Today we are walking in:
STOP LETTING EVERYTHING SHAKE YOU — PART 6
Mishlei (Proverbs) 4:23
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
HEART
Today we look to the word HEART — H3820 — leb — the inner man, the mind, understanding, will, conscience, emotions, and the center of one’s thoughts and affections.
The Torah Testifies………
Devariym (Deuteronomy) 6:5
“And thou shalt love YAHUAH thy Elohiym with all thine heart H3824, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
Devariym (Deuteronomy) 10:16
“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart H3824, and be no more stiffnecked.”
The Prophets Proclaim………
Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 17:9–10
“The heart H3820 is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I YAHUAH search the heart…”
Yechezq’el (Ezekiel) 36:26
“A new heart H3820 also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you…”
The Writings Witness………
Mishlei (Proverbs) 4:23
“Keep thy heart H3820 with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
Tehilliym (Psalm) 119:11
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart H3820, that I might not sin against Thee.”
Now let me ask you a question that could completely change the quality of your peace.
What are you feeding your mind every day?
Think about that carefully.
Most people are very selective about what they put into their bodies.
Yet they are careless about what they allow into their minds.
They would never knowingly eat spoiled food.
They would never intentionally drink contaminated water.
Yet many willingly consume toxic thoughts…
Negative conversations…
Fear-filled information…
Endless drama…
Destructive influences…
Every single day.
Then they wonder why they feel anxious.
Why they feel overwhelmed.
Why their peace feels fragile.
The truth is this:
Your mind cannot consistently consume chaos and produce peace.
It simply doesn’t work that way.
What enters your mind eventually influences what fills your heart.
What fills your heart eventually shapes your emotions…
Your decisions…
Your relationships…
Your actions…
And ultimately your life.
That is why protecting your peace begins with protecting your inputs.
Every single day something is shaping the way you think.
Every conversation influences you.
Every voice influences you.
Every environment influences you.
Every piece of information influences you.
The question is…
Are those influences leading you toward peace…
Or away from it?
Many people spend hours every day consuming fear.
Fear-filled news.
Fear-filled opinions.
Fear-filled predictions.
Fear-filled conversations.
Fear-filled assumptions.
Then they wonder why anxiety grows stronger than faith.
The answer is simple.
Whatever you feed grows.
Whatever you repeatedly focus on becomes larger in your mind.
Feed fear…
Fear grows.
Feed negativity…
Negativity grows.
Feed problems…
Problems grow.
But when you continually feed on Elohiym’s promises…
Faith grows.
When you continually focus on His goodness…
Gratitude grows.
When you continually meditate on His truth…
Peace grows.
Your mind always moves in the direction of your greatest attention.
That is why Mishlei (Proverbs) 4:23 gives one of the most important instructions in Scripture.
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
Notice how serious this command is.
Guard your heart.
Protect it.
Watch over it carefully.
Why?
Because your life flows from it.
Your decisions flow from it.
Your attitudes flow from it.
Your relationships flow from it.
Your peace flows from it.
Everything important in your life is affected by the condition of your heart.
Whatever gains access to your heart eventually gains influence over your life.
That is why you cannot be careless about what you allow into your mind.
Imagine owning a beautiful home.
Would you leave every door unlocked and invite anyone inside?
Of course not.
You would be selective.
You would protect what is valuable.
So why do so many people leave the doors of their minds completely unguarded?
They allow every opinion inside.
Every fearful report.
Every rumor.
Every distraction.
Every negative influence.
Then they wonder why peace disappears.
Peace cannot survive where there are no boundaries.
Peace requires protection.
That does not mean pretending problems do not exist.
It does not mean ignoring reality.
It simply means refusing to give unhealthy influences unrestricted access to your heart.
One of the greatest forms of self-discipline is mental discipline.
The ability to decide what deserves your attention…
And what does not.
The ability to reject thoughts that do not agree with Elohiym’s truth.
The ability to dwell on what strengthens rather than what weakens.
That is a skill.
And like every skill…
It must be developed.
Think about how much time people spend listening to voices that constantly produce fear.
Voices that magnify problems.
Voices that encourage worry.
Voices that create confusion.
Voices that pull them away from Elohiym’s perspective.
Eventually…
Those voices begin shaping their reality.
Not because they are true.
But because repeated exposure creates influence.
That is why wise people become intentional about what they consume.
They become intentional about the conversations they entertain.
Intentional about the environments they enter.
Intentional about the thoughts they allow to remain.
Because they understand something precious is at stake.
Their peace.
Imagine trying to grow a beautiful garden while allowing weeds to spread unchecked.
Eventually…
The weeds begin competing with the flowers.
The same thing happens in the mind.
If you continually allow negativity…
Fear…
Bitterness…
Resentment…
Anxiety…
To grow unchecked…
They begin competing with peace.
Competing with faith.
Competing with purpose.
Eventually they dominate the landscape of your thinking.
That is why protecting your mind is not optional.
It is essential.
Perhaps someone reading this today has been wondering why peace feels so distant.
Maybe the issue is not Elohiym’s absence.
Maybe the issue is what has been occupying your attention.
Perhaps you have been listening to too many fearful voices.
Perhaps you have been dwelling on too many negative possibilities.
Perhaps you have been allowing too many distractions into your mind.
Perhaps your heart has been carrying things it was never designed to carry.
Today is an opportunity to change that.
Today is an opportunity to become intentional about what enters your mind.
Today is an opportunity to protect what Elohiym has entrusted to you.
Because your peace is precious.
Your focus is precious.
Your purpose is precious.
All of them are affected by what you allow into your heart.
The strongest people are not necessarily those who face fewer challenges.
Often they are simply people who have learned how to guard their minds.
People who know what to allow in…
And what to keep out.
People who understand that peace grows where wisdom establishes boundaries.
But even after guarding your heart…
There will still be things you cannot control.
People will make choices you cannot control.
Situations will arise that you cannot control.
The future will contain uncertainties you cannot control.
If you are not careful…
You will spend your life worrying about things that belong in Elohiym’s hands.
Which brings us to a life-changing question.
What would happen if you stopped trying to control everything… and started trusting Elohiym more?
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