September 17, 2025

KEEP MOVING TOWARD THE LORD

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.”

Proverbs 4:23–27 NLT

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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

Solomon gives us timeless wisdom in this passage, reminding us that the condition of our heart shapes the direction of our entire life.

1. Guard Your Heart Above All Else

In Hebrew thought, the heart was not just about feelings—it was the very center of a person: thoughts, will, emotions, and desires. One translation even says, “Guard your thoughts.” Everything we do flows from the heart.

Think of a mountain spring: if the source is pure, the water is life-giving. But if it is polluted, that contamination flows downstream, affecting everything it touches. The same is true of our lives. What’s in the heart will eventually spill out into our actions, habits, and relationships.

God promised in Jeremiah 31:33, “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts.” When we surrender to Jesus, He begins transforming us from the inside out. But we must continue to guard our hearts from pollutants like bitterness, pride, greed, lust, jealousy, or selfishness.

Guarding your heart means being intentional about what you allow in—what you watch, read, listen to, and who you spend time with. Every influence is planting a seed. What you feed your heart today will shape your life tomorrow.

2. Watch Your Mouth

The first evidence of what’s in our heart is what comes out of our mouth. Jesus Himself said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34).

If my words are full of encouragement, truth, and kindness, that means my heart is in a healthy place. But if my speech is laced with anger, gossip, criticism, or negativity, it signals something deeper is wrong in my heart. Words are like a mirror—they reveal what’s going on inside.

3. Keep Moving Forward

The enemy rarely derails us with obvious evil; instead, he uses distraction. Often these distractions aren’t “bad things” in themselves—they’re just things that keep us from pursuing God’s best.

Television, video games, or endless scrolling on social media may seem harmless, but they can quietly steal hours, dull our focus, and draw us off course. Distraction leads to detours, and detours delay the destiny God has for us.

Solomon’s advice is simple but powerful: “Look straight ahead… mark out a straight path… stay on the safe path.” Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and keep moving toward Him.

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TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy Spirit, help me to guard my heart diligently. Show me anything I’ve allowed to pollute it, and cleanse me from it. Let my words honor You and build others up. Keep me from distractions and give me the discipline to stay on the path You have marked out for me. Amen.

“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”