Special Times that Require Extra Effort in Keeping the Heart, pt. 1

The series thus far, Keeping the Heart; What the Keeping of the Heart Presupposes and Signifies; and Some Reasons Why Keeping the Heart Needs to be "The Great Business" of our Lives

Now, it's clear that this is a duty we are always obligated to perform--it's always to our benefit to keep our hearts. However, there are some specific times--"critical hours"--that require more than the usual amount of vigilance. Flavel outlines twelve of these. I'll probably break this up into a few posts.

1. The first season requiring extra vigilance is a time of prosperity, times of "happy providences". Where one is tempted to grow confident in himself, in his life, in the world. When one can think of finding security and hope in worldly things. As the Lord himself warned Israel on the verge of the Promised Land,

And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you--with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant--and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (Deut. 6:10-12)

And of course, we know, that Israel did not heed that warning as they ought. How then can a Christian? Flavel has a few suggestions:

A. "Consider the dangerous ensnaring temptations attending a pleasant and prosperous condition." We cannot go into a time of prosperity blind--we must know the dangers, the pitfalls, the temptations that lie all about. We must remember how easy the camel headed for a needle has it in comparison to a rich man heading to heaven.

B. Consider that many Christians have been the worse for their success.

Outward gains are ordinarily attended with inward losses.

He, indeed, is rich in grace whole graces are not hindered by his riches.

Yes, there was Jehoshaphat, who "had great riches and honor" and whose "heart was courageous in the ways of the LORD". (2 Chron 17:5,6). But he is an exception, as a brief survey of the OT--or history--will readily show.

C. Remember that God is not concerned with worldly glory, or outward excellencies. God is concerned with internal realities, internal graces.

D. Consider the bitterness with which many have "bewailed their folly" in putting worldly success first in their life as they are on their deathbed.

E. Consider how earthly things can impede, or burden the soul heading to heaven.

If thou consider thyself as a stranger in this world, traveling for heaven, thou has then as much reason to be delighted with these things as a weary horse has to be pleased with a heavy burden.

F. Remember on the Day of Judgement, our accounts will be reviewed. We are but stewards of all the mercies God has given us and "to whom much was given, of him much will be required."

2. The second season that requires more than typical diligence is the time of adversity. "Troubles, though sanctified, are troubles still." So we are to look to our heart, keep it from "repining against God, or fainting under his hand."

Some helps in this situation:

A. Remember that afflictions come by God's determined counsel. The afflictions come as he works his purposes--our sanctification--in our lives. Flavel tells us to think,

"My Father is about a design of love upon my soul, and do I well to be angry with him? All that he does is in pursuance of and in reference to some eternal, glorious ends upon my soul. It is my ignorance of God's design that makes me quarrel with him."

B. While God will afflict his people, he has tied his own hands by promise never to take away his loving kindness from them.

If he had cut off his love, or discovenanted my soul, I had reason to be cast down; but this he hath not done, nor can he do it.

C. Call to mind the fact that the afflictions are not just working according to God's purpose, but every aspect of them is ordered by God. "Not a creature moves hand or tongue against thee but by his permission."

D. God regards you the same whether in high or low condition.

Men may look shy upon you, and alter their respects as your condition is altered; when Providence has blasted your estate, your summer-friends may grow strange, fearing you may be troublesome to them; but will God do so? No, no: 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.'

E.

What if by the loss of outward comforts God preserves your soul from the ruining power of temptation?

Earthly pleasures are cause for temptation, cause for stumbling, cause for shrinking in times of trial. If God preserves us from those because of adversity, there is only reason to rejoice.

F. (Personal favorite: this was so helpful to me when I read it.) Consider this: these adversities may be God's way of answering your prayers to be kept from sin, to find out the depths of depravity in your heart, mortifying your flesh, etc. This is so good, let me just quote:

Wouldst thou be kept from sin? Lo, he hath hedged up thy way with thorns. Wouldst thou see the creature's vanity? Thy affliction is a fair glass to discover it; for the vanity of the creature is never so effectually and sensibly discovered, as in our own experience. Woudldst thou have thy corruptions mortified? This is the way: to have the food and fuel removed that maintained them; for as prosperity begat and fed them, so adversity, when sanctified, is means to kill them. Wouldst thou have thy heart rest nowhere but in the bosom of God? What better method could Providence take to accomplish thy desire than pulling from under thy head that soft pillow of creature-delights on which you rested before?

And yet you fret at this: peevish child, how dost thou try thy Father's patience! If he delay to answer thy prayers, thou are ready to say he regards thee not; if he does that which really answers the end of them, though not in the way which you expect, you murmur against him for that; as if instead of answering, he were crossing all thy hopes and aims. is this ingenuous? Is it not enough that God is so gracious as to do what thou desirest: must thou be so impudent as to expect him to do it in the way which thou prescribest?

G. If you could see God's designs in our life, we would rejoice over them! God is working the best method for our salvation, "did you but see this, I need say no more to support the most dejected heart."

H. Our own discontent does more damage than all our afflictions. "Did you but lie quietly under the hand of God, your condition would be much more easy than it is."

I. Compare your condition with that of those in hell--which is where you deserve to be.