Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:23
The word “keep,” carries strong idea of protection or guarding. It is used 10 times in Psalm 119 to stress the necessity of guarding or protecting the various kinds of instructions in God’s Word: “testimonies, statutes, laws, precepts, and commandments.” Everything written down by God is worth keeping.
In our verse, the importance of guarding our hearts is emphasised since it is the source for the “springs of life.” Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Lk 6:45). Our “heart” is indeed the key to much in our life.
It’s no wonder that the first commandment of all is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” (Mark 12:30).
Here are a few important principles that we must guard if our hearts are to produce the good “springs of life…”
“He that walk uprightly, and work righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart” (Ps 15:2) will live forever with the Lord of heaven and earth.
May the Lord grant us grace to guard (keep) our hearts diligently and to be conscious of the propensity of our hearts to stray from Him. Let us guard also our attitudes, conversations, and actions that we may depart from any form of guile and dishonesty.
