Guard Your Heart

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

Do you feel disappointed or deserted by God?  During the time when your hearts is broken you are very vulnerable.  You need to be on guard and carefully watch what is in your heart.  Your heart can be soft and pliable or hardened toward God and the things of God.  There is a strong temptation to harden your heart toward God when in deep pain. 

If you have a broken heart and are willing to allow hurt to soften it you become more aware of God, more alive to His purposes in your life and more sensitive to His Spirit at work within you.  But if you harden your heart you will no longer hear his Word, accept rebuke or receive mercy.

Paul has an antidote to keep us from a hard heart.  Refuse to surrender to worry.  Tell Him your pain and your need and thank Him for allowing you to suffer for His cause.  Peace comes to guard your heart and mind.  This gift of God will nurture a soft heart as we keep talking to God.  Gratitude plows up the ground for the seeds of peace to grow.  A supernatural peace in the midst of pain is foreign and unintelligible to the world.

Be determined to emerge from sorrow with a heart softened to the Spirit of God.  Don't give into the temptation to allow a heart to be hardened by bitterness and resentment toward God and reject peace and grace.  It is a very dark place far away from the loving embrace of God as it describes in His Word: "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts." (Eph. 4:18)

Keep my heart soft toward You, Lord,  during this incredibly hard time.