Guarding Your Heart as a Christian: Spiritual Discernment and Protection

God's Word emphasizes the importance of having a cheerful heart.

A merry heart is good medicine, and a cheerful mind works healing.

The heart is representative of a person's inner self, thoughts, emotions, and will.

Scripture repeatedly testifies to the powerful effects of the mind on the body.

Music Music Today we're going to talk about the importance of having a cheerful heart. God's Word declares in Proverbs chapter 15, verses 13 through 15, A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness. And also, in Proverbs chapter 17, verse 22, the word tells us, A happy or merry heart is good medicine, and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. In Hebrew, the word for merry means joyful, happy, full of cheer. You see, the heart is representative of a person's inner self, their thoughts, their emotions, and their will. And we just read that a joyful heart is good medicine. As we all know, medicine is something that treats or alleviates the symptoms of disease. Scripture repeatedly testifies to the powerful effects of the mind on the body. Proverbs 14.30 declares, A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones. And this is saying, a peaceful heart leads to a healthy body, but jealousy is like cancer in the bones. The glad or happy person is one who has a heart at rest, who can rejoice at times, even in difficult times. This cheerful or glad individual has found in Jesus Christ a precious Savior who provides daily satisfaction and peace. He who casts all of his cares on Christ has learned to commit all his affairs into his hands. And because of this, these people will always have a glad and cheerful countenance. You see, dear listener, this is something we do by faith in Jesus Christ. And how many of you know that this is not an instant thing in our walk that transpires? We learn that when we try to carry our own burdens, that these things only weigh down our hearts and our sorrows and daily cares seem to grow larger and only increase. But Jesus tells us to turn everything over to him because he delights to carry our concerns of life for us. Nothing breaks the spirit like hidden grief. But this needs not be the condition of the believer who will allow Jesus Christ to not only be his sin bearer, but his burden bearer too. Apostle Paul, in his epistle in Philippians chapter 4, verses 6 through 13, declares this so well. Let's read that, beginning in verse 6. Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything by prayer and petition, definite requests. With thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. Verse 7, And God's peace shall be yours, that tranquil state of the soul, assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace which transcends all understanding, shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence, whatever is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, If there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things and fix your mind on them. Verse 9. Practice what you've learned and received and heard and seen in me and model your way of living on it. And the God of peace, of untroubled, undisturbed well-being will be with you. I was made very happy in the Lord that now you've received your interest in my welfare after so long a time. You were indeed thinking of me, but you had no opportunity to show it. Verse 11. Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content, satisfied to the point where I'm not disturbed or disquieted in whatever state I am in. I know how to be abased and live humbly in straightened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in all and every circumstance the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare, or going without and being in want. Verse 13, I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me. I am ready for anything and equal to anything through him who infuses inner strength into me. I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency. well Paul starts out in verse 6 declaring do not fret or have any anxiety about anything but in every circumstance and in everything by prayer and petition definite requests with thanksgiving continue to make your wants known to God Paul in this verse says we should not be anxious about anything you see the answer to this problem most likely lies in seeing anxiety as a concern or a worry that may become fretful and inappropriate if taken too far. How many of us have done and may still do some of that now to some degree? And this reminds me of a story that was told a number of years ago about a man who was walking along a road. He heard someone cry out for help at a distance. He followed the voice and finally came upon a hole in the ground, and when he looked down, he saw a man who had fallen into the hole. The rescuer happened to have a rope with him, and when he lowered it down to pull the man out of the hole, the rope released and bounced back up to him. This procedure happened several times until the man rescuing the one in the hole said, you must not be holding on with both hands what are you doing the man in the hole said i have several packages that are very dear and i don't want to leave them behind so i can only hold on with one hand how many know this is many of god's people are when it comes to letting go of sin or anxiety or worries that burden them down jesus's focus in teaching in matthew 6 rather that becoming distressed distraught or desperate or anxious over a particular situation we should take it to god in prayer let's look at that in matthew chapter 6 beginning in verse 25 therefore i tell you stop being