597-Guard Your Heart Above All Else#
(JP Text Group - shalom 整理)
Peace, dear family, welcome to your arrival. Today is Sunday, and we will look at God's words together.
The topic of the sharing is: Guard Your Heart Above All Else.
Proverbs 4:20-27:
20 My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil.
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for preparing such a wonderful time for us to come before Your words. In Your words, we gain faith and wisdom, applying them in our lives, experiencing Your presence and power. We also commit this time to the Holy Spirit, renewing our thoughts and intentions through Your words, so that we may receive abundant supply. In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
This passage of scripture is the heartfelt words of the aged Solomon to his children, summarizing his own life. Why did the wisest king do the most foolish things? Why did the richest man say everything is vanity? The reason is that he did not guard his heart.
Humans are composed of spirit, soul, and body. The spirit is the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Jesus. The spirit in the Old Testament is the same spirit. The Holy Spirit leads everything, guiding people's hearts and actions. The soul is the mind and thoughts of a person, which we usually refer to as intellect, emotion, and will. The body is the physical body. What determines the actions of the body? It is the thoughts of a person. What determines a person's thoughts? It is the heart of a person. Therefore, when a person does not obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they make decisions based on their own soul.
If a person does not believe in Jesus, there is no Holy Spirit within them. Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they are led by their soul, which is their own thoughts. This is why everyone's behavior is different; it is due to the differing thoughts within each person's heart. Even the same event or issue can yield different results for different people because their thoughts are not the same.
When did this begin? It started after Adam sinned against God, that is, after he ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam's thoughts began to emerge from the soul. From that time on, each person's standard for judging things has been determined by themselves.
This is why it is so difficult to unify people's thoughts; everyone has different standards, leading to different behaviors. What one person considers wrong, another may consider right. How can we truly overcome in all things? We must return to the Creator.
Romans 8:3-6:
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
This passage mentions: the law was weak through the flesh and could not accomplish what it was meant to do. The law given by God is not the problem; the problem lies within human flesh. The weakness of human flesh is manifested in that there are some things they cannot do. Even if a person's heart desires to do good, what they may end up doing could be evil. This is the weakness of the flesh.
Many times, a person's thoughts may be good, but the actions they take can be quite different from their thoughts. This is what we refer to as the weak part of human flesh, which cannot overcome by itself. God knows this condition of humanity, so He sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering and condemned sin in the flesh.
Why did Jesus act this way? If the sin within us is not removed, we cannot obey or believe in the Holy Spirit. In other words, if a person's self-awareness does not recognize the Son of God or understand what is right and good, they will continue to act according to what they think is correct. Jesus Christ came to provide us with an example, showing us what is good and what is life, thus fulfilling the righteous requirement of the law in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
The righteousness of the law cannot be obtained by our own efforts; Jesus freely gives it to us, meaning the spirit of Jesus Christ has entered into us. Originally, our actions were governed by the soul; now, with the Holy Spirit entering us, our actions are governed by the Holy Spirit, leading to a change in a person.
So, it is said that the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. This means that people still have a choice; they can choose to follow the flesh or choose to follow the Spirit. However, if a person has not accepted Jesus, meaning the Holy Spirit does not dwell within them, they do not have this choice and can only follow their own flesh.
Some may ask, "What is wrong with following the flesh? Why must we follow the Spirit?"
Verses 5-6 also provide us with the answer: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. To be carnally minded is death; to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
If we choose to follow our inner thoughts, these thoughts have been self-centered since Adam. If everyone is selfish, the world will be filled with contradictions. For example, when Adam and Eve both disobeyed God's intention, when God asked Adam, he shifted the blame onto Eve. This is following the flesh, catering to the flesh. He wanted to push all responsibility onto others, believing he had no issues. Isn't this characteristic of the current world? Cain and Abel both offered sacrifices; when Abel's sacrifice was accepted and favored by God, Cain became very angry. He did not reflect on his own problems; instead, he killed Abel, thinking that by doing so, God would accept him.
