On our latest trip to Oregon we went to the Columbia Gorge and walked up and down the trails to see different waterfalls. There is something refreshing about water, isn’t there? Whether we are drinking it in or watching it wind its way through lush forest or fall from the heights of a cliff, water gives the feeling of life. And in that scenario, it makes perfect sense for Solomon to equate our hearts to a wellspring. From the well, people drew water to let them live, but in that day, wells needed guarding. If you go back to Abraham’s time, he dug many wells – at least one of which was stolen from him. By the time Isaac came along, the Philistines had filled in more of the wells and stopped their use.
So Isaac dug new wells and herders from another culture or town argued with him about the wells, so Isaac moved on again and kept digging until he finally found water that he could claim as his. God had made a place for him. You can bet Isaac probably guarded those final wells, to keep them safe for his flocks.
In the same way, Solomon is saying, “guard your heart” – don’t let it be stopped up or argued over. Your heart is yours and it belongs to the one you give it to. God longs to fill our hearts with Himself, with His love, but even then, if we aren’t careful, aren’t aware of deceit and lies, we can be taken captive by wily people, by a wily enemy.
So God tells us to guard our hearts as though they were springs of living water. (My paraphrase.) Our hearts are the wellspring of life. As water is life to our bodies, so our hearts are life to our souls.
So how do we guard our hearts? Put watchmen around them as though we were guarding an ancient well? Or perhaps better yet, keep in touch with the One who made our hearts and trust Him to keep watch over them. Go to Him with our questions. Be skeptical when we hear things that go against what we know deep down is true.
Our enemy, like many people in this world, is a deceiver. And trust me, it is very easy to get caught up in his lies. We are not immune even as believers in Jesus. We must guard what God has entrusted to us. Our faith. Our hope. Our trust. Our hearts.
Selah~
