Cardio Care

Daily Reading: Hebrews 3-4

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another... (Hebrews 3.12-13)

Devotional Thought: Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life (Proverbs 4.23). But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart (Matthew 15.18). Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water' (John 7.38).  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God(Matthew 5.8).

The Bible has much to say about the heart - not the physical organ that pumps the blood through our bodies, but the will - that part within us that chooses to believe, follow and obey God.  Just as we need a healthy physical heart to keep our bodies and minds functioning, we need a healthy spiritual heart to keep the "oxygen" of the Holy Spirit and the "nourishment" of the Word flowing through our spirits.

How do we keep our spiritual hearts healthy?  The same way we keep our physical hearts healthy: exercise, rest, diet, and periodic checkups!

·       Exercise: It is easy to go with the crowd, to hide our faith, to coast along without effort.  We exercise our hearts, however, when we take a stand, proclaim our faith, and swim against the current.

·       Rest: In order to have a healthy heart, we must purposefully set aside time from all the pressures and diversions and rest in God’s presence.

·       Diet: I'll just say one thing.  Consider your choice: TV or Bible…

·       Checkups: That’s what the writer of Hebrews meant when he said, "Exhort one another…"  We sometimes need the input of our spiritual brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Take care of your hearts!

Prayer: Father, thank you that you know my heart.  You know what is best for it.  And you can keep it healthy.  I surrender my heart to you through Jesus Christ, my Lord.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 51.16-19

16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem;

19 then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.