I’ve recently started watching a TV show called Heartland. That’s the name of a horse ranch in Alberta, Canada. Jack is the family patriarch. He has two granddaughters, Lou and Amy, who live on the ranch. Lou runs the business side of things and Amy is a horse trainer, sometimes called “the horse whisperer.”

They get worried because of some local break-ins. So they install a high tech security system. One evening they go out to a charity event and are at ease because they think they’re now safe.

But when they get home, they discover that they’ve been robbed. Not only that, but the place has been ransacked. But how is that possible? It seems that Jack accidently shut off the alarm from an app on his phone.

Well, just as an unguarded house is an enemy’s playground, we could also say that an unguarded heart is the enemy’s playground. How much effort do we expend protecting physical things which are of limited value, but leave vulnerable invisible things which are of unlimited value?

In Proverbs 4:24-27 we find wisdom about how to guard our hearts: “Keep your mouth free of perversity… Let your eyes look straight ahead… Do not turn to the right or the left…” This is about how we use our words, what we pay attention to, and how we live our lives on a daily basis. When our words, our attention, and our habits reflect the love we have for God and others, we are guarding our heart against enemy invasion. 

Are you thinking about making a godly goal for the coming year? How about guarding your heart?

An unguarded heart is the enemy’s playground. A guarded heart is God’s.

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Notes:

–The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on January 10, 2022.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.