30 Days of Truth

Day 16 – guard your heart

The literally translated scripture says, “For as he has measured in his soul, so is he.”

Our outward actions are a direct reflection of our spiritual condition.

This scripture is particularly a warning that some people may outwardly appear to be kind to you, but in their heart, they are thinking evil against you.

The Hebrew word for “thinks/measures” is Shā’ar.

Strongs Concordance gives this word an interesting meaning of “gate/gate keeper”.

The soul is truly the “gate” of our spirits. Nothing passes out of our spirit without first passing through the “gate” of our soul.

This word also means to “estimate, calculate, reckon or measure”.

Let’s look at the scripture again, in light of this expanded definition.

“To the measure, the estimate or the calculation that a man believes in his heart/soul/mind, so will that belief be manifest through the gate of his soul.”

Jesus said that there is nothing that enters into a man that defiles him. It is what comes out of him that defiles him.

This is confirmed by Proverbs 4:23 which says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

If the heart/soul is our “gate” between the outside world, our bodies and our spirit.

Because everything about us is contained in and filtered through it, I hope you can see how important it is to “guard” it.

We aren’t guarding our born-again spirit, which cannot be defiled, but our heart/soul, which is our will, memories, thoughts and emotions.

The heart/soul must be renewed by the Holy Spirit continually in order for our behavior and actions to change.

We guard our heart so that who we are in Christ is released from our spirit into our lives, and the corruption of this world with all of its negative and harmful experiences and beliefs will not continue to block and defile the “gate” of our soul.