Guard your Heart, Steve Green

When we were traveling last fall, we came back with some pretty amazing pictures. Those of the windows especially delighted and fascinated me. An old English proverb states that, "The eye is the window to the soul."

The Matthew 6:22 tells us, "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." So what does 'single' mean? Barnes commentary says this:
"A man crossing a stream on a log, if he will look across at some object steadily, will be in little danger. If he looks down on the dashing and rolling waters, he will become dizzy, and fall. So Jesus says, in order that the conduct may be right, it is important to fix the affections on heaven. Having the affections there - having the eye of faith single, steady, unwavering - all the conduct will be correspondent." How true!

So how do we keep our eyes 'single'?
The Bible tells us to "guard your heart for it is the well-spring of life."

Steve Green's Guard Your Heart is not just for children (remember the old Sunday School song of 'be careful little eyes what you see?'). We nee this at any age. It is the loving warning of a just and loving God! This would be a great song to sing along with your children, supporting it with the Word of God below.

Lyrics:
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see

What appears to be harmless glance?
Can turn to romance
And homes are divided
Feelings that should never have been
Awakened within
Tearing the heart in two

Listen, I beg of you
Guard your Heart
Guard your Heart
Don't trade it for treasure
Don't give it away

Guard your Heart
Guard your Heart
As a payment for pleasure
It's high price to pay

For a soul that remains sincere with conscience clear
Guard your Heart

The human heart is easily swayed
And often betrayed at the hand of emotion
You dare not leave the outcome to chance
You must choose in advance
Or live with the agony
Such needless tragedy

Guard your Heart
Guard your Heart
Don't trade it for treasure
Don't give it away

Guard your Heart
Guard your Heart
As a payment for pleasure
It's high price to pay

For a soul that remains sincere with conscience clear
Guard your Heart

Supporting Scriptures:

I love the NLT which is a paraphrase: "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." Proverbs 4:23

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
Jeremiah 17:9

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live..." Deut. 30:19

"...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:22

"The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it." Prov.22:3

Consider the Cost, by Steve Camp

This passionate song says it all.

In Reflection on Luke 14: 25-33 Alyce MacKenzie speaks of this: "The grace of God is not cheap grace. It requires a response. One can only receive the grace of God with open hands, and to open those hands one must let go of all that would frustrate the reception of that grace. Jesus refers to this letting go as repentance…It is foolish and damning to answer the invitation if one is not willing to repent. Half-hearted disciples RSVP to the messianic banquet and then find excuses not to attend (14:18-10). They come to the shore but won’t get in the boat with Jesus because rough waters might await them (Matthew 8:18-22). They put their hand to the plough and look back (Luke 9:62).They “taste the heavenly gift, and share in the Holy Spirit …and then they fall away” (Hebrews 6:5,6).

This reminds me of a monkey who had gotten his hand trapped inside a bottle. He had seen candy in it and upon grasping it in his fist, would not let it go for anything! No one can reason with a monkey. If he would let go of the tempting candy and open his fist... he would get free of this trap. So it is with us!

"Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Lyrics:
To obey is better than sacrifice- and to hearken than the fat of rams
For what will a man give for his own life... houses or money... land
There's a way that seems right to you - but in the end it leads only to death
Come unto Him all ye weary - come and find your rest

CHORUS:
Consider the cost of building a tower - it's a narrow way that you must come - For to do the will of the Father - is to follow the Son - to love Him more than father or mother - to love Him more than even your own flesh - to give all that you are,
for all that He is - this is the Gospel according to Jesus
Many will say, "Lord, Lord" on that day - look what we've done in Your name
"We've prophesied and performed many miracles - and Lord, even demons obeyed"
But He will declare unto them - the most terrifying words of truth. He'll say,
"Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity for I, I have never known you!"

REPEAT CHORUS

BRIDGE:
"Oh foolish man, how you build on the sand - trusting in your goodness to save!
For when the rain falls, and the flood breaks the walls you will be swept away!
But blessed is he who builds on the Rock - who takes Jesus as Lord to save!
For when the rain falls, he will endure it all - standing firm in His grace!

REPEAT CHORUS

To give all that you are for all that He is - this is the Gospel according to Jesus

Supporting Scriptures:
"On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Matthew 7: 22-23

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7: 24-27

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." Proverbs 14:12

"Then Samuel said, "Is the LORD as delighted with burnt offerings and sacrifices as he would be with your obedience? To follow instructions is better than to sacrifice. To obey is better than sacrificing the fat of rams."
1 Samuel 15:22

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8