Avoid Temptation with God’s Word on Your Heart

In my last couple of writings God’s Word on your heart is important to staying straight and keeping from sin. This morning that theme is reiterated and God’s Word on your heart is where we focus to avoid temptation.

“²⁵Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;

do not stray into her paths,

²⁶for many a victim has she laid low,

and all her slain are a mighty throng.

²⁷Her house is the way to Sheol,

going down to the chambers of death.”

— Proverbs 7:25-27 (ESV)

In the world there are a lot of things that will tempt us. These things are not of God or His Word. These are from the evil one and will do nothing but destroy us. She, the temptation, will tear us down and turn us from the LORD and His Word and plan for our lives.

“¹My son, keep my words

and treasure up my commandments with you;

²keep my commandments and live;

keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;

³bind them on your fingers;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”

and call insight your intimate friend,

⁵to keep you from the forbidden woman,

from the adulteress with her smooth words.”

— Proverbs 7:1-5 (ESV)

But, we have the way to avoid temptation and that is with God’s Word on our heart. Notice in verse five above that the Word of God will, “keep you from” temptation.

I know that I need all the help I can get when it comes to temptation. I am a sinner and therefor am prone to sin at every turn. But, when I am focused on the Word of God, I am not thinking of sinning. I am able to stay on the straight path. I am able to avoid temptation. All because I am driven by the Word of the LORD and what He has in store for me.

The evil one is cunning and will use any and everything to draw us away from the LORD. He will lie to us, lavish us with power and authority, and provide riches all in the interest of turning us away from God. He will temp you with that which he knows will entice you to turn from God. And he will not quit until He has accomplished his goal of doing so.

It is up to us and our relationship with God to avoid the temptations of the evil one. We have to write the Word of God on our heart. We have to keep His Word and know that the LORD will protect us and provide for us and keep us moving to glory. In this the LORD wants us to use Him and His Word on our heart to avoid temptation.

What is your approach to temptation? Are you even aware of the temptations of the evil one? What if you focused on the Word of the LORD to stay on the straight path, keep from sin, and avoid temptation?

Stay Straight with God’s Word on your Heart

I find it interesting that we see such polarizing views in the world today. There are the far left and far right that get so much attention and yet, their percentages in this world are small compared to those in the middle. This morning I am again in Proverbs as I continue my study of the word “heart” in God’s Word. I have studied and written on the importance of keeping God’s Word on our heart to keep in commune with Him. This morning I was again reminded of where this keeps me in the world.

“²⁰My son, be attentive to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings.

²¹Let them not escape from your sight;

keep them within your heart.”

“²³Keep your heart with all vigilance,

for from it flow the springs of life.”

“²⁶Ponder the path of your feet;

then all your ways will be sure.

²⁷Do not swerve to the right or to the left;

turn your foot away from evil.”

— Proverbs 4:20-21, 23, 26-27 (ESV)

All of this far left and far right leaning is contrary to the path the LORD has in store for us. We have been given the gift of His Word and should have placed it in/on our heart. His Word leads us in the path we are to take for His Glory. See in verse 27 above that we are to keep away from evil by staying from the left and right.

We are in need of more center/straight path action in the world today. I think of the political diagram of the man standing in one spot as middle moves further away from him one way or the other. With the LORD and His Word, we have the needed direction to stay straight as the man in the diagram. The left and the right will move continually to suit them, but with our following of the LORD and His directive Word on our heart, we will be able to stay the course and find the Glory that He has for us.

“¹³Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ¹⁴For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” – Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV)

We have the gift of Jesus and God’s Word. We store Him and His Word in/on our heart. He leads us to Glory. The thing is that Glory is in the LORD and not in the world. Even as the left and the right are the small percentage, their way is on the easy path and through the wide gate. Glory is found in the middle on the straight and narrow path and through the small gate that the LORD reveals to us as we follow His Word. Stay straight with God’s Word.

What is the path you are following? Are you continuing to lean left or right and on that wide easy path? What if you were to follow the Word of the LORD in/on your heart that leads to Glory by way of the hard path and through the narrow gate?

It is all with God on our Heart

Yes, all that we have and strive to be starts with God on our heart.

“³Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;

bind them around your neck;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴So you will find favor and good success

in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

⁶In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

⁷Be not wise in your own eyes;

fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

⁸It will be healing to your flesh

and refreshment to your bones.”

— Proverbs 3:3-8 (ESV)

A friend of mine once advised me to read one chapter of Proverbs daily and in a month (31 days) you will have read all of Proverbs (31 verses). The thing about Proverbs is, as noted in the introduction to the book in my ESV Bible, that it is “Practical wisdom for living”. This morning I see that wisdom playing out.

All of our growth and success in this world is based on our life with God on our heart. We are to write Him and all that He gives to us on our hearts and trust Him fully in our heart and for that we are rewarded with riches as He provides them. We are able to walk a path that leads somewhere and not a path where we are wandering. We will be healed from all that ails us in this world. In short, we are given all that we could ever truly want when it comes to finding where we belong and just what we need.

I should not be, but am amazed every day at all that I have accomplished in this world. Maybe not from a secular viewpoint, but from the viewpoint of contentment. I have health, a place to live, a wife and family that I love and that loves me, a church family that I know I can count on if/when things go awry, and most importantly a LORD that will provide all that I “NEED” to keep on keeping on in this world until my time here is done. And I attribute it all to my relationship with Him and having Him on my heart at all times.

Yes, there are still struggles, but those are largely identified by the world and not by God, as there is nothing that God cannot handle or provide for. I continue daily to wonder if I am on the right path and am I going to be successful, and then something is revealed that only God could have taken care of and provided for. I am a success. I am on the right path. I am healthy in His eyes. And, I owe it all to God and having Him in/on my heart daily.

What are you leaning on? Are you trying to do it all yourself? What if you were to place the LORD in/on your heart and allow Him to lead you from the inside out?