perpetually uneasy anxious or worried about your life what you shall eat, what you shall drink, or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater in quantity than food, and the body far above and more excellent than clothing? Look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? and who of you worry and being anxious can add one unit of measure a cubit to his stature or to the span of his life verse 28 and why should you be anxious about clothes consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow they neither toil nor spin yet i tell you even Solomon in his magnificence, excellences, dignity, and grace was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will he not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith? Verse 31 Therefore do not worry and be anxious saying What are we going to have to eat or what are we going to drink Or what are we going to have to wear For the Gentiles heathens wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things. And your heavenly father knows well that you need them all. But seek, aim, and strive after. First his kingdom and his righteousness, his way of doing and being right. And all of these things taken together will be given to you besides. Verse 34. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble. Dear listener, our Heavenly Father wants us to pray about everything that concerns us. The Lord wants us to replace worry for prayer and have faith in the fact that he will supply all of our needs. When Paul in Philippians chapter 4 verse 6 declares, Do not fret or have anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything by prayer and petition, definite requests, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. You see, there is a lesson in this verse, and Paul used several different words for prayer here. How many of you know that prayer in the Bible is the most common term or word in our communication to God? Supplication or petition refers to the request for particular benefits found in Scripture. Paul makes a point of telling us to have thanksgiving as well, because it is the grateful acknowledgement of God's past mercies, including the fact that he has heard and will answer our prayers. And we see in this admonition from Paul that he offered strong encouragement to pray and seek release from anxiety and worry in prayer. And again, how many of you know that Apostle Paul himself faced many trials of affliction and troubles in his life and ministry? We read about the many accounts in Scripture outlining each of these. And besides our Lord Jesus Christ, supreme and greatest suffering and dying for the souls of men upon the cross of Calvary, Apostle Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, probably suffered more than any other individual for the gospel's sake. And we can read of Paul's suffering when he outlines them in 2 Corinthians chapter 11. But we have just read in his epistle, Paul outlined the importance of prayer and making petition to God and also, and most importantly, having Thanksgiving because it expresses a grateful heart of God's past mercies in one's life. It also expresses the fact that God has heard our prayers and he will answer them. That is faith, isn't it, dear ones? And can we know, please, Apostle Paul knew personally the importance of these vital links to God Almighty. He knew that these were all lifelines to his holy God. And this is why he could remain cheerful in his heart and give God the glory for bringing him through until the day that he was taken from this earth and was at his final resting place in the eternity of eternities. He had seen the miracles of God's intervention many times in his extensive suffering and abuse for the sake of the gospel. And this is why he could express and teach the importance of praising God and having holy gratitude even in the midst of these trials and suffering that Christians must go through. what Paul taught, dear church, he lived. When reading the books of Acts and other of Paul's epistles, you will see this holy man of God was driven by love and gratitude. How is it possible, dear church, that a mere creature of clay such as Paul, who was an apostle, an evangelist, a pastor, could reach so many people in Jesus Christ with a strong motivating love and joy and gratitude considering all of the great sufferings that he went through. When he teaches about praising God, even in the midst of our trials and troubles, Paul himself lived God's praise. He only cared about God getting the glory by winning souls for Christ. He knew that his reward would come later. do you remember the time in acts 16 verses 25 and 26 where paul and silas were in prison and they started to pray and sing and suddenly there was a great earthquake and the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors flew open and everyone's chains fell off Now, dear listener, can you imagine the sheer joy of these men and what they had in the moment, knowing full well that this was God's love and intervention, and also the fact that Paul's account would be journaled for us to read today and be greatly encouraged by God's intervention in our lives too? This is a prime example of how God's love and a cheerful heart can coexist. in times of trials and sorrow, disappointments and afflictions. In the book of James, chapter 1, verse 2, we read where he spoke in times of trials, saying, Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that in the testing of your faith produces steadfastness and so forth. So let us remember that James was one of the principal leaders of the Christians in Jerusalem, who was continually faced with persecution from those outside the