd had a personal vendetta that he wanted Jesus to resolve for him, and he wanted the crowd to hear exactly how Jesus intended to resolve the issue. We have seen over time how Jesus found it very helpful to use parables/examples to help others better identify with His message or response. Jesus again uses an example that the people could identify with, in order to help this young man. You see, when you find yourself in a crowd, your questions should be such that the crowd might be helped, and leave personal scenarios for your one-on-one discussions with the leader. So Jesus responded with an example that might help all hearers. Often our greed will result in overfilling our barns, before we would agree for a neighbor to have some of the excess to just feed his cattle. The excess will often cause spoilage for us, but actually meet a very critical need for our neighbor. Jesus teaches in this parable today that greed and covetousness will do us no good, as it has no impact on our time left on earth to enjoy the excess. However, when we allow a neighbor to win the battle in order to feed his family and/or animals, we are actually showing love towards him, and we show understanding of his circumstances, without first overfilling our own barn. Friends, we witness many who fill their barns to overflowing, then comes the time for them to leave this world. The excessively filled barns are then left for selfish kids to fight over and continue the vicious selfish cycle. When the deceased stands before Jesus, He totally ignores all that the person has amassed and He looks simply at the heart and goodwill of the man. Did He know Jesus as Lord of his life, and was He obedient to the commands of Jesus? That’s what matters dear one. If you know Jesus and obey His commands, you still may die a rich man, but in following the commands of Jesus, you would ensure that no one around you is in need. May we draw close to God so that He may work miraculously in us, for His ultimate glory!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: When committed to Jesus, we will be led by the Holy Spirit to live like He intends. He will be glorified when His children are drawn to Him!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please have Your will and way in our lives. May Your children be such imitators of all that you demonstrated to us and all that You teach us each day, that the unsaved will experience Jesus and be drawn to Him. There is nothing in this world that could meet the basic need for Jesus that our soul yearns for. Oh Lord Jesus, please help us to stay focused on the miraculous works of the Holy Spirit in every aspect of our life. May Jesus be glorified today because of our submission to His will, and through our obedience to Him as we experience life with others. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Your Heart Determines The Course of Your Life

On By Ed AlgreenIn Determination, Determined, Faith, Heart, Priority, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-04-02

Bible Reference: Proverbs 4:20-22
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: ^20 My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. 21 Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, 22 for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

OBSERVATION: From deep within our heart, words spew from our mouths, and actions that may either make us proud, or ashamed, when we stand before the Master of this universe. God knew this would happen, so in His Word He warned us to be careful of what we allow into our lives. With so much emphasis on the things of this world bombarding us every day, we must stop and analyze how we are doing in this critical aspect of our lives.

APPLICATION: There are sayings that we hear from time to time that are aligned with this Scripture today: ‘from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks’; ‘garbage in, garbage out’; ‘actions speak louder than words’; etc. Each of these sayings indicate that you could expect no better from a person than what is bottled up inside of their heart. So from where is the heart ‘fed’? Allow me to suggest that hanging around a bar will feed your mind, soul and heart with things that the frequent attenders say; the way they act; and the priorities they display while in your presence. Spending 8+ hours per day around your coworkers, will influence your life with certain attributes of theirs, and you will find yourself with some of their words and/or behavior. Spending many hours around God’s people at church or church events, will do the same as already shared. Studying God’s Word and allowing it to saturate your mind and your heart, will draw you closer to God, and will energize you to follow His instructions and share His goodness that becomes more and more obvious as you learn more about Him. Friends, it is very obvious that we are influenced by those we spend time with, or have a desire to imitate. So I believe the key takeaway in this devotional today, is that we evaluate what our priorities are. That we stop making excuses and strive for the image of God to be displayed through us. Never fool yourself into telling someone the lie that you just didn’t have time for something that really should take a precedence in your day. Try replacing the words ‘I didn’t have time’ with ‘it just wasn’t a priority for me’. Consider time with the Lord – imagine telling God at the end of the day that you are very sorry, but spending time in His Word, and in prayer to Him, just was not a priority. Friends, we choose what we will do. You may have chosen to sleep in, or go to the gym, or have breakfast with the guys during the time that you had set aside for a devotional time with God. However, if it was really a priority in your life, imagine how you would have moved things around to accommodate. So let me encourage you today to prioritize what goes into your heart. Fill it with the goodness of the Lord, and the awesome promise of His return. Can you imagine what will come out of you in words and actions? Can you imagine how God will be glorified? It’s all up to you my friend!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, may our hearts be so filled with You and Your goodness, that our whole outlook on life will change, and others who cross our paths will be infected by Your love being extended through us. Oh that You might be lifted up because of all that You will accomplish through us today, for this is my humble prayer and sincere plea, oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. AMEN!