Aren't people doing similar things? When they see their competitor's business doing better, they think: "If I eliminate this competitor, my business will improve," without ever considering whether the problem lies with themselves or if their product is too poor. They do not think about these issues. This is what it means to cater to the flesh. Following the flesh will inevitably lead to catering to the flesh, ultimately resulting in death. Thus, in this world, people harm and eliminate others to survive.
So how can we achieve harmony and life among ourselves? We must follow the Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit does not seek to destroy lives; He seeks to save lives. Just as Jesus came into this world not to destroy people but to save them and give them life. Thank the Lord. Sometimes we want to give life and benefit to others, but because we cater to the flesh, when we calculate our losses, we may choose not to do it. This is why we must follow the Holy Spirit.
The topic of today's sharing is to guard your heart. What does "guard" mean? It means to protect, nurture, defend, and resist. What does the term "guard" imply? It implies that there is an evil one who tempts and attacks us. The evil one uses various methods to tempt, deceive, or intimidate us, so we must be vigilant in prayer, using strong faith to resist him.
1 Peter 5:8-9:
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
Why must we guard our hearts? Because even if you do not provoke the devil in this world, he will still come to tempt you. This is something we must be vigilant and aware of.
The adversary, the devil, is like a roaring lion. Do you know why lions roar? They use their roar to intimidate, instilling fear and trepidation in people's hearts. A truly capable lion does not roar when hunting. Therefore, the devil is actually attacking the heart, targeting the hearts of Christians, making them feel afraid and retreat when they hear the devil's roar. Once you are frightened by that voice, it becomes easy to be deceived by him and become one of his prey.
So what should we do? We must guard our hearts. No matter how much he roars, as long as you see through his schemes, you will no longer be afraid. This requires using strong faith to resist him, which is essentially guarding our hearts from his influence. So who will guard our hearts?
Verse 23: Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.
The Bible says, "You keep your heart with all diligence." The responsibility of guarding lies with us, yet many brothers and sisters mistakenly believe this is primarily God's responsibility. They pray, "Lord, please guard my heart and keep me from wandering; guard my steps, so I do not fall into a pit; guard my eyes, so I do not look at those chaotic things."
Our Lord has given the responsibility of guarding to us, but some believers push this responsibility onto the Lord, saying, "Lord, you do this; I cannot guard my heart; you guard me." While theoretically this makes sense, we must understand this is our duty.
It is crucial to clarify who is responsible for guarding our hearts because once our hearts lean towards evil, God cannot stop us. Many people often think, "When I have this evil thought, God will stop me." If God could forcefully stop a person's heart from thinking chaotic things, Adam would not have sinned.
God does not want a group of thoughtless robots; He desires people with free will who willingly listen to and follow Him. Therefore, the task of guarding our hearts is ours. If we do not guard our hearts, how can we expect God to guard us? If your heart is always scheming against others, how can God guard you?
Just like Balaam in the Bible. When Balak's messengers came to ask him to curse the Israelites, he prayed to God, and God said, "Do not go, for that people is not as you think." After Balaam told Balak's messengers, "I cannot do this; you may go back," they did not take it as a refusal. Instead, they returned with more gifts to persuade Balaam. At this point, Balaam said, "Wait a moment; I will pray again."
Dear family, do you still need to pray? Is God's word not clear enough? How could God allow you to curse His people? This matter should not have required prayer from the start. Why? Because it was Balaam's responsibility to guard his heart, not to let God guard him. If God did not agree this time, he might start to complain against God. In any case, he would go.
This is why when he prayed again, God said, "Go." He was very happy and set off immediately. Why? Because his heart had already run to Balak, having already brought back the promises Balak made to him. God could not stop him. Later, although God turned his mouth to bless instead of curse, his heart had already become evil, and ultimately, he gave Balak some advice that led the Israelites to sin. From this, we can see that Balaam's heart did not truly want to obey God's words; he was simply fond of money and power, and God's words had no effect on his heart.
If our hearts do not regard God's words as true and reliable, and we are unwilling to rely on God's words, how can God guard your heart? Therefore, we must remember that guarding our hearts is our responsibility; we should not shift it onto God.
