(Prov 23:19 NLT) My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course.
This morning we continue our series, “Unlocking the Power of Proverbs – Walking in the Wisdom of God.” This is the 16th Saying: a Call to Give and Maintain Attention. Solomon has given us many principles and countless golden nuggets to this point in Proverbs. Of the wisdom literature of the Bible, the book of Proverbs is perhaps the crown-jewel. In this book the Father has given us a compilation of divine sayings that will enable us to operate in wisdom well beyond our years, if we would heed the counsel. And that is exactly what Solomon urges us to do today. He tells us to listen—basically to pay attention—so that we can develop in God’s wisdom and be the wise men and women the Father desires for us to be.
The second portion of this verse is equally straightforward, telling us to keep our heart on the right course, but the more we think about what he instructs us to do, the more profound it becomes. The word “heart” here is a reference to our inner man (spirit and soul). Our spirit, where our true essence resides, and our soul where our mind (thinker), emotions (feeler), and will (chooser) reside. The only part of us left out of this equation is our body. And yet many people focus way more attention, energy and effort on the condition of their body, their outer man, than they do their heart, their inner man. Make no mistake, it’s your inner man that will determine the destination and the outcome of your life. Back in chapter four Solomon said, “Guard your heart [your inner man] above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
We must protect our inner man, so that we can heed the counsel of God and remain on the path that leads to His best for our lives. To do this we should put up a wall of defense against the errors of undisciplined conduct. It is extremely dangerous to allow our mind to stray or remain idle, to allow our emotions to fluctuate unchecked, to allow our will to choose what we know is wrong, and to allow our spirit to wander without direction. Yes, this is our inner man and it is here that decisions are made at forks in the road, that chances are taken at divine opportunities, and that the faith line is crossed at life-changing moments. While many spend countless hours in the gym building their bodies – and let me say that physical fitness is important, but not as important as the condition of your inner man – the danger lies in leaving their inner man un or underdeveloped. Greater than the discipline required to get up in the morning for a run, is the discipline required to abstain from sin, to do what is right the sight of God, to walk circumspectly before Him, in essence, to keep our heart on the right course.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that, in general, all the actions of life flow from the heart, from the inner man. So make no mistake, if you want to become the person that God desires for you to be, if you want to arrive at the final destination He envisions for your life, if you want to enjoy Godly success, then you will have to develop the discipline required to keep/guard/protect your inner man. It’s in your inner man that the course of your life is determined. It’s in your inner man that you either thrive or starve in God. It’s in your inner man that you either overcome or succumb to the temptations of the enemy and the flesh. You may fool others by being a big, strong, and physically fit imposing specimen, but God looks past the outward appearance and He judges the heart (1st Sam 16:7) How do you look on the inside? Are you keeping your heart on the right course?
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for taking the time to document Your wisdom in the books of the Bible. I declare, by faith, that I read and heed to Your counsel daily. I keep my heart on the right course. I submit put up walls against undisciplined conduct and unrighteous influences. I make decisions that line up with Your Word, because Your Word is the final authority in my life. Your Word is the ruler by which I judge every decision. And I know that as I make decisions that line up with Your Word, I will keep my heart, protect my inner man, and position myself for Godly success. I want to arrive at Your final destination for my life, and since I am making the right decisions, keeping my heart on the right course, I declare that I will! l In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