church, which led to his own martyrdom. James also dealt with internal dissension, which was associated with the Judaizing parties. James surely knew what it meant to meet various trials but James also learned that difficulties can produce steadfastness or patience though natural reaction would be to have an annoyance or even bitterness in these situations he never tells us to pretend that the trial is non-existent instead he wants us to recognize and rejoice that any problem can be an occasion for God to work in and through us in a way that he otherwise could not. This indeed is a testing of our faith. It also takes faith. It calls upon us to believe in the goodness of God and to trust that he not only is willing but also is very capable to accomplish his purposes no matter what comes our way. Any difficulty, whether great or small, is an occasion for joy, but only when we remind ourselves of the nature of our great God who loves us and wills only the best for us. I recall a story that I've shared in the past that is so piercing and deeply touching that I must share it with you again. And of course, it has to do with testing. The story goes like this. A blacksmith, well known for his strong faith, had a great deal of illness. He was challenged by an unbeliever to explain why his God would let him suffer. He explained, I take a piece of iron. I put it into the fire and bring it to a white heat, and then I strike it once or twice to see if it will take temper. I plunge it into the water to change the temperature, put it in the fire again, and then I put it on the anvil and make a useful article out of it. If it will not take the temper when I first strike it on the anvil, I throw it into the scrap heat and I sell it for a half a penny per pound. I believe God has been testing me to see if I will take temper. I have tried to bear it as patiently as I could. And my daily prayer has been, Lord, put me into the fire, if you will. Put me into the water if you think I need it. Do anything you please, oh Lord. Only do not throw me on the scrap heap. I don't know about you, dear listener, but this touches me very deeply. And this is my heart's cry too. do to me as you must dear lord but please don't throw me under the scrap pile and this is a place where many a broken spirit ends up because their strength their faith and joy was sapped and shattered by anxiety in the heart which causes depression you see by contrast the scripture that declares a broken spirit saps a person's strength explains how anxiety of the heart causes man depression in proverbs chapter 17 verse 22 it tells us a happy cheerful heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing but a broken spirit dries up the bones proverbs chapter 12 verse 25 says anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down but an encouraging word makes it glad hallelujah and this in effect tells us a merry or cheerful heart does good because it generates health and healing within one's inner being. A cheerful, contented temperament not only strengthens and reinforces our mental health, but it also enables us to resist the attacks of physical disease as well. Since the heart is the center of our inner life, its condition and soundness reach the outermost parts of our existence, including our bodies and even our relationship with others. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 15 verse 18, but whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles him. If our hearts are right according to God's standards, our bodies will be raised up, our words will be encouraging and uplifting, and our relationships will become enriched because they are in right relationship with God's holy principles and codes of honor. But if our hearts are crushed and broken, then the conditions of our body will break down and we'll have no strength to encourage others or even ourselves to do the necessary things in everyday life. And then depression sets in. So then, dear one, if a good medicine is a merry heart, how can we promote and nourish internal joy and enjoy having a cheerful heart which brings peace to our souls we have a picture with a scripture in our bedroom that is hung above our bed and it has been a constant reminder of the importance of god's word that enriches and cultivates faith and the supernatural truth of God's word within our hearts. The scripture is found in Romans and declares, may the God of your hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing through the experience of your faith that by the power of the Holy Spirit, flowing, bubbling over with hope. The God of hope is our heavenly father who inspires hope in the heart and the soul and provides divine supernatural hope for his redeemed ones once this realization becomes a fact within your heart faith takes flight and truth and admiration and trust and love mighty are established in the very depths of your soul christians can be joyful filled with all joy or a cheerful heart because of what God has already done for them and what he is still doing for them. Dear listener, we can also be peaceful, filled with all peace, as the scripture says, as we realize both of what God Almighty is doing for us now and what he will still do for us in the future. It is possible for us to abound in hope because of the power of the omnipotent Holy Spirit who is at work in us. The achievement of all of God's purposes for the spiritual welfare of his children comes from the power and the might given by the precious Holy Spirit. And when the realization of what God has provided is nothing that we ourselves can muster up in our own power or inner energy but rather that it is god's supernatural