2 Corinthians 11:3: "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
Paul makes it very clear here: "I fear that your hearts may be led astray." Therefore, the responsibility of guarding our hearts lies with us. Are you willing to use God's words to guard your heart? As long as you are willing to say, "I am willing, but I cannot do it," in this situation, God can help you.
But if you allow your heart to lean towards evil, losing the pure and sincere heart towards Christ, and if your heart is filled with all sorts of chaotic thoughts from this world, how can God guard your heart? The serpent was filled with deceit, tempting Eve. Eve's heart also had doubts about God, which allowed the serpent to deceive her; she did not guard her heart.
If Eve had fully believed God's words and used God's words as the standard, any words spoken by anyone or any creature that did not align with God's words would not have been listened to or believed, and she would not have had these problems. So, dear family, guard your heart above all else.
Deuteronomy 4:9: "Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep your soul, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; and teach them to your children and your grandchildren."
Why does Moses repeatedly emphasize God's words? It is because he feared that the Israelites would deviate from God's words. Therefore, he said, "Only take heed to yourself and diligently keep your soul; always recount the great things God has done for you, and recount all the supplies God has provided for you along the way." If you forget these things and do not guard your heart, you will quickly lean towards the lifestyle of the Gentiles. And indeed, after the Israelites entered Canaan, they quickly forgot all of God's words and no longer recounted God's deeds. So, not long after, they became like the people of the world, with similar thoughts and behaviors.
So, dear family, what are you feeding your soul with regularly? This is crucial. The television shows, movies, various books, novels, music you listen to, games you play, etc., all of these will affect our inner being. If these do not align with God's truth, they will corrupt our souls. This is very important. If you watch negative things every day, you will feel that there are no good people in the world and no hope at all. However, if you immerse yourself in God's words every day, even if the world is terrible, you can still see hope because God is with you.
Some may say, "It's not that absolute; I can guard my heart. Although I know some things are not good, watching them once in a while is not a big deal." You must understand that once you start with some things, they can appear countless times. The best approach is to not try them at all.
Solomon did not expect that he would end up worshiping foreign gods; he was such a wise person! But from the moment he married his first foreign woman, the outcome was already determined. This is why God initially told the Israelites not to intermarry with foreign people, for they would surely tempt you to abandon God and worship their gods. Solomon did not believe this; he thought he could overcome it. This is why he did not guard his heart and did not fully believe God's words. If you can fully trust God's words in your life, you are guarding your heart. Hallelujah.
What does not align with the Bible, we do not listen to or follow, and that is not a problem; the various chaotic things that appear in life are due to our hearts being disordered because you have fed your heart with various negative things and things that do not align with God's words, leading to various deviations and problems in behavior.
1 John 2:15-17:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
This passage clearly tells us: Do not love the world or the things in the world. The "world" and "things in the world" mentioned here do not mean that we should not travel or enjoy good food; that is not the meaning.
What is meant by not loving the world refers to the things mentioned in verse 16: For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—these worldly things we should not love. If a person loves such things, the love of the Father cannot dwell in him.
What is the lust of the flesh? It is solely focused on how to make one's body look more beautiful, to eat better. To put it simply, after eating ordinary food, one seeks gourmet delicacies, always wanting to add something to their body, such as cosmetic treatments or beauty care.
These things in themselves are not problematic, but if all your energy is spent on these, it becomes the lust of the flesh. If you think, "I have too many wrinkles on my face; I need to apply some anti-wrinkle cream," that in itself is not a problem. But if you think about these things all day long, and they occupy the majority of your life, then that is the problem.
What about the lust of the eyes? It refers to always wanting to have better things, wanting to see better things, with everything revolving around this. If the first two are occupied, a person will become proud, boasting about everything they eat, wear, and use. Therefore, God says all of this is not from the Father.
