To “keep” or “guard” thine heart is the word “mishmar” in Hebrew. It means to watch over closely like an officer keeps a prisoner.
Why?
Because from the heart the “totz’ot ” – the “issues” of life are determined. This word is mainly used to describe the borders of a territory or boundaries of a city.
The “issues” of your heart refers to the “boundaries” you set on who you think you are and what your future holds.
This Proverb of Solomon is saying that the limitations of your life are created on the inside - in your heart. You form the prison walls that confine or the vast empires of your achievement based on the boundaries you create on the inside.
Sometimes those closest to you cannot see what’s deepest in you – your hidden capacity. They want to imprison you not based on what’s hidden in your potential but what’s showing up in your present or fumbled in your past.
God will put people in your life that speak to what’s possible in your future.
When Samuel came to the house of Jesse, he was on a mission to find the next king. Seven sons passed before him but none of them had the hidden kingdom dwelling on the inside. David – the smallest and most underestimated of the house was called in from the field.
Samuel’s prophetic eye saw the hidden man of the heart and knew instantly that this lonely singer of Psalms was more than a shepherd of a few sheep – he was the one who would shepherd a nation.
May God help you to guard your heart so you protect your inner man from the toxicity of those around you who would cause you to bottle up the boundaries of what you are really capable of in your future.
The secret is to go somewhere on the inside….Jesus said: ”In My Father's house are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you.” More literally you could translate this “In your Father's heart are many dwelling places and He has a special compartment reserved just for you!”
Go daily with your harp into this secret place and you will be impervious to the cynicism of those around you.
Guard the image of who you really are. You will discover it in the inner chamber of your Father's heart.
