Heart Attack

Deep in the Jordanian desert stands the largest of the numerous Crusader fortresses, Kerek. The walls of this imposing hilltop fortress provide a panoramic view of the surrounding area. The design of the fortification involved three concentric walls, each inner wall rising above the outer walls. If attackers breached the outer wall they were faced with a higher wall from which the defenders could look down on them.

Sultan Saladin laid siege to the fortress for two years without success. One day a dog was seen at a nearby spring outside the fortress. Later the same dog was observed on the rampart of the inner wall. Noticing this several times, the attackers decided to follow the dog. He went into a cave and up a tunnel which came out in the innermost parts of the fortress.

The wily Saladin posted warriors in the tunnel until dark and emerged in the innermost walls of the fortification. The surprise attack resulted in Salidin’s warriors quickly taking the fortress. They then held the heart of the fortress and soon conquered the fortress.

We all have our defenses against the fiery darts of our adversary the devil. Frontal attacks are most often defeated. It is the ones that surprisingly come against our core values, our spiritual hearts, that most easily defeat us. Guard your heart.

“Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4: 23)

The word “heart” is the best biblical word to sum up the inner life of each person.

The Hebrew word behind our English word “keep” is the word natsar. This word is used sixty-two other times in the Hebrew Bible, but forty-two of those instances are found in the Psalms and in this book, Proverbs. It means to be diligent regarding what thoughts you allow to secretly be permitted in your mind.

“Solomon writes this: As in water, the face reflects the face, so the heart of man reflects the man. (Proverbs 27:19) So your heart is you; your inner you.

Jesus warned, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Mark 7: 20 – 23)

Discipline is a word often used today to refer to exercise, diet, and other phases of life. Discipline of our inner thought is essential. Diligently discipline your thoughts, guard your heart. The Lord will help you, but you must engage your mind and will in order to guard your heart. It means to be diligent regarding what thoughts you allow to secretly be permitted in your mind.