power his divine power through his holy spirit who is active in the life of her who is growing in the grace and knowledge and love of his god god's word tells us that his laws and his precepts and statues refresh the soul and gladden the heart i want to live in the word don't you and that word says and is found in psalms chapter 19 verses 7 and 8 the law of the lord is perfect the testimony of the lord is sure making wise simple verse 8 the precepts of the lord are right rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes. Hallelujah! You see, by spending time in God's word, meditating upon his promises is a sure guarantee and a way to do your heart some good in many, many instances and ways. The prophet Jeremiah testified, when your words came, I ate them, my joy and my delight. Jeremiah chapter 15 verse 16. In considering God's work and his ways, we'll also make our hearts glad. The psalmist sang, For when you make me glad by your deeds, Lord, I sing for joy at what your hands have done. Psalms chapter 92 verse 4. in Acts chapter 11 beginning in verse 22 we read that when Barnabas saw the grace of God his heart was filled with joy in Acts chapter 11 beginning in verse 22 the rumors came to the ears of the church the assembly in Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas to Antioch and when he saw what the grace, the favor of God was bestowing upon them. He was full of joy and he continually exhorted, warned, urged, encouraged them to all cleave unto and remain faithful to and to be devoured with resolute and steady purpose of heart. Dear church, when we take time each day to consider all that God has done for us and in the lives of all of his people, we can't help but be glad and rejoice just like prophet joel said and he exclaimed as well for the lord has done great things hallelujah hallelujah we have many many scriptures which give us reason to be joyful in god who is the source of our joy let us not forget that nehemiah chapter 8 verse 10 declares for the joy of the lord is your strength and stronghold how many times we have repeated that and Mary Magdalene exclaimed in Luke chapter 1 verses 46 and 47 my soul magnifies and extols the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior prophet Isaiah said with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation Isaiah chapter 12 verse 3 and in Isaiah chapter 25 verse 9 the word tells us we can rejoice and be glad in the Lord's salvation. Jesus told the disciples in Luke chapter 10, verse 20, Rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Hallelujah! Dear church, possibly the best way to cultivate a cheerful or a merry heart that does good like medicine is to spend time in fellowship, in God's presence, both King David in the Old Testament and Apostle Peter in the New Testament found their greatest joy in the presence of the Lord. Acts chapter 2 verse 28, Peter repeats what David expressed in the book of Psalms saying, you have made known to me the ways of life. you will enrapture me diffusing my soul with joy with and in your presence Lord can we know that in God's company we experience the fullness of joy Proverbs chapter 17 verse 22 declares a merry heart does good like a medicine but a broken spirit drives the bones you see having a merry heart will affect your mind your emotions and your physical body. And this is not only stated in the Bible, but it is proven by medical journals as well. So how do we have a merry heart? Is having a merry heart something we can choose to do and be intentional about and doing in our part? Well, it is true, yes, we choose to develop a merry heart in every season of life. Having a merry heart comes from what you choose to focus and what you believe. And in order to have a merry heart, first priority, let us never forget it. We must focus our attention and beliefs on the truth found in God's word and in your relationship with him first. There are so many things today competing for our attention but God instructs us to give attention to his word and there's a reason for it the reason being it will produce a merry heart hallelujah and Proverbs tells us My son give attention to my words Incline your ear to my sayings To give your attention to something means you turn the whole focus of your mind to the subject in hand and then you fix your attention totally upon it. Pray, dear ones, that God will give understanding and wisdom and show you the depth of his word. Since God is a God of love, he only wants the best for you in every moment of the day, in every breath that you take. His word will bring life and peace and goodness to every area of your life. His word is transforming, and he has the power to save a soul that trusts and believes in him. It's called faith. When you spend time in his word, God will give you the supernatural insight into his promises and build your faith and give you joy to know the importance of having a cheerful heart on this journey of life. you will learn from studying God's word that he opens up a revelation of his love for you you will learn that you will see that and he will show you what he has accomplished for you personally through the death and resurrection of his son it won't be just information in your head it will be living in your heart in your soul hallelujah dear listener this is the greatest news you will ever receive and it will produce a merry heart within you and love for your Jesus will grow and flourish beyond all comprehension for your Savior. The one with a cheerful heart is an individual whose heart is at rest and peace and therefore can rejoice at all times and know that they will walk the streets of gold with their Savior