Treasures

Recently, the question was put forth, “what do you treasure?” Now if I quickly had to pick something, something other than my family, something that is tangible, what would that something be? Hum, truly I drew a blank. Then I looked down at my fingers.

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That was it! My wedding rings, and most recently a 40^th anniversary ring which represented a very late proposal…and there is a story behind that. But these rings are uniquely valuable, not because of their monetary value, but because of the sentiment behind them. My engagement ring represents how young and naive we were. I was 16 and he was 19 when we became engaged. Then, there is an additional matching ring that sits on top of the wedding band. It was a forever ring that my husband had specially made to match our wedding band and engagement ring. The forever ring represents, as I tell the Grandkids with a wink, “This ring is my ‘Papa is gonna keep me’ ring.” And then, on my right hand is a ruby ring which I received, out of the blue, on a surprise date night. My hubby finally proposed to me after 40 years. Yep, I was never proposed to until then. So that event and the ring have great sentiment and value because of the reminder of that day. Plus, he finally got out of the doghouse! So, when I look at my rings, I see so much more than sparkly bands of gold, because these tokens of our love have a story and a history that is only important and meaningful to me, or rather I should say, to us. They represent the longevity of our story together. Indeed, they truly represent “us.” That is why they are treasures.

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But when pondering what I treasure and what touches my heart, it brings forth another thought, another perspective with a question: what does God cherish? Or better yet, what does He treasure? Often with my rings, I take the time to protect them, more so than my shoes, clothing, or other throw away type items that I know will wear out in time or will eventually be replaced. These rings will never be replaced; they are too valuable. They will be with me my entire life so I take the extra time that is needed to protect them.

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In scripture, God lets it be known there ARE some things that are to be valued above others. They are to be cherished and protected. When looking around today it seems much of society values fleeting things like beauty, houses, cars, or even popularity, but God sees past these things. He can look inward to the very core of what matters most.  We get a chance to see His perspective as we read scripture.

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When you look at Proverbs 4:23 in the “New American Standard Version” it calls us to “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” But I have to say, in this instance, the “New International Version” makes me realize how strong this diligence must be. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” When I hear these words, it is like taking a deep cleansing breath of fresh air. Inhaling these truths is so refreshing. I want to take them in and hold tight to the truth that seems so simple to live by.  Yet, there are times when events occur which seems almost as if you are grasping at the wind when trying to apply these solid Biblical truths to our modern times; especially as our social and family norms continue disappearing into that wind.  How do we hold tightly to what we cherish, never wavering in our beliefs that we hold so dear? And how, with all our heart, do we pass these simple basic truths on to others, especially our loved ones? Again, we can look in His word.

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The first words of Proverbs 4:23 begins,“Above all else…” so He is getting ready to tell us something very important. Or else He would not have used such an elevating term “Above all else.” Wow, that is setting the stage for something big. My ears are perked up… “Above all else, guard your heart,” Did you catch that? Guard, YOUR…HEART! Yep, you heard it correctly: it is your heart that is so precious. It is the treasure. It is the thing that is to be valued and IS valued by the Lord. After all, didn’t you give it to HIM?

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In her book, “31 Verses to Write on Your Heart,” Liz Curtis Higgs points out “It’s not a suggestion. It’s a command” when referring to this portion of scripture. And I agree with her. That is how serious this verse should be taken. Why? Maybe it is best understood because of what comes after the command. “For everything you do flows from it.”

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 There it is! “EVERYTHING” you do flows from your heart. God knew that then, He knows that now, and He knows that for your future. So once your heart is given to Him, He resides there, His spirit is there. It is the cornerstone and very essence of who YOU are, so safeguard it! Now when you re-read that verse there is a precious and hopefully new understanding that occurs.

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Your heart is now HIS heart, beating and flowing like a rushing river. So, guard it, protect it, and then…LET IT FLOW!

Above all else, guard your hearts, for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23 NIV)