Guard Your Heart, Sight and Walk

On By Ed AlgreenIn Clean Heart, Follow Christ, Follow Jesus, Follower of Christ, Heart, Know God's Heart, Obedience, ObedientLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Saturday, 2017-11-11
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Proverbs 4:23-27 (Voice)

Text:

 23 Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it
    because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life.
24 Do away with any talk that twists and distorts the truth;
    have nothing to do with any verbal trickery.
25 Keep your head up, your eyes straight ahead,
    and your focus fixed on what is in front of you.
26 Take care you don’t stray from the straight path, the way of truth,
    and you will safely reach the end of your road.
27 Do not veer off course to the right or the left;
    step away from evil, and leave it behind.
OBSERVATION:
Solomon devotes this whole chapter giving advice to dads on how to best raise their children – sons in particular. I believe as you really let these words sink in, you will find some biblical advice that first speaks to your heart, but then to many other aspects of your life.
APPLICATION:
I included more scripture than usual today, because I want you to read this passage over and over until it really impacts your life. Although this might be great for a son looking to his dad for advice and as an example, I believe this is also very applicable to all who call themselves ‘children of God’. Fellow Christians, like me, you may not have a son, but you definitely have a relative or friend who is reading the Bible through your words and actions. Know that the condition of your heart results in the words you say, your reaction to life’s circumstances, and the way that you act in life. Family, friends and coworkers are sometimes depending on you to understand the good and noble things of life, and which ones they should turn away from. Although they may not be a Christian, they are probably watching your reaction to life’s circumstances, as they have witnessed you being guided by your Savior in the past. Let me encourage you to read this Scripture thoroughly and use it as a base for your life – your heart; the truth from your lips; your eyes fixed on the eternal goal ahead (heaven); your feet to lead you in the way of truth and most of all, that you leave evil behind as you look towards the glories of heaven with your Master!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You know how seriously we, Your children, need You involved in our lives each and every day, so that we might have the power to guard our hearts, guide our sight to protect against the things that might cause us to falter in our desire to be more like You, and to help us keep our feet on the straight path set out before us. Lord we want to be just like You in every way, every day. Please grant us the wisdom and strong desire to do this, so that You might be glorified. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Guard Your Heart

On By Ed AlgreenIn Clean Heart, Heart, Know God's Heart, On guard, Righteous, Righteous LivingLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Saturday, 2017-04-01
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Proverbs 4:20-23 (Voice)

Text:

 20 My son, pay attention to all the words I am telling you.
    Lean in closer so you may hear all I say.
21 Keep them before you; meditate on them;
    set them safely in your heart.
22 For those who discover them, they are life.
    They bring wholeness and healing to their bodies.
23 Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it
    because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life.
OBSERVATION:
Solomon was able to share these Godly words to us, but also speak from the experience of his father about the results of letting our minds and imagination run wild, and how it impacts the heart and controls your actions. This matter was close to home for him, experientially, plus you might remember that Solomon was the benefiter of very Godly wisdom. So even though most people feel like they have life under control, Solomon’s advice is still rock solid even today.
APPLICATION:
From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks! That’s one of many sayings that come to mind as we meditate on this Scripture today. I realize that the first barrier each of us will face with this advice, is that we think we are all ‘good’ people and our intentions are always good, very clear, and abundantly obvious to the person we are dealing with, correct? If you answered ‘yes’ to that question, then I would suggest that after you get up from kneeling before your Maker in sincere repentance, that you re-read the Scripture and possibly this blog! Friends, in case you haven’t noticed: if you hang around drunks, they will soon have you drinking; if you hand around company that curse at every opportunity, you will soon be sneaking in a few curse words in almost  every  sentence; if you hang around children of God and hear about their many blessings that they attribute to Jesus’ love and mercy, then you will soon be wanting to know about the same and apply it to your life. When you see the scales tipping towards righteous thoughts, words and deeds, then I believe that it will confirm that you are on the right track. If not, I believe that God is opening your mind and heart to realize that something is lacking – perhaps inadequate time in His Word, or perhaps way too much time hanging around folk that answer to a different leader than you do. Yes, I am saying that you will deal with a spiritual battle, if the Holy Spirit lives within you and is leading you in the right path. Friends, if your heart is filled with the love, actions and thoughts of our Lord, then you will act like Him and talk as He would. Conversely, if your heart is polluted with the devil and his evil attitudes and deeds, then you find yourself frustrated, because you have asked Jesus to come and live within you, yet you are heating up the internal battle by pouring in the ways of the world and it’s ungodly leader – Satan. There’s a little chorus I sang in children’s Sunday School “O be careful little eyes what you see”. If you know that chorus, you will remember that it also includes what you hear, what you do and where you walk. In other words, learn, speak, act and look at things that are Godly so that you may guard your heart – the internal barometer of your whole being!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank You for not only living among us and showing us how to live in a way that is pleasing to Your Father, but also for leaving with us the Comforter – the Holy Spirit, who will guide us into righteous living, and help us guard our hearts that belong to You. Lord, may we be found righteous and sold out to You in every aspect of life. May it be evident to everyone that we come into contact with, and may You be glorified because of everything that You accomplish in us, and through us. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!