discipled living

Ancient Wisdom, Contemporary Power!

We are instructed to,“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”  in Proverbs 4:23 KJV  I particularly like this translation of the verse from the King James Version of the Bible, because of the word, “KEEP”.  At the time the translation was being produced the “Keep” was a fortified structure located in the interior sections of a castle.  According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archeology 2002 as Keep is,

A strongly fortified residence of a king or lord in which the KEEP, which may be freestanding or surrounded by a defensive enclosure, is the principal defensive feature. 

According to Wikipedia,

“The keep is the most defended area of a castle, and as such may form the main habitation area, or contain important stores such as the armory, food, and the main water well, which would ensure survival during a siege.”

The relationship between the word, “Keep” and the KJV is that the translation was completed in 1611 during a time when the Keep was in common use in castles and other fortified structures. The translation clearly indicates that the human heart, (mind) the seat of human thought must be protected from assault and siege at all cost.  It is the most precious possession of all human life. 

It is the point of genesis for our thought life and therefore determines the course of our actions, habits and destiny.  The Today’s English Version (TEV) interprets the passage in the following way,

“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts”

We are what we eat, and we become what we allow into our minds.  It is an act of futility to attempt to behave in a manner that is inconsistent with how you see yourself.  The truth is that we have a body image, and our eating habits, exercise habits and health maintenance habits all conspire to achieve the image we have of ourselves.  To change your body, you must change your body image. 

Dr. Maxwell Maltz, the famed author of Psychocybernetics discovered that his plastic surgery patients continued to see themselves as unattractive even after he had successfully performed surgery.  He concluded that you must address the thought patterns which create the self-concept to align them with the goal of plastic surgery to be successful.  What does this mean?  It simply confirms the scriptures, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.”

The quality of life you either enjoy or dislike is driven by the quality of the contents of your “Keep”.  The wisdom of God advises and instructs us to place our minds under constant guard against the ideas and concepts that lay siege to it.  We experience a constant barrage of images and stimuli all designed to rewrite your self-concept and your root values. 

There are some things we should not expose ourselves to; simply because they have a profound, albeit insidious impact upon the contents of our "Keep".  Unfortunately, what goes into the "Keep" is only half the problem.  It is what comes out of the "Keep" that makes the difference.

The King James translation says, “Out of it are the issues of life.”  The issue of life is the blood that flows through your body and keeps you healthy and alive.  The implication is that a contaminated "Keep", produces diseased and dying issues. 

The wisdom of God translated in The TEV, plainly states the promise and the problem.  How you think, shapes how you live. Your thought life and the things which influence it may result in a distorted and deformed life.  The true power of this passage of scripture is that no one is strong enough to withstand the impact of destructive influences.  You may believe you are, but the witness of scripture begs to differ.