OUR DAILY BREAD : HEART MATTERS

[cimi]

May 6
Tuesday


HEART MATTERS

READ:
Proverbs 4:20-27
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Our hearts pump at a rate 70-75 beats per minute. Though weighing only 11 ounces on average, a healthy heart pumps 2,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels each day. Every day, the heart creates enough energy to drive a truck 20 miles. In a lifetime, that is equivalent to driving to the moon and back. A healthy heart can do amazing things. Conversely, if our heart malfunctions, our whole body shuts down.

The same could be said of our "spiritual heart." In Scripture, the word heart represents the center of our emotions, thinking, and reasoning. It is the "command center" of our life. So when we read, "Keep your heart with all diligence" (Prov. 4:23), it makes a lot of sense. But it's difficult advice to keep. Life will always make demands upon our time and energy that cry out for immediate attention. By comparison, taking time to hear God's Word and to do what it says may not shout quite so loudly. We may not notice the consequences of neglect right away, but over time it may give way to a spiritual heart attack.

I'm thankful God has given us His Word. We need His help no to neglect it, but to use it to align our hearts with His every day. __Poh Fang Chia

```````````````````Dear Jesus, take my heart and hand,`````````````````````
```````````````````````And grant me this, I pray:`````````````````````````
```````````````That I through Your sweet love may grow````````````````````
````````````````More like You day by day. __Garrison``````````````````````
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To keep spiritually fit, consult the Great Physician.

********************Today's Bible Reading __ Proverbs 4:20-27************************

20 My son, give attention
to my words; incline your
ear to my sayings. 21 Do
not let them depart from
your eyes; keep them in
the midst of your heart;

22 For they are life to
those who find them, and
health to all their flesh.

23 Keep your heart with
all diligence, for out of it
spring the issues of life.

24 Put away from you a
deceitful mouth, and put
perverse lips far from
you. 25 Let your eyes look
straight ahead, and your
eyelids look right before
you. 26 Ponder the path of
your feet, and let all your
ways be established.

27 Do not turn to the right
or the left; remove your
foot from evil.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
The book of Proverbs had several contributing authors, but most of
the wisdom found here was written by King Solomon. In the opening
nine chapters, Solomon specifically instructs his son (and sometimes
his sons) regarding the wisdom that would help him engage life in a
meaningful way. Some of the themes of these chapters include the
value of wisdom, the necessity of faith, the peril of deceitful women,
and the danger of foolishness. Beginning in chapter 10, the book
becomes a collection of general wise sayings