January 6th, 2024
Let’s read Proverbs chapter 4 using the H.E.A.R. method. As you read the passage, do the following:
H- highlight the verses that stand out to you.
E – explain the verse(s) in your own words of what God is saying to you.
A – apply the verse to your life. (What would it look like to live this truth in your
life?)
R – respond in prayer by writing your heart to God.
Each of these four steps cultivates a heart-attitude to hear God speak.
Let’s focus on Verse 23 – “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” The heart is the seat of our intellect, volition, and emotions. Why should we guard it? What should we guard it from?
Let’s take a little longer than usual to learn about "The Keeper of the Spring.
" This man was a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slopes of the Alps.
The old gentle man had been hired many years earlier by a young town council to clear away the debris from the pools of water that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent regularity he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt from the fresh flow of water. By and by, the village became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal-clear spring, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque.
Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting. As they reviewed the budget, one man's eye caught the salary figure being paid the obscure keeper of the spring. Said the keeper of the purse, "Who is the old man? Why do we keep him on year after year? For all we know he is doing us no good. He isn't necessary any longer!" By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man's services.
For several weeks nothing changed. By early autumn the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. A couple days later the water was much darker. Within another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks and a foul odor was detected. The millwheels moved slower, some finally ground to a halt. Swans left as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.
Embarrassed, the council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment, they hired back the old keeper of the spring . . . and within a few weeks, the river began to clear up.
You see, the village without the keeper of the spring is a perfect representation of your heart being unguarded from the world’s pollution. As Solomon instructed his son, “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”
Parenting IRL (in real life) Challenge– Actively seek the role of becoming a guardian of your child’s heart from the pollutions of the world.
H- highlight the verses that stand out to you.
E – explain the verse(s) in your own words of what God is saying to you.
A – apply the verse to your life. (What would it look like to live this truth in your
life?)
R – respond in prayer by writing your heart to God.
Each of these four steps cultivates a heart-attitude to hear God speak.
Let’s focus on Verse 23 – “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” The heart is the seat of our intellect, volition, and emotions. Why should we guard it? What should we guard it from?
Let’s take a little longer than usual to learn about "The Keeper of the Spring.
" This man was a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slopes of the Alps.
The old gentle man had been hired many years earlier by a young town council to clear away the debris from the pools of water that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent regularity he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt from the fresh flow of water. By and by, the village became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal-clear spring, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque.
Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting. As they reviewed the budget, one man's eye caught the salary figure being paid the obscure keeper of the spring. Said the keeper of the purse, "Who is the old man? Why do we keep him on year after year? For all we know he is doing us no good. He isn't necessary any longer!" By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man's services.
For several weeks nothing changed. By early autumn the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. A couple days later the water was much darker. Within another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks and a foul odor was detected. The millwheels moved slower, some finally ground to a halt. Swans left as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.
Embarrassed, the council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment, they hired back the old keeper of the spring . . . and within a few weeks, the river began to clear up.
You see, the village without the keeper of the spring is a perfect representation of your heart being unguarded from the world’s pollution. As Solomon instructed his son, “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”
Parenting IRL (in real life) Challenge– Actively seek the role of becoming a guardian of your child’s heart from the pollutions of the world.
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