“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”
Proverbs 4:23

There’s an excitement when things are new.  

You can see it in the eyes of child.  

I was reminded of this not too long ago while making my way through an airport. (Flying is one of my least favorite things to do. I will do everything possible to avoid the misery of flight—but sometimes it’s unavoidable.) I’ll admit it: I was in an unpleasant mood as I rode the tram in DFW to the terminal where I’d catch my connecting flight. I was standing just inside the doors and across from me was a young family; mom, dad, and a boy who was maybe 4 years old. I watched the joy in that little guy’s eyes as we traveled from terminal to terminal. He was thrilled every time the tram would accelerate and would tell his father about all the things he would see from the window. As they exited the car, I heard him exclaim, “an escalator, an escalator!” What I was treating as an inconvenience with drudgery was an exciting adventure for him. 

There’s an excitement when things are new. 

You can see it in the eyes of a newborn believer. 

There is something exhilarating being around a new Christian. It’s refreshing to see the excitement of discovery—everything seems new: new life, new perspective, new hope, new journey, new destination. Everything is new! 

The tragedy is when the new wears off. Things become familiar. In that familiarity they become common. And, when things are common the wonder, the excitement is gone. 

At the start of a new year, it would be prudent of us to examine our lives. Have we lost the wonder, joy, the excitement of walking with Jesus? If we’re to examine our lives, we must get to the source: The heart.  

The heart is the source of our life . . . we know this. It symbolizes the entire sum of a person. It’s the essence of being. Not simply mental or emotional capacity, everything proceeds from the heart. Jesus said in Matthew 12:35: 

“A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: 

and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” 

And then in Matthew 15:19 He states: 

“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, 

 fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:” 

In other words: If your heart is pure, your life will be pure. If your heart is corrupt, your life will be corrupt. If your heart is to be continually renewed by His Spirit, you will live in a state of renewal. There will be joy, excitement in serving and walking with Him. 

We must keep a watchful eye, a strict hand on our hearts. As we approach a new beginning, we must heed the words of the Proverb 4:23 . . . Keep (guard) your heart. Literally it carries with it the thought of above all other guarding, guard your heart. The proverb writer isn’t simply telling us to protect our heart rather, he is instructing us to govern our heart. Really the idea is to “take custody” but I would suggest as His people, we give Him full custody of our hearts. After all, we are His children, and He makes all things new. 

There’s an excitement when things are new. 

You can see it in the eyes of His children.