KEEP THY HEART

KEEP THY HEART

Proverbs 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life.

A little "Father to son" talk is recorded here. Blessed is the son who has a father who will give him the facts of life instead of letting him grow up in ignorance.

But there is something more here than meets the eye. The instructions of this father are typical of what our Heavenly Father wants to say to us.

Let me illustrate. In 1943 I attended a Ministerial Conference in Parma, Idaho. A man named Frank J. Ewart was there, and preached a message I shall never forget. In part he said:

"I was driving in Los Angeles one day-- stopped at a stop sign-- a bum motioned to get his attention. The Spirit seemed to tell me to oblige the man, so I rolled down a window and asked him what he wanted. He wanted a ride to (and said where he wanted to go). Would I take him? The spirit had already indicated I should, so I told him to get in.

The man suspected that I was Minister, and told me that he himself had, at one time, been the Pastor of a large congregation. I was stunned. Here he was, ragged, dirty, crumby-- in fact I could see the "crumbs" crawling around on his collar. I asked him how he ever managed to get in this shape if he had once been a Pastor.

I shall never forget what the man said. He told me that it had all started by a fleeting thought one day in his office. His secretary was moving about in the office. His eyes caught a glimpse of her, and a thought raced through his mind.

Instead of immediately banishing the thought, he entertained it for a while. Soon a whole horde of thoughts arrived to reinforce that first one. The story is an all-too-familiar one, and the end result is usually about the same, with perhaps a few variations.

Not only was her life ruined, but his was immeasureably more so. He lost his family. He lost his position. He lost his reputation. His self respect was soon gone also.

The downward spiral only ended when he had reached the bottom. It was not that the Lord would not forgive him. Rather, it was because he couldn't bring himself to ASK for forgiveness. His transgression was so great in his sight, shame and regret precluded him asking for pardon from the Lord and other humans whom he had betrayed."

Pastor Ewart was speaking to a number of young Ministers. I was among them, and have many times thanked God for the privilege of hearing about the dangers of entertaining unholy thoughts.

Pastor Ewart was able to point the poor degenerate, drifting derelict toward the path of repentance and restoration.

Perhaps you know someone who needs to be shown that path. Hurry to them with the good news.