Keep Thy Heart With All Diligence

Proverbs 14:14, “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.”

Anyone is capable of committing any sin under the right circumstances. That is why we are told in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Our text Bible verse says the BACKSLIDER is filled with “HIS OWN WAYS.” In contrast, Job said in Job 13:15, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” God created the human race, so we should listen to what God has to say in the Holy Bible. Proverbs 20:24, “Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?” Job 34:21, “For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.” Those are precious Scriptures. We are taught that a man CANNOT understand his own way. Please don't miss that truth—WE NEED THE BIBLE!!! What saith the Scripture? This Scripture passage will help us to understand more...

James 1:22-24, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

As we clearly see, the Word of God reveals our true human nature, showing us the truth about ourselves as needy sinners. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. offers this wisdom:

“The psalmist said, 'A man's heart deviseth his way; but the Lord directeth his steps.' This is a most significant statement in this day when ambitious dictators are endeavoring to build empires. Through the centuries man has tried to run his own affairs. What a mess he has made! Alexander the Great could conquer a world, but could not conquer himself. Napoleon left a path of blood as his army marched to victory and then to defeat. God is running this universe. Man cannot run it. Of course, there is the directive as well as the permissive will of God. God is not always directing the affairs of men, but God permits men who are in rebellion against Him to have their own way for a season.” —Dr. Bob Jones Sr., “Comments On Here And Hereafter,” page 32-33; Bob Jones University Press, ©1942

The Bible says when we GO OUR OWN WAY, leaving the Bible, we FORGET our true selves. This emphasizes the importance of abiding continually in the Word of God. This is why the psalmist David said:

Psalms 1:1-3, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Dear reader, you and I won't make it spiritually if we fail to live in the Holy Bible! We need to hear from God's Word every day!!! I only use the inspired King James Bible. All of the modern Bible revisions have been tampered with by the Devil. You simply cannot trust the Bible publishing industry anymore. Greed has corrupted them! The love of money is truly the root of all evil (1st Timothy 6:10). Our text verse says the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways, but God wants us to acknowledge Him in all our ways. Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” 

“Never let your guard down!” —Pastor Hyles, “When You Have To Stand Alone”

The heathen world does not fear or regard God. They don't care about what the Bible teaches. God's holy Commandments means nothing to them! The world makes their own decisions, based upon their own human rational, without trusting the wisdom of God's Word in the Bible. That is why the world is in such a mess today, and always has been! As believers, we are taught to abide in the Word of God day and night, to “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:5). Even a Christian can start thinking like the Devil. That is why Jesus said to the apostle Peter in Matthew 16:23, “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” 

We must always be on guard against wrong thinking creeping into our mind. Living in the Scriptures will help us to stay on the right path. 2nd Timothy 3:16-17, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

• DOCTRINE shows us the right path.
• REPROOF shows us when we're getting off the right path.
• CORRECTION shows us how to get back on the right path
• INSTRUCTION shows us how to stay on the right path.

As churchgoers everywhere are leaving the King James Bible, embracing the Devil's counterfeit Bible revisions, they are becoming DECEIVED! Revelation 12:9 says that the Devil is deceiving the whole world, which includes apostate churches. Jesus is called “the Word of God” in Revelation 19:13b. So when churches leave the King James Bible, they are turning away from God's Word, becoming apostate. The backslider does his own thing, follows his own rules, does whatever he wants when he feels like it, without regard for the inspired Word of God. May it not be so said among us as God's children dear reader. 

“If you will give God your heart He will 'comb the kinks out of your head.'” —Dr. Bob Jones Sr., “Things I Have Learned: Chapel Talks,” page 47; Bob Jones University Press, ©1945