Bible Passage: “My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:20-23 ESV, emphasis added)
Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 1:1-2; Titus 1:4; Philemon 1:1
I’m fascinated that much of the New Testament is personal letters written to specific people or groups.
Take 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, for example. All four books are simultaneously personal letters from Paul and divine, inspired Scripture.
To me, it says a lot about who our Lord is and what His Kingdom is like.
He’s relational by nature, and He communicates and relates to us within the context of relationship. It’s a beautiful, glorious mystery that I don’t think I’ll ever fully wrap my head around.
In line with Paul’s example, this week’s devotional is structured as personal letters to my brothers in the Lord, a group of guys I’ve had the privilege of walking closely with. I trust they will speak to all men, even as I write to them.
To my brothers (as the Apostle Paul would write):
Grace and peace to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus, our Savior!
This week, I want to lead you through some Scripture to highlight what is of central importance in a man’s walk with Jesus: your heart.
I recognize that—from the perspective of the world—it’s not common, nor masculine, for men to talk about things of the heart. Yet, as you know, we aren’t of this world; so if the Word of God tells us that our hearts matter, we better pay attention.
The Book of Proverbs, where we discover God’s wisdom, contains about 77 references to the heart in its 31 chapters. So, wisdom tells us that our hearts matter—deeply.
In Proverbs 4:20-27, you’ll find—planted right in the heart of the paragraph–Proverbs 4:23 (bolded in our key passage above).
If you ask me, this is one of the most important Proverbs to remember.
Your heart matters because your entire life—your actions, experiences, relationships, etc.—flows out of it.
If you want a life pleasing to the Lord, you must keep, guard, maintain, and protect the condition of your heart with all vigilance and diligence.
Whatever the cost, make sure your heart is pleasing to the Lord.
This week, I hope to cast a vision of a heart pleasing to the Lord. After all, the best defense is a good offense. I pray this will stir you to be men who tend to your hearts with excellence and care.
Prayer: Lord, I recognize that my heart matters deeply to You. I pray that You’ll search me and know my heart, and that You’ll create a clean heart in me this week as I pursue You. Thank You for all that I will experience through these devotionals—even for the challenges, because I know that through testing, You’ll make my thoughts and heart known to me. Amen.
Reflection: How is your heart today? Is what you are feeling and thinking about pleasing to the Lord?
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