Keeping Watch

Today's passage from proverbs is taken from verses 20 - 23. It speaks of the vital importance of keeping God's Word active in our lives, and in our hearts.
"My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart, for they are LIFE to those who find them, and HEALTH to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life".

Let's break down some of the key words here -

BODY - The Hebrew word for this is "basar", which means: the pudenda of a man- the body; the flesh and the skin. It also means to be full, to announce good news, to be a messenger.
God is saying that His Word brings us life and health - this isn't just our physical life or health, but also our spiritual life and health, and when we have those in line with his Word, it gives us the strength in our physical body to be able to go out and be a messenger of good news. Even if one is sick, God will enable them with HIS strength to go out and be a messenger of the Gospel.
I saw this in my own life when my Mother in Law was suffering with cancer. That is when she turned her life over to Jesus, and although she was gravely sick - she was able to lean on God for strength and became a very strong witness to His love and grace, and brought others to know Him. She was able to use her sickness to reach out to others who were suffering and her life was FULL.

HEART - again, I go to the Hebrew to get the full meaning of this word, and it refers to the heart as the mind or inner being. God is saying that THIS is the most important thing to guard, for God's Word can and will change our way of thinking (our minds) and change our heart(our inner being) to place of health - calmness and peace of mind.

WELLSPRING OF LIFE - this refers to our spiritual vitality.

No matter what you are faced with today, turn to God's Word. Ask Him to speak to you, and to lead you to places in His Word to give you the answers you're looking for. Keep his words in your heart, and when you are faced with difficulties, His Holy Spirit will bring those words to your mind and strengthen you.

Have a very blessed Sunday!
Janelle