【箴4:23】你要保守你心，胜过保守一切（或作“你要切切保守你心”），因为一生的果效，是由心发出。【Proverbs 4:23 NIV】Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

箴言第四章是父亲对儿子的劝勉，要领受智慧，持守训诲，行在正直的道路上。本节指出一个重要的属灵原则：人的生命如何，取决于他的心归向何处。“一生的果效，是由心发出。” Proverbs 4 is a father’s earnest instruction to his son to receive wisdom, hold firmly to instruction, and walk in the way of uprightness. This verse points to an important spiritual principle: the direction of a person’s life depends on where his heart is turned. 原文是说，心是我们生命的泉源，心决定了我们的一生的道路和结局。“For it is the wellspring of life.” In the original meaning, the heart is the source from which our life flows; it shapes the path and outcome of our whole life.

这里的“心”不只是情绪，更包括人的思想、意志、动机和内在倾向，是生命作出判断和选择的中心。“保守” 意味着谨慎看守，不容它轻易偏离正道。The “heart” here is not simply our emotions. It also includes our thoughts, will, motives and inner inclinations. It is the centre from which we make judgements and choices. To “guard” means to watch carefully and not allow the heart to easily drift away from the right path. 神在拣选大卫时说，人拣选人，看外表，神拣选人，看内心。为什么神如此看重内心？When God chose David, He said that man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. Why does God care so deeply about the heart? 因心所相信的，会影响我们的判断；心所追求的，会决定我们的选择；心被什么掌管，生命就会结出相应的果子。Because what the heart believes shapes our judgement; what the heart pursues influences our choices; and whatever rules the heart will produce corresponding fruit in our lives. 神拣选大卫，并不是因大卫像扫罗高大英俊，而是因为大卫敬畏神、心存谦卑，内心与众人不同，经过神多年的打造和磨练，大卫终于成为合神心意的器皿。God chose David not because he was tall and handsome like Saul, but because David feared God, was humble in heart, and was different from those around him. After many years of God shaping and refining him, David eventually became a vessel after God’s own heart.

我们常常忙于外在的“一切”事物，害怕失去金钱、地位、健康和人的肯定…却忽略了内心正在被什么占据。We are often busy looking after all the outward things in life, afraid of losing money, status, health or the approval of others... yet we can easily overlook what is taking hold of our hearts. 当私欲进入心中，人就容易以自己的欲望代替神的旨意；当骄傲占据内心，我们就听不进劝诫；当惧怕掌管内心，我们就会倚靠自己的能力，试图掌控一切。When sinful desires enter the heart, we begin to replace God’s will with our own desires; when pride takes over, we stop listening to correction; when fear rules our hearts, we rely on our own strength and try to control everything.渐渐地，我们虽仍在生活、工作，甚至参与服事，心却完全可能偏离神，服事偶像。Over time, although we may still be living, working and even serving in ministry, our hearts can drift far away from God and begin serving idols.

真正需要警醒的，不只是来自外面的诱惑，更是里面是否仍以神为主。保守心并不是单靠人的意志，因为罪已经影响人的内心，我们需要基督的救恩和圣灵的更新。What we truly need to watch against is not only temptation from outside, but whether God is still Lord within our hearts. Guarding our hearts cannot be done by willpower alone, because sin has already affected the human heart; we need the salvation of Christ and the renewing work of the Holy Spirit. 神应许赐给属祂的人新心（结36:26）。神赐给我们十字架和圣灵，正是为了改变我们的心，让我们被骄傲、顽梗、悖逆罪刚硬的石心，变成谦卑、温柔、怜悯的肉心。God promises to give those who belong to Him a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). God has given us the cross and the Holy Spirit precisely to transform our hearts, changing hearts of stone hardened by pride, stubbornness, rebellion and sin into hearts of flesh that are humble, gentle and compassionate. 因此，我们要天天背起十字架，靠着圣灵治死私欲，不再让罪作王，而让基督掌管生命；So we must take up our cross daily and, by the Holy Spirit, put sinful desires to death, no longer allowing sin to reign but allowing Christ to rule our lives. 也要顺服圣灵的引导，弃绝旧人的道路，行在神的旨意中。这样，我们才能从生命的源头开始改变，活出讨神喜悦的生命。We must also submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit, turn away from the ways of the old self, and walk in God’s will. In this way, change begins at the very source of our lives, enabling us to live in a way that pleases God.

祷告 | Prayer:

亲爱的天父，感谢你赐下你爱子为我们钉十字架，并赐下圣灵。赐给我们一颗新心，让我们成为新造的人。Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Your beloved Son to be crucified for us and for giving us the Holy Spirit. Thank You for giving us a new heart and making us new creations. 求你光照我的内心，显明我旧人里一切不合你心意的思想、动机和欲望。带领我天天背起自己的十字架，跟旧人争战。Please shine Your light into my heart and reveal every thought, motive and desire of my old self that is not pleasing to You. Lead me to take up my cross daily and fight against the old self. 求你赦免我常常看重外面的事物，却忽略了内心是否仍然尊你为大，是否活在你的面前？是否常常面对你的鉴察和审判？Please forgive me for so often placing great importance on outward things while neglecting whether my heart still honours You above all, whether I am truly living before You, and whether I continually allow myself to be searched and judged by You. 求圣灵光照我、更新我，使我不被私欲、骄傲和惧怕辖制，单单以你的话语，基督真理为准则，Holy Spirit, please shine Your light on me and renew me, so that I am no longer controlled by sinful desires, pride or fear, but take Your Word and the truth of Christ alone as my standard. 以基督的心为我的心，夺回一切过去落在撒旦仇敌手里的心思意念，使它们顺服耶稣基督，让我心的地土在争战中不断被基督得着。Let the mind of Christ become my mind. Take captive every thought that once fell into the hands of Satan and the enemy, and make it obedient to Jesus Christ, so that the ground of my heart may continually be won back by Christ through spiritual battle. 愿圣灵带领我天天顺从真理，洁净我的心，使我不再贪恋世界，不再让私欲、偶像辖制我，单单以你为满足，活出爱神爱人的生命，一生结出果子，荣耀你的名。May the Holy Spirit lead me to obey the truth each day and purify my heart, so that I no longer love the world or allow sinful desires and idols to control me, but find my satisfaction in You alone, live a life of loving God and loving others, bear fruit throughout my life, and glorify Your name.

奉主耶稣基督的圣名祷告，阿们。In the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

（Sister Carol ）