Protect Your Heart 保守你心
Dexu Xia
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23
Hungarian-born mathematician Abraham Wald lent his skills to the World War II efforts after coming to the United States in 1938. The military was looking for ways to protect its aircraft from enemy fire, so Wald and his colleagues at the Statistical Research Group were asked to figure out how to better protect military aircraft to defend against enemy fire. They began by examining returning aircraft to see where they were most damaged. But Wald is credited with the keen insight that damage on returning aircraft represented only where a plane could be hit and still survive. He realized that areas most in need of additional armor would be found on planes that had crashed. Planes hit in the most vulnerable part—the engine—had gone down and therefore couldn’t be examined.
Solomon teaches us about protecting our most vulnerable part—our heart. He instructs his son to “guard [his] heart” because from it everything else flows (Proverbs 4:23). God’s instructions guide us through life, steering us away from poor decisions and teaching us where to focus our attention.
If we armor our heart by heeding His instructions, we’ll better “keep [our feet] from evil” and remain steadfast on our journey with God (v. 27). We venture into enemy territory every day, but with His wisdom guarding our hearts, we can stay focused on our mission to live well for God’s glory.
By: Kirsten Holmberg
What is your heart most vulnerable to right now? How can God’s wisdom protect you?
God, please protect my heart from the threats against it. I hide myself in You.
你要保守你心，胜过保守一切，因为一生的果效，是由心发出。—箴言4章23节
匈牙利籍数学家亚伯拉罕 · 沃德（Abraham Wald）于1938年移居美国后，在二战中贡献了他的专长。当时，美国军方想方设法要保护美国战机免受敌军的炮击，因此要求沃德和他在统计研究团队里的同僚计算要如何加装钢板，使战机能更有效地防御炮火的攻击。一开始，军方的作法是检视返回的战机，查看哪个部位受损最为严重。但沃德凭藉着他敏锐的洞察力，指出这些战机虽然中弹受损但仍能幸存。他认为最需要加强防护的部位仅能从坠毁的战机上找到。显然地，战机最脆弱的部位就是引擎，一旦引擎被击中就会坠机，当然无法顺利返回，更不必提检视了。
所罗门王教导我们要保护身上最脆弱的部位，也就是我们的心。他告诫他的儿子要保守己心，因为一切皆由心发出（箴言4章23节）。上帝的教诲能引导我们的一生，带领我们避开错误的决策，并教导我们应该把注意力放在何处。
若我们藉着听从上帝的教导，加强防护自己的心，就越能使我们的“脚离开邪恶”，并且持续坚稳地与上帝同行（27节）。我们每天都会进入危机四伏的敌人阵营，但只要以上帝的智慧保守我们的心，我们就能遵行上帝的旨意，活出荣耀祂的生命。
作者： 洪可婷
你的心目前最无法抗拒的是什么呢？
上帝的智慧如何保守你？
上帝，求祢保守我的心免受一切伤害，
我要藏身在祢怀中，坚定地倚靠祢