“But be on guard, so that your hearts will not be overcome with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who inhabit the face of the earth. But keep on the alert at all times, praying earnestly that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place and stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:34 LSB
We guard things like money, vehicles, our family and there is nothing wrong with that. It’s most important, however, that we guard our hearts. When the Bible speaks of the heart it’s not just referring to the organ that pumps blood, it’s referring to our whole being our mind and our feelings.
Jesus issued this warning. He warned people many times to be ready and to be alert. Peter said in 1 Peter 3:8, “Be sober and alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.”
Jesus said in Matthew 24:43, “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.”
My friend if you are caught off guard or if you are not guarding your heart, you have only yourself to blame. God’s word clearly tells us to remain sober and alert. Jesus said in Matthew 24:42, “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.” This doesn’t mean we must not sleep, but it means we must be ready to stand before Jesus.
We must live each day as if it’s our last. We must repent of our sins; we must trust in Him and be obedient to Him. Most importantly we must understand that the devil will do all he can to stop us. He will try to turn our hearts away from God.
In Genesis 3:1 says, “Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals the LORD God had made.” The devil is very sneaky when he is trying to mess us up. He will entice you to sin and to worry about the things of this world to distract you. We must be on guard against his schemes. We must resist him. James 4:7 tells us the first step to resisting the devil is to submit to God. Then we resist the Devil, and he will flee from us.
The only way to be sure our hearts are guarded is to submit to God. Trust in Him, obey His commands. If we fail to do this we can fall into dissipation, which can encompass the act of self-indulgence, carousing, excessive drinking or simply catering to our fleshly desires. We must guard our hearts and our minds against the devil’s temptation.
He will try to convince you to spend your time worrying about all the things going on around you to distract you from studying your Bible, praying and even attending church. Don’t let him distract you.
He will cause confusion and disruption in our families. He will cause anger and hurt feelings. We must guard against these things. We must seek God with all our hearts. We must focus on Him. We do this with regular church attendance. Don’t just go to church, get involved in church activities. Attend Bible studies and Sunday School classes to get a deeper meaning of God’s word.
Study God’s word and pray continually. Trust in God with all your heart. When we guard our hearts and they are right with God, we have peace and joy. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us not to worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
In Jesus, your heart is safe. Trust in Him today, obey His commands and surrender your life to Him.
Have a great day!