one day. Hallelujah. But for now, these individuals have found Christ to be their daily satisfaction and greatest joy. And when you have a merry heart, the Bible says you will have a continual feast. Oh, hallelujah, praise God. The best way that we can do this is take up our responsibility in developing the mandate or importance of having a cheerful or a merry heart is first found in Proverbs chapter 4, beginning in verse 23, which declares, Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance, and above all that you guard, for out of it flows the wellspring of life. How do the issues of life spring out of your heart? You see, your heart is a soil that produces whatever you plant in it. And this is the way God designed it. whatever is in your heart will eventually come out of your mouth and those words will produce life or death we read that in the scripture they produce either life or death the good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks luke chapter six so a merry heart is one who is always rejoicing in the Lord. And no matter what's going on around us, we can choose to rejoice in the Lord and his goodness and his faithfulness and his love. And another thing we need to do with the help of the Holy Spirit in order to have a cheerful or merry heart is to meditate on the word of God. You see what we feed ourselves continually through our ears, our eyes, our thoughts is what becomes planted in our hearts. We need to always plant what we want in our hearts by feeding it with the word of God. Proverbs chapter 23 verse 19 tells us to guide our hearts. Hear my son and be wise and guide your heart in the way. do you see the personal responsibility that that you have me too god almighty tells you and me do guide our hearts this means that you are not just at the mercy of whatever your heart chooses rather we conform to what god's word tells us to do you can actually lead and guide your heart into the right way of holy and moral living in accordance with biblical truths. You have choice. We all have choice. And this is a big part of walking by faith, dear ones, and walking in the Spirit. And another thing we must do to have a cheerful or a merry heart is to focus on good, the good things around us, instead of always on the negative. And believe me, there's a lot of things going on in the world and all around us that are very negative, but we have to keep our focus on the good. Focusing on the good in every situation can become natural to you, but it takes a diligent effort to train yourself to focus on things that are good instead of the bad. In every circumstance, you can look at the good or at the bad. It's a matter of training yourself what to look for. And what you look for is what you will find. Philippians chapter 4 verse 8 gives us instruction on what we should be focusing on and thinking. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, If there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. And the last thing we need to have in order to having a cheerful heart is an abundant prayer life. Prayer is our lifeline to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Let us always keep our eyes and hearts looking upward to the author and the finisher of our faith. Colossians chapter 3 verse 2 commands us, Set your minds on the things above, not on things on the earth. Dear listener, a cheerful heart knows it's forgiven and deeply loved. Not only that, but it also knows that it is highly favored and at peace with God because the Spirit of the Lord is busy making that knowledge known to your spirit. If you are struggling with any of these keys and cultivating and maintaining a cheerful heart, which again I reiterate are one, know that you have responsibility in guarding your heart that is what goes into it and comes out of your heart two, meditate on God's word three, focus on the good things and not the negative four, and finally cultivate an abundant prayer life because it is your lifeline to your heavenly father and his son Jesus Christ dear listener always pray and invite the holy spirit to be active in your life every day leading and guiding you and teaching you it's another way to focus on things that are merry is to become a person who is always thanking god and meditating on what you are thankful for what you have to be thankful for maintaining a grateful heart will naturally produce a joyful and a merry heart. Thankfulness is the key to joy. Being thankful, I repeat, the key to joy. Grateful people have merry hearts. They always go together. And this is why the Bible tells us to always be releasing thanksgiving. In everything we give thanks, for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ for you. 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 18. Thanksgiving causes us to triumph over our emotions and does damage to the devil's arrows. Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ and makes manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. 2 Corinthians 2, verse 14. What Jesus has done for you is really awesome news. Any part of your life that is not filled with hope and peace is under the influence of a lie. Jesus has really wonderful good news for every area of your life. And understanding this will fill your hearts with overwhelming joy. The Bible tells us to focus on things above, not on things of the earth. And to grow in understanding and wisdom and greater love for your precious Savior, Jesus Christ. You will know that you will have a cheerful heart, and one day you will walk the streets of gold with him. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Amen. .

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