{ A Garden Heart }

   A beautiful garden requires many hours of planning, fertilizing,

planting, tending, weeding, and watering,

In many ways the heart is like a garden. It needs to be protected and kept clean. The good-- the beauty, placed there by our heavenly Father-- needs to be nurtured. Any pollution needs to be removed. And all enemies-- and there are many, coming in all shapes and forms-- must be kept away.

Scripture speaks often of how important our heart is in the sight of God. He asks us to keep our hearts clean and pure-- free from guilt, wrong motives, and distracting affections.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God"

~Matthew 5:8

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

 Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

~James 4:8

He looks for hearts that are tender, upright, sound and perfect. He desires our hearts to be soft-- saying he will not despise a heart that is broken and contrite.

"Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it."

~Proverbs 4:23

* Taken from the book Before you meet prince charming, by Sarah Mally*