- Above All Else - Guard your heart!
- Guard it from being drawn away from God.
- Protect it from becoming hardened to the things of God.
- Allow the things that break Gods heart to break your heart.
- Keep it from becoming bitter or building up offense.
- Proverbs 4:23 is such a wise Proverb from Solomon, but look at what 1 Kings 11:4 says about King Solomon.
- "For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect (complete and whole) with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father." (1 Kings 11:4 AMP)
- He failed to follow His own advice.
- God made Him the wisest man but He still let things turn your heart away from God.h
- It says in 1 Kings 11:2 that "The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, ‘You must not marry them (foreign women) because they will turn your hearts to their gods.’ Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. (1 Kings 11:2 NLT)
- The Lord clearly instructed Him and yet he still insisted on doing things his way.
- For Solomon it was foreign wives, but what is it for you.
- What has begun to turn your heart from The Lord?
- What have you let in that has made your heart not Complete and Whole for The Lord.
- What other "thing" or person or hobby has pulled you away from God.
- Are there things that you would never have done before that you now do?
- Is there gossip that you would have never listened to before that you now listen to?
- Are there voices that have drowned out His still, small voice?
- Have you become distracted?
- Are you in the process of being "pulled away"?
- Be alert an attentive to His Spirit and what God is showing you this morning!
- If you notice that there are things that have pulled you away from His Heart, James 4:8 says, Come close to God, and God will come close to you...
- But it doesn't stop there - it goes on to say, "Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world."
- Do you see that, "Your loyalty is divided between God and the world"
- A divided heart, not a heart that is "complete and whole with The Lord"
- The Remedy: Repent and turn around and remove the thing that has pulled you away.
- Come close to God again.
- Wait patiently before Him.
- Psalm 37:7 says, "Quiet down before God, be prayerful before him."(MSG)
- Renew your first love with Him and come close to Him once again this morning.
- Let your heart become complete and whole with Him.
- Have a great Weekend!