If a person spends all their time on these things, they become completely self-centered, ultimately leading to pride, which comes from the world. God does not want us to love these things of the world. You can love beauty; that in itself is not a problem. But if you spend all your time and energy on beautifying yourself, that becomes a problem. You can love money; that is also not a problem. But if there is nothing else in your life besides money, that is a problem.
So it is about how to balance these things. These tools, whether money, status, or beauty, are not inherently bad, but it is a matter of who you place first. If you love God, the truth resides in your heart, allowing you to control these things without being influenced by them. You can have a lot of money but will not boast because of it, nor will you scheme against others or harm their lives for the sake of money. This is where our distinction lies.
If you place God first, He gives you the best. Therefore, the Bible says: "He who does the will of God abides forever." The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life will all pass away.
You say a person loves beauty; when she reaches ninety years old, how can she make herself more beautiful? It becomes impossible. You may have the capital for pride, but if you fall ill, how can you be proud? How can you be proud if your body is in poor condition? But if you do the will of God, He can freely give you all these things. Hallelujah. God gives us these things, and we use them to build others up rather than harm them. So how do we guard our hearts?
20 My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
God's words have clearly told us how to guard our hearts: it starts with listening: Pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Why does Solomon repeatedly emphasize listening correctly? Because he fell into ruin starting from listening. Marrying so many foreign women, he was influenced daily until he finally deviated from God's words. If Solomon had often listened to God's words, he would not have ended up like this.
This is why I always encourage everyone to read the Bible more and listen to the correct teachings. If you do not spend time listening to the teachings, you will end up listening to gossip and various chaotic and negative messages from the world. These things are also attractive. Because of these terrible messages, you will want to hear more and cannot stop.
But if you listen to God's words? Pay attention to God's words, incline your ear to God's words, and your life will be built up. This is how we guard our hearts; it starts with listening. God told the Israelites that His words should not depart from their eyes or ears. They should see God's words everywhere, on the walls and inside their homes.
In addition to listening, the second is to look. Have you noticed that if you listen incorrectly, what you see will also be wrong? Especially in the last days, the lust of the eyes has reached its peak. We are now in an era dominated by short videos, where everyone can see all sorts of strange things. But you must guard your heart and focus on God's words. Amen.
Verse 21 says: Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart.
The eyes are the windows of the soul. Today, what kind of information have your eyes seen? What you see will ultimately converge in your heart. If what you see is all the bad in this world, seeing all the corruption under the sun, your heart will become despondent. Similarly, if your eyes see God's words, then you will see hope, faith, and the supply that comes from God. Amen.
The eyes are the guiding light of our souls, so to guard our hearts, we must first listen correctly and then see correctly. Hallelujah. When these truths reside in your heart, God will not neglect you, nor will He constrain you; He simply gives you a choice. Even if you are a Christian and watch gossip and chaotic information every day, that is fine; you are still saved, but your heart is disordered. Do not blame God: "Why do I feel anxious every day? I heard someone say there will be a war, should I start stockpiling food? Should I buy more things and build a bomb shelter?" You see, these are thoughts brought about by the information you have heard.
Or if you see many places are at war, and you say, "What should I do? Where can I run to?" You start to worry; what you hear and see directly affects your heart. But if you return to God's words, you will know that this world will inevitably reach this point, and there is nothing to worry about because God will protect you.
What does "guard" mean here? It means He will always provide us with a way out. We will not panic and be at a loss like the world when faced with problems. This is God's protection over us. First, we must guard our hearts; when you return to God's words, you are protected.
Verse 22 says: For they are life to those who find them.
The world does not have life, so they are very pitiful. When they encounter crises, they have no way out. The pandemic made this evident; people were terrified of life. We are different. When you focus on God's words in what you hear and see, you gain life; you have rest within you. No matter how the world develops, you believe God will be with you. Thank the Lord; this is how you possess life.
The latter part says: and health to all their flesh. As God's children, He not only gives us life but also provides us with health for all our flesh. This refers to two aspects. In places where the economy is more developed, the pressure within people's souls is greater, and mental illnesses are on the rise, such as depression, mania, anxiety, etc. These are becoming increasingly common.
