PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• I’m an avid reader and my favorite genre is Christian Fiction. If it’s a series—even better. My favorite is “The Northern Lights” series by Lisa Tawn Bergren. It’s a wonderful story of Norwegian immigrants who came to America in the 1800s. (Ever since my Ancestry DNA results came back reporting that I’m 2% Norwegian, I feel even closer to the characters.)
In the 3rd book of the series, two of the characters went kayaking in Alaska. Their guide warned them of icebergs. We all know that icebergs can yield catastrophe. (Titanic, anyone??) But what is interesting in the book is that the guide wasn’t worried about the part of the icebergs that jutted from the water. He was concerned about the part of the iceberg that was underwater.
Sometimes, the greatest dangers come from things we don’t see.
Our own heart can prove to be dangerous. It’s the part of us that remains hidden. We may share parts of it with others, but there are parts of our own hearts that even we don’t know. And sometimes, we get so wrapped up in ourselves that we fail to see the whole picture. We will take our iceberg and create dangerous situations for ourselves and others—damaging and even destroying relationships.
In Proverbs 4:23 CSB, it says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.”
Guarding our hearts isn’t about sealing them off, but it’s about being diligent to apply God’s truth and not our own, or the enemies lies. Because the heart is fickle, gullible, and according to Jeremiah 17:9, it is deceitful.
But, God’s Word never lies. Therefore, hiding His Word in our heart can help us guard it from the lies of the enemy (Psalm 119:11).
And when we have His Word in our heart, and we’ve accepted Christ, the Holy Spirit truly does guard us and the source of life—eternal life—is in us.
Today, as you pray, thank God for the trueness of His Word. Thank Him that it never fails and we can trust it. Ask the Holy Spirit to help guard your heart against the lies of the enemy and the world. Ask Him to help you be ever-mindful of the icebergs that would threaten your heart or relationships with others.
