Psalm 4 - Guard Your Heart

Watch over your heart diligently because from it flow the streams of life. (Proverbs 4:23).  Asking myself what things I let into my heart.  What makes it glad?  What things am I holding there that are more important than they should be?....that perhaps block the stream of life flowing to me and from me?

Psalm 4: 6-7:  Many are saying, "Who will show  us any good?"   Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord!  You have put gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and new wine abound.

"My life sucks right now.  Nothing good ever happens to me."  In other words.  Ever thought that?  (I have...)  When I say that, I am saying that God is not good and not involved in my life.  I am looking at my circumstances instead of at my God.  That affects my heart.  It makes it mad at, or at least distrustful of, the Lord and His sovereignty over me.  Then I start looking around for another place to moor my heart.  Start trusting my feelings about how things are going and lose trust.  Downward spiral.  Don't let your heart look for another lover. 

Instead, rely upon your relationship with the Lord.  Seek His face and let it shine upon you.  I love the picture here of God on His throne, maybe looking down at something, and I come into the room and say: "Father, look at me."  Slowly He raises His head and with it comes the light that is inherent in His being, like the sun coming up in the morning, and it warms me as I am covered by the brightness of His countenance when He looks at me.  God.  Seeing me.  Hearing and acknowledging me.  Swimming in His light, I should be glad...Really glad!!  More so than the richest of women or the most powerful of persons whose wine cabinets are as full as their coffers.  They are the ones wondering who will keep their lives from sucking.  Because true joy comes from an encounter with the face of God turned my way.  What can top that?  What can ever be truly overwhelming when I know that He is looking at Me?  and loves me?

So, heart, listen up.  Don't go looking for things in this world to compare with knowing God!  Don't set your eyes on another lover to fill your aching need for affection!  Don't go getting drunk on some new wine and forget that He has made you glad.  Rejoice that He has wooed you to Himself and you don't need another love.