Posted by As I set out to write a devotional on the book of Proverbs, I was ready to focus on wisdom: how to gain wisdom and walk wisely daily. I want to be as wise as humanly possible so this was a subject I was eager to write about! But as I dove into the book, I realized that God’s primary concern isn’t our wisdom or lack thereof. His primary concern is our hearts.
This was an awkward discovery for me because it’s so easy for me to disconnect from my heart. I can tune out my feelings and opt instead for numbness. It’s not healthy or ideal, but it’s a habit I’ve really perfected over the years. My tendency is to be out of touch with my heart, the very thing that God is after.
God isn’t concerned about our hearts because he’s manipulative or an egomaniac. He doesn’t want to control our hearts or force us to love him. He is concerned about our hearts because that’s where everything flows from. If our hearts aren’t right then our speech, behavior, thoughts, and relationships won’t be right either.
Our hearts are the catalyst for everything we do so we are to care for our hearts well.
I was shocked to discover that the book of Proverbs, to me, was more about the heart than wisdom, making good choices, or anything else really. So it would’ve been ridiculous for me to write a devotional going through Proverbs without discussing the heart… a lot.
Writing this devotional has made me pay more attention to my heart than I ever have before. While I am, by no means, an expert in matters of the heart, or even understanding what’s going on inside of me, I am growing in this area. I’m learning that honestly looking at my heart with the Lord is one of the most important things for me to do.
I’m finding that tending to my heart is living wisely.
My hope is that through this devotional we will all take the time to examine our hearts, see our loves more clearly, and then cling more closely to Christ. By giving our hearts more fully to God, our motivations, thoughts, and actions will begin to change. It all starts in the heart, so let’s tend to our hearts well!
How do you view the heart?
What can you do to intentionally care for your heart this week?
To go Deeper: Read The State of the Heart, Self-Love
Watch 24Ever: Watch the Throne
Check out A Proverb a Day, available on Amazon!
Work in Progress 
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