Guard your Heart <3
Last week Russ and I took a vacation to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful time exploring the city of St. Augustine and yet we were able to stay connected to friends and family thanks to the internet.
The first night as we were using some kind of wireless service provided by the place where we stayed, we also watched some investigative news report about all kinds of horrid things that hackers are able to do by tapping into…
yes…
wifi services.
Nothing sets the tone for a get-away quite like a good dose of paranoia.
They showed how hackers set up a laptop in a common wifi area.
Unsuspecting patrons log on to the what they think is the coffee shop internet provider but in reality…they have actually logged into a fake system that is now giving the thief access to all their personal information…passwords, accounts, and such.
I think we all have experienced similar snares that come up – a notice appears on your screen that something needs updating.
It has the logo for your software.
It says all the right things…looks like all the other updates you have encountered…but when you click on the “OK” your computer is frozen…or starts sending weird emails to everyone in your address book or wreaks even worse havoc with photo files and such.
Deception is like that.
It so closely imitates the real thing that we are fooled.
The wifi access that these scammers take advantage of are public domain…they are clearly lacking the safety padlock of a private site…they even warn you that they are not secure.
It is the same with the heart yet with much more serious consequences.
Deception gains its foothold when our hearts wander from the safety of being closely connected to God.
As we explore the public domain with an unguarded heart, deceptions begin to counterfeit truth and we begin to drift farther and farther away from the protection of our loving Father.
The writer of Proverbs 4:23 reminds us ….
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
When we are traveling or setting up our workshop over a cup of coffee at the local Starbucks, we take that risk with our computers.
I urge you to not take the same chances when it comes to your heart and soul.
We have so many voices out there right now telling us what is right and what is wrong. But on what standard are they basing their moral code?
Listen to the Voice of Truth.
Measure the things you hear against the standard of God’s Word.
Determine in your mind that you will seek His Kingdom first…and above all…
guard your heart <3