Guard Your Heart

"Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them." -Deuteronomy 11.16

Over and over this warning is given in some form or another. The people are constantly warned not to be lead astray and follow after false gods, but to keep themselves faithful and obedient to God. Why does it keep coming up? Because people are quick to drop their guards and forget about what's out there.

The people have already had issues when it comes to following God in the wilderness. How many times have they wanted to go back to Egypt? How many times have the challenged the leadership? How many times have the rebelled against God? Even in the wilderness, with no pagan influence, they made an idol and worshiped it. How much more danger will the face as they enter a land that is full of idolatry? God warns His people over and over to guard their hearts, because He knows their inclination is to purse what is false, and He wants to protect them while leaving them with the ability to choose. So over and over they are given this warning.

It is crucial that we keep our guard up in our areas of weakness. Ten years ago a movie came out based on the events of the battle of the Alamo. In it Colonel Travis gives Davy Crockett the assignment of guarding an area of the fort that is in poor shape. The reason, Crockett and his men are the best marksmen there. They put their best effort into the weakest point to strengthen it. But we can't simply guard our weakest points and trust the strong areas to take care of themselves. Every area of our lives needs to be guarded.

Two years ago I got a call from an old college friend who needed to talk. As the conversation progressed he told me that he had been involved sexually with a girl he had been dating. As we talked he told me that it had never been something he had struggled with in college and that was why we hadn't talked about it before. At that point I realized that he had dropped his guard in an area he felt secure in. As soon as he did that, the enemy moved in and took him out.

Men, how are your defenses? Are there areas in your life that have grown weak over time? What are you doing about them? Are you putting your best efforts into strengthening them, or are you continuing to neglect them, making it easy for the enemy to get inside the walls? What about the other areas, the places you feel are strong and most secure? Are you paying attention to them as well? Or have you dropped your guard, feeling safe? It will only be a matter of time before the enemy makes his way in there. It will take some more time because it's well fortified, but even the strongest wall when left unmanned, is an open door.

Guard your hearts against every attack. Do not for a moment get comfortable and begin to relax. We live in a world at war. We have a real enemy. Every day he watches, waiting for a moment to strike. Don't give him that chance. Keep all areas of your life well defended.

Let us never drop our guards. May we never be led astray and taken out.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor