January 4

Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 10, 11, 12; Psalm 4, 34, 64, 94, 124; Proverbs 4

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

We have the pleasure of receiving counsel from the wise man of old. Solomon received his wisdom from the one who is wisdom. It came as a gift from Almighty God. Solomon met the condition of James 1:5 and God gave him wisdom like had never been seen until Jesus Christ.
The heart is the seat of our emotions. It is vital to protect this vulnerable part of our being. The word “keep” refers to guarding the heart.
Part of the way we guard our heart is to fill it with God’s Word (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Another way we can guard our heart is to daily put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20).
To “keep” our heart with “diligence” refers to a guard, the post of the prison. We must do the same thing with our heart. We need the “breastplate of righteousness”, the “shield of faith”, and the “sword of the Spirit”.
A heart filled with God’s Word will not have room for fleshly, carnal, or worldly pleasures. What you put in will come out the other end. If you pour in apple cider, don’t expect oil to come out. So it is with the Christian. You cannot fill your heart with things that are ungodly and expect to continue to grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. So, post a guard at your heart and fill it with the Word of God.