Guard Your Heart

My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
—Proverbs 4:20-23 NKJV

We must always guard our hearts and the things we put into them. We need to pay attention to God’s Words and keep them deep in our hearts, instead of fostering doubt and unbelief. Our thoughts, the things we value, the words we speak about ourselves, and above all else, our hope should reflect a heart that is surrendered and open to God’s healing grace. 

Psalm 103:2-4 emphasizes the importance of honoring the Lord for His forgiveness of all our sins and healing of all our diseases. We are told not to forget His benefits. How often do we forget these truths in the face of what we see and experience? 

If you consistently sow disappointment into your heart instead of embracing God’s truth, it can lead to the painful consequences of doubt, disillusionment, and bitterness, ultimately resulting in unbelief. Disappointment should never hinder your belief in Him. Even if you aren’t witnessing His promises in your life, God remains steadfast to His Word. It’s imperative to safeguard your heart from disappointment.

Regardless of any sickness or disappointing circumstance you encounter, don’t ever forsake the revelation of God’s goodness in Scripture and His covenant with you. Hasn’t His goodness and mercy surpassed anything you could ever earn or desire? During times of abundance and lack, God has always remained faithful and unwavering.

When faced with disappointment, we may be tempted to flee from God instead of fleeing from the enemy. When we do this, we play into the devil’s lies and confusion. A heart not surrendered to the Lord will struggle with issues it was never meant to confront. Our lives are already challenged enough without allowing mental and emotional confusion to guide us instead of faith in God’s goodness.

Never play into the enemy’s purpose to redefine God by what you experience in this life. It doesn’t matter if what you have gone through is good or bad. God is revealed in Scripture as perfectly good. He is better than you can think or imagine. It’s up to you to change the way you think so that you can delve into His goodness with all your heart and mind. Your faith must take possession of God’s Word. His truth must become your truth. If you are facing the pain of disappointment, there is no better time to explore the reality of God’s goodness.

If you don’t see God’s Word working in your life, God is still good. God didn’t send sickness for your benefit. That is an affront to the Gospel. You can’t believe for healing at the same time you believe the Father made you sick. That would be like having a divided house that cannot stand. Don’t compromise His truth by saying you believe it’s God will to heal, but He heals some and He doesn’t others. Spiritually seeing God’s truth as your own is essential to believing and ultimately receiving what God declares is true. Compromising His Word undermines His goodness and hinders His work in your life. God never surrenders to your definition of His truth if it is different from His Word.

The goodness of God is the foundation of our faith. A revelation of His goodness will feed your spirit, soul, and body. Your healing is not based on your goodness. Don’t ever speak defeat. Don’t be passive and give in to “what will be will be.” God’s Word is intentional. Are you? Keep believing. Keep putting His Word in your heart. God’s promises are true. He will use all things for His glory and your strength. 

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13, NKJV).

Have you lost heart? Keep putting His Word in your heart, and guarding it from doubt and unbelief. You can be confident of His good will toward you.

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15, NKJV).