file: /pub/resources/text/Our.Daily.Bread: db940309.txt
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          OUR DAILY BREAD                         Wednesday, March 9, 1994
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          Read:  Proverbs 4:20-27

                              HEALTH CARE FOR THE HEART

                         Keep your heart with all diligence,
                      for out of it spring the issues of life.
                                   --Proverbs 4:23

          Being over 40 years old, my heart has already beat more than  1.5
          billion  times.  When  my  heart stops, it will be  too  late  to
          change my ways.  So I've lost some weight, gotten more  exercise,
          and begun watching not only what I eat but also what's eating me.

          This last point relates to another vital organ called "the heart"
          --  our spiritual heart.  It too has throbbed millions  of  times
          with   thoughts,  affections,  and  choices.  In  the  heart   we
          determine how we will speak, behave, and respond to circumstances
          (Prov. 4:23).  Will we trust the Lord and choose to be  gracious,
          patient,  and  loving?  Or  will we yield to  pride,  greed,  and
          bitterness?

          Today's Scripture reading emphasizes the importance of caring for
          our heart.  Are we keeping spiritually fit?

                Weight:  Do  we  need  to lose the  weight  of  unnecessary
                burdens and cares?

                Pulse:  Are we maintaining a steady rhythm of gratitude and
                praise?

                Blood pressure:  Is our trust greater than our anxiety?

                Diet: Are we enjoying the life-giving nutrients of the Word
                of God?

          Have you checked your heart lately?

          Author:  Martin R. De Haan II

                        O Lord, You see what's in the heart--
                            There's nothing hid from You;
                          So help us live the kind of life
                          That's filled with love for You.
                                        --DJD

          THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
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          To keep spiritually fit, consult with the great physician.

          THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Deuteronomy 29-31




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