What is the reason? Those who develop such diseases generally have problems with what they hear and see, thus affecting their hearts. Mental illnesses require mental remedies. So how do we attain this rest? It starts with hearing the correct teachings; as long as you hear the correct teachings, the problem will be resolved.
There are also physical illnesses. For example, we see some people suffering from insomnia or serious physical issues. God's words are the remedy for all flesh; whether mental or physical, God has the power to heal. So how do we do this? It starts with hearing the correct teachings, which means we must first guard our hearts.
Think about it; perhaps we only have a headache, but when we search online, the chain reactions caused by a headache can be numerous. If you do not consult a doctor and instead search randomly online, rest assured, you will end up very fearful.
But if you come before God's words? No matter how serious the problem, you will always find answers and hope because God's words are the remedy for all flesh. This is why if you have an illness or mental distress, feeling a lot of pressure, anxiety, or fear, listening to teachings can help. Listen to our sermons in order, and by continually listening, you will receive healing. Amen.
Why are there so many testimonies? It is because they returned to God's words, focusing their thoughts on God's words and seeing God's words, thus generating hope and rest. Similarly, the remedy will take effect. How many Christians are unfortunate; God's remedy is right here, yet they do not use it, instead choosing to look at things that distress them even more. How can their bodies not have issues?
So, dear family, God has given us wisdom: guard your heart above all else. Place your heart first and guard it; nurture it, and do not let your heart become a garbage dump for all sorts of words. Amen. If you guard your heart, your body will also be healthy; how wonderful is that!
Verses 24-27:
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; 26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil.
This is the true and detailed way to guard our hearts. When God gives us His words, He always provides us with answers. This is why I encourage everyone to read the Bible more; there are answers to whatever problems you encounter in the Bible. As I just mentioned: guard our hearts above all else; do not let your heart receive everything, do not look at all negative information, so that your body will not have problems, and your heart will not have issues.
But some people say, "I have already seen it; what should I do? I have already listened; what should I do?" Verse 24 tells us: Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you.
If you accidentally see these things, let them stay in your heart without speaking them out. Because once you speak them out, it will again impact your heart, intensifying the turmoil within your soul. Sometimes, we may accidentally see chaotic things, and after seeing them, we feel very uncomfortable. After feeling uncomfortable, people often want to vent: "I saw something today; I was so angry! How could it be like this?"
If you tell someone, and that person says, "I think so too; there is no fairness in this world! The world will be like this and that." You both start talking, and you realize your heart has been impacted again. If you tell ten people, the burden in your heart will become heavier.
So if your heart has already seen these things, guard your mouth and do not speak such words; put away a deceitful mouth, and do not speak negative things. Hallelujah. If you are going to speak, let it be good words that build others up, benefiting those who hear. Speak God's words to bring benefit and edification to others; this will help you put away a deceitful mouth.
Put away perverse lips. What does this mean? It means that what is not true should not be spoken. We must speak upright words. What are perverse lips? They are when what one thinks in their heart does not match what they say, and the listener may not be able to discern it. This is a trap. The more we approach the last days, the more such people will increase. When deceivers deceive you, you may not even realize you are being deceived. This is what perverse lips are.
But what did Jesus tell us? "Let your yes be yes, and your no be no; for whatever is more than these is from the evil one."
The devil's words are actually ambiguous, saying things like "almost, that's fine, maybe," etc. We should not let such things come from our mouths. Dear family, since we know the truth, we must let the truth work in our hearts and imitate Jesus Christ. Look at how Jesus spoke; when did He ever give us such ambiguous words? With Him, yes is yes, and no is no; it is certain and unchangeable. Amen. Therefore, we must speak as Christ did. Amen.
Verse 25 says: Let your eyes look straight ahead.
Do not look back at past events. Interestingly, people always like to look back. When you look back, what do you see? Most of the time, it is the mistakes we made, which can lead to regret and hinder our progress. This is why God says, "Look straight ahead." Who is worth looking ahead to?
