By Braxton King
“Let’s get to the heart of the matter.”
When you hear this phrase, you know that the person speaking it wants to alleviate the fluff and get to the substance.
It’s the core they are looking for that is essential to them. The Word lets us know that a good person, out of the good treasure of His heart, brings forth good things.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Anything that we treasure or put great value on, we guard. One only has to think of the heavily guarded Fort Knox to know how important this principle is. Our heart is where our treasure is, and what we treasure is the wellspring of our life. Our heart is like a vault where we store up for our future.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
If we treasure the Word of God and store that Word in our hearts, then our actions will follow suit.
We do not do in order to believe, but rather, we believe in order to do. A man is not a thief because he steals, but he steals because in his heart, he is a thief. The treasure of the heart determines good and bad actions.
David said, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
A friend showed me the words inscribed in the front of his Bible: “This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.”
In the time of plenty, Joseph instructed the Egyptians to store up for famine. That meant they had enough to survive during the famine. You don’t prepare for hard times in the moment, but way before the hard times come.
Treasure God’s Word, and out of that abundance, you will live victoriously in difficult times. Does not nature itself teach us this valuable lesson, as we see many creatures preparing for winter?
When Jeremiah was frustrated and was on the verge of quitting, he said, “His Word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.”
The Word grew and prevailed in the life of the prophet. The apple tree doesn’t have to force fruit to grow because that’s what it naturally does. It produces after its own kind.
Jesus said, “By their fruit you shall know them.”
The core of our heart will determine the conduct of our lives.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”
May we ever live by this Psalm.
