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A GUARDED HEART

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me,” Psalm 51:10 ESV. We protect what is of great value, and nothing is more valuable than the heart of man. Occasionally, there are news stories about bags of money falling from the open doors of an armored truck. I always wonder how in the world this happens since the entire purpose of an armored car is to protect valuable things; leaving the door unlocked is self-defeating. But the same can be said of my affections. I can’t motor around life with my heart openly exposed to every passing whim; my affections must be managed. Proverbs 4:23 warns us: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” To guard one’s heart is not to close it and lock it down, rather, it is to protect it with God’s Word and infilling Spirit. Lord God, You are My Fortress and Deliverer. In Your Mercy, Guard my affections with Your Mighty Hand. 

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