Deotional 38 "Guard Your Heart"


6. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6&7

23. Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:23

What is the one thing that fills your heart and mind more than anything else? Is it your job or all the bills that never seem to end? Is it a new car, or maybe an older one that is new to you because you just bought it yesterday or last week? Is it a close friend or family member...or perhaps a young boy who is your YF? If you have a young friend, or have ever had a young friend, you already know the answer to this question. We know what a young friend is, don't we? He is the whole world to us while he is in our lives. Indeed, we can hardly think of anything else. My YF would come to stay at my house quite often on the weekends and when I knew he was coming, I could almost forget my own name. Even today I can still feel the same loving excitement and warm fuzziness when I think back to those days. Indeed, our young friends tend to take a HUGE portion of our hearts, whether we want them to or not.

There is nothing wrong with the place these boys take in our lives and in our hearts. They are, after all, gifts from our loving Father. They are the very best kind of gift because they teach us so much about Him, ourselves, and love. They teach us everything that God wants us to know about such things as patience and faith, if we pay close attention to what is going on. They also teach us the need to be always in touch with God. It is difficult to have a YF in this world today with the way our neighbors might sometimes view us; with all of the crazy and bad stuff on the news about pedophiles who abuse children. That is precisely why we must carefully watch over our hearts.

It is fine to allow our hearts to fill to the top with love from those wonderful boys in our lives. God gave them to us for just that purpose, to fill us with love and reflect His great love. But let us also never forget to keep Him "in the loop", because it is God's peace that will guard our hearts from all harm. To love a boy is to invite damage to your most precious heart, so it is of utmost importance that we guard our hearts with dilligence. Whether our young friend breaks our heart by something he says or does, or someone else breaks our heart just because we HAVE a YF, our hearts are in jeapordy constantly. They are, that is, unless we stay focused on the One who loves us most of all! Keep God in charge of your feelings and your life and you won't have to worry.

Prayer:
Dear Father, very simply I need you in my life and in the life of the young one whom I love so much. Thank you for putting him in my life, Father, but I need to ask you to watch over my heart carefully. You know me and you know how this boy can effect me. Please keep me safe from all the things that can damage the most precious thing I own...my heart. I love you so much, Lord! Amen!