Rewire Your Heart Day#9

[Mayflower]

Rewire Your Heart: 10 Days To Fight Sin • Devotional
https://bible.com/reading-plans/12779/day/9?segment=0

Scriptures:

"Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life."
Proverbs 4:23 NASB1995

Devotion:

Everything Comes From the Heart
David Bowden

Everything we do comes from our hearts.

One of the most succinct ways the Bible states this truth is found in Proverbs 4:23. The idea can be stated so succinctly because it contains two metaphors. The first metaphor is pretty familiar to us - your heart.

In the mind of the author of Proverbs and his original hearers, the heart is the center of a person. The heart is comprised of the thoughts, volition, conscience and more.

The second metaphor isn’t terribly difficult to understand either. It combines two words in the original language of Hebrew. The first word communicates the idea of the place things begin: their source, starting point, or the place from where things outpour. The second word communicates life. So the metaphor is like a river of life or the place from where all life flows.

Combine the two images and you get a picture of all life flowing out of the starting place of the heart.

According to this verse, our loves and hates, inclinations and feelings, our desires and emotions motivate everything we do.

Based on this fact, the author of Proverbs implores us to guard our hearts. How do we do that? In the context of this book, the answer is simple: seek wisdom.

The book of Proverbs is full of things to stay away from and things to pursue. But above all, we need to note, that “wisdom” in Proverbs is a character. She is a person who we seek after and who comes to us.

Bible scholars have long noted that Jesus is the final embodiment of lady wisdom. He is the one who reveals God to us. He is the one who changes our hearts with his Spirit. He is the Word of God who comes to us. He is the face of God we seek.

How do we guard our hearts? We seek after Jesus. We rejoice in the truth of the Gospel. We meditate on the gift of the cross. We rejoice in the power of the resurrection. We listen to the teachings of his lips. We follow the voice of his Spirit. We wait eagerly for the return of his full and final presence.

Everything you do comes from the heart. You want to change what you do? Seek after Jesus and he will guard your heart.

First thought: I definitely want to seek Christ above all and watch over my heart with all diligence in what to put into it

 

[marks]

How do we guard our hearts? We seek after Jesus. We rejoice in the truth of the Gospel. We meditate on the gift of the cross. We rejoice in the power of the resurrection. We listen to the teachings of his lips. We follow the voice of his Spirit. We wait eagerly for the return of his full and final presence.

Amen amen amen!!

We acknowledge that we are dead to every dead thought as it enters our head. We determine to keep His commandments, to trust Him, and to love others, and that is the wall around our heart. We protect our heart from all things that would make us forget that He is loving and faithful, and that would lead us away from love to others.

Or, more simply, just as you said, We seek after Jesus! Casting ALL our cares on Him, because we are what He cares about!

Much love!

 

[Hidden In Him]

The second metaphor isn’t terribly difficult to understand either. It combines two words in the original language of Hebrew. The first word communicates the idea of the place things begin: their source, starting point, or the place from where things outpour. The second word communicates life. So the metaphor is like a river of life or the place from where all life flows.

Combine the two images and you get a picture of all life flowing out of the starting place of the heart.

@Mayflower, @marks,

Oh My!

Up until now I had never been fully satisfied with an interpretation of this verse in light of its surrounding context, but in searching around the internet a little bit I just discovered something that makes perfect sense! See if this doesn't resonate with you two, and feel free to comment.

This is what Adam Clarke had to say on this verse, and I think he's accurate here. It's not actually an analogy of a river but of blood flowing from the heart to the many arteries. Thus the heart must be protected above all things, both physically and spiritually:

Proverbs 4:23. Keep thy heart with all diligence — "Above all keeping," guard thy heart. He who knows any thing of himself, knows how apt his affections are to go astray.

For out of it are the issues of life. — תוצאות חיים totseoth chaiyim, "the goings out of lives." Is not this a plain allusion to the arteries which carry the blood from the heart through the whole body, and to the utmost extremities? As long as the heart is capable of receiving and propelling the blood, so long life is continued. Now as the heart is the fountain whence all the streams of life proceed, care must be taken that the fountain be not stopped up nor injured. A double watch for its safety must be kept up. So in spiritual things: the heart is the seat of the Lord of life and glory; and the streams of spiritual life proceed from him to all the powers and faculties of the soul. Watch with all diligence, that this fountain be not sealed up, nor these streams of life be cut off. Therefore "put away from thee a froward mouth and perverse lips - and let thy eyes look straight on." Or, in other words, look inward - look onward - look upward.

I know that the twenty-third verse is understood as principally referring to the evils which proceed from the heart, and which must be guarded against; and the good purposes that must be formed in it, from which life takes its colouring. The former should be opposed; the latter should be encouraged and strengthened. If the heart be pure and holy, all its purposes will be just and good. If it be impure and defiled, nothing will proceed from it but abomination. But though all this be true, I have preferred following what I believe to be the metaphor in the text.

Now look at the verse again in context and tell me if that doesn't make perfect sense of the passage. By the time he hits v.23 he has been well into talking about physical (and by extension spiritual) health:

1 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention to know understanding... 5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she will promote you. She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. 11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in right paths. 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble. 13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go. Keep her, for she is your life. 14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. 15 Avoid it, do not travel on it. Turn away from it and pass on. 16 For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. 18 But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. 19 The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what makes them stumble.

20 My son, give attention to my words. Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of [your heart] flow the issues of life. 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left.
Remove your foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:1-27)

I think Adam Clarke was right. I think "issues of life" is a reference to blood flow. Only in spiritual terms it is the lifeblood of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness etc that will bring life to all your flesh. As Scripture said in another place, "A merry heart does good like a medicine," and I think the opposite is also true. People who are angry and bitter all the time run into health problems. Very hateful people start having all sorts of medical complications the older they get. And Jesus talked too about "out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, false witness, slander, etc. That's the same thing the author of proverbs was saying. The thoughts of the wicked are to do violence and harm to others, but it doesn't bring health to their flesh or cause them to have length of days... Man the scripture lights up when you find something good! I'm reminded of Peter now...

8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For “He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. 11 Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

He's quoting Psalm 34 here, which likewise makes mild allusions to health:

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. 10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger. But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. 11 Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? 3 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it.

Well, that's enough Bible study for me for one afternoon, LoL. Time to go meditate on this so I don't forget it and have to relearn it again some time down the road.

 

[amadeus]

@Mayflower @Hidden In Him @marks

"Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:
She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.
She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city," Prov 9:1-3

Wisdom has killed her beasts! The new man is supposed to be killing the old man. That is the only way he is going to die completely so we can really be like Jesus all of the time.

What comes out of a man's heart and forms the words spoken by his mouth?

Death or Life?

When the beasts are alive and when we are quenching the Spirit of God in us, then death leads the way and the words of death come forth.

When our beasts are suppressed [or completely dead] by the unquenched Spirit of God in us, only Life is coming forth.

I believe from what I see that most believing people are still a mixture too much of the time!

"Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?" James 3:10-11

"For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." James 3:2

 

[amadeus]

 

[marks]

Oh My!

I'm having a tough time seeing what's different.

:

Much love!

 

[Hidden In Him]

I'm having a tough time seeing what's different.

:

Much love!

The writer in the OP doesn't pinpoint the analogy accurately is all. You know me. I'm a stickler for accuracy, especially when analogies are involved. It makes a big difference, as it opens up accurate interpretation of Proverbs 4 completely. Without it, v.23 is sort of a vague obscurity sitting there, and doesn't seem to relate well to the surrounding context.

 

[Mayflower]

Rewire Your Heart Day #10