"SAFEGUARD YOUR HEART"

Maintain Vigilance

The king of Israel goes on to say:  "My son, to my words do pay attention.  To my sayings incline your ear. May they not get away from your eyes. Keep them in the midst  of your heart. For they are life to those finding them and health to all their flesh. More than all else that is to be guarded, safeguard your heart, for out of it are the sources of life." -Proverbs 4:20-23.

Solomon's own example testifies to the value of the counsel to safeguard the heart. True, he  "proved to be a real son" to his  father in his youth and remained faithful to Jehovah will into his adulthood. Yet, the Bible relates:  "It came about in the time of Solomon's growing old that his [foreign] wives themselves had inclined his heart to follow other gods, and his heart did not prove to be complete with Jehovah his God like the heart of David his father." (1 Kings 11:4) Without constant vigilance, even the best of hearts can be enticed   to do what is bad.  (Jeremiah 17:9) We must keep the reminders In God's Word close to our heart-'in the midst of it.'   This includes the guidance provided in the 4th chapter of Proverbs. 

Next time: "SAFEGUARD YOUR HEART" -Examine the Condition of Your Heart

From the Watchtower magazine, 2000