Philippians 3:13-14:
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
This explains the previous statement. Your eyes should look straight ahead; who is ahead? It is Jesus Christ. Do not look back. Even if you have lost something due to your own reasons, do not look back. Even if you have had some successes and achievements in the past, do not look back; look ahead. Amen.
Past failures are in front of you; as long as you walk according to the truth and guard your heart, God will once again provide you with abundant supply. This is why Paul said, "I do not count myself to have apprehended." What God has for Paul is much more than what he has now; what he has now is just a small part.
I do one thing: forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. Paul knew that momentary failures do not matter; there are more blessings prepared by God ahead, so he presses on. What is he pressing toward? To win the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. This can be understood as the finish line being Jesus Christ.
On our journey forward, sometimes we make wrong decisions because our hearts and the things our eyes see differ, leading to failure. Do not sit still after a failure; continue to move forward because God will prepare other blessings for you. Keep moving forward, and there will be more rewards! This is our attitude in life, dear family; look straight ahead. This is also wisdom.
Verse 26 says: Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.
What does this mean? It means to hold fast to the way of Jesus Christ and just keep moving forward. Hallelujah. Persisting in moving forward is key. Some people hold onto God's words for two days; that is not much. The true test is to hold onto them consistently for decades.
Verse 27: Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil.
This means that as you hold onto this way, just keep moving forward; do not look to the left or the right. You know, many people learn this and that, finishing one course after another, following one person and then another. What are you doing? What is the use of constantly learning this knowledge? The key is to guard your heart and apply the truths you have learned in your life; do not deviate to the left or right, do not look around. Amen.
Joshua 1:7-8:
7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
How can you make your path smooth? By walking according to God's words. The words God gave to Joshua are worth emulating. Just be strong and very courageous; it means do not be afraid.
Dear family, no matter how the journey ahead looks, do not be afraid, for the Holy Spirit is with you. What should you do? Observe to do all of God's words. Some may say, "There are so many of God's words; how do I know which one to follow?" It is simple; today, under the New Testament, we can focus on the letters of the New Testament, which are the principles we should follow in our lives.
The words God gave to Joshua were to observe and do the law of Moses. Now, in the era of Jesus Christ, we are to follow the words of Jesus Christ. This is not contradictory. As long as we keep these words in our hearts and do not turn to the left or right, we can receive blessings like Joshua. What did God say to Joshua? As long as you do not turn from the law of Moses, wherever you go, you will prosper because this is God's principle. The same applies to us; as long as you follow God's words and act according to the principles of Christ, you will prosper wherever you go because Jesus has set this example for us.
God told Joshua: This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth; you shall meditate in it day and night. We should keep the words of Christ Jesus in our mouths and hearts, meditating on them day and night. This will enable you to observe and do according to all that is written in it.
So when we meditate on the words of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is activated and begins to work, giving us the strength to carry out God's words. This means that our hearts are continually supplied with God's truth, and the Holy Spirit will guide us to walk the right path, leading to changes in our words and actions.
What follows is: then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Isn't this the result we desire? The paths you walk will be prosperous, and everything will go well; how wonderful is that?
You must remember that a prosperous path and success do not mean you will not encounter setbacks or problems. What is meant here? No matter what obstacles you encounter, you can overcome them. Because God's words are your strength, and the Holy Spirit is your help; nothing can hinder you. Joshua experienced such power; he overcame numerous obstacles when entering Canaan because God was his strength. I hope our lives are like this, starting with listening to the correct teachings and seeing the correct truths. Guarding your heart above all else will reveal God's great power in your life.
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You for giving us such words today. We are willing to guard our hearts above all else, placing Your words at the forefront of our lives. Every day, we will spend time reading Your words and listening to Your words, for in this way, our hearts will be nourished by Your words. Our thoughts and intentions will be renewed and changed by Your words, and the paths we walk will be righteous, leading to prosperous ways and success in all we do. A new week has begun, and I believe that this week, the Holy Spirit is with me, helping me to guard my heart, and I will witness and glorify Your great power in my life. Thank You and praise You, Lord; all glory belongs to our Father in heaven. In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.