Click to Listen to Damon’s Livin In Limbo

As the gold gets hotter the intense heat causes the dross (the impurities) to rise to the top.  At the very moment when the heat is at it’s peak, the goldsmith scrapes the dross from the top of the ladle and the gold becomes far more pure and of much greater value.  He repeats this process over and over until the gold reaches the purity he desires.  I believe that this is the same method God uses on us to make us more valuable.

Think about it, every time we go through a great hardship we become much stronger.  As for me, I’m absolutely miserable when God has me in His refiners fire. The pain of the flame is almost unbearable.  If God ever stops cooking me, putting me through these hardships, then I guess that means He’s finished with me.  I’m as good as I’m going to get.

I confess that when I am going through these hardships I want Him to stop.  However, when I search deep into my spirit I realize that I’m becoming more and more pure and I will become not only more valuable to God, but also to you!

King Solomon, heralded by some as the wisest man in history, has taught me a lot.  He was indeed a very wise man.  Remember the baby he proposed to be cut in half?   But that’s another story.

Here is my thought for today: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the well-spring of all life.”  Proverbs – Chapter 4:28
That makes a lot of sense to me, but how do we do that?  Where do we begin?
We must first know our own heart.  The better we know our heart, the easier it is to protect it.Our hearts, like our bodies, continue to grow throughout life.  Our desire, our value, our understanding of life comes from the heart.  I can’t tell you about your heart, so I will tell you about mine.

My heart’s desires are to live a life of love, respect, music, honor, and joy. My values come from Jesus Christ who tells us we are to love others as we do ourselves. My understanding comes from my years of life – my experiences – and most of all, by listening. Many of my desires became my goals – many times I’ve reached my goals, but often times I failed.

My values have cost me some fame and fortune, as often times the price of fame and fortune came at the expense of my values.  I confess that I have often given in to temptation and turned from my values, but never has this brought me any lasting joy.

It  may have felt good at the time, but every time I have turned from my values, my joy has been brief, and my character corrupted.  I did not Guard My Heart.
More often however, especially later in life, I stood fast to my values.  What joy that brought me.  Not momentary joy, but real, lasting joy.  I now have learned how to Guard My Heart, and it all began with getting to know my own heart.
I will have more insight to share with you next time.

Click on the audio player to hear Damon sing “Guard Your Heart”