May 15, 2021

May 15, 2021

Breastplate of Righteousness

When I think of a breastplate, I think of a baseball catcher. Part of a catcher’s equipment is a padded vest that covers his chest. It protects him. It keeps a 100mph fastball from hitting his bare chest, which could do tremendous damage to his organs, especially his heart.

A breastplate did the same thing for a soldier. It was a steel covering that protected the chest, kept safe vital organs like the heart, lungs, and kidneys.  It kept an arrow, spear, or sword from penetrating the heart.

It is important for a man of God to protect their heart. The book of Proverbs emphasizes why we must protect our hearts.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. -Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

We need to protect our hearts. But why with righteousness? Righteousness simply means being or doing what is right. You live your life with integrity.  We live a pure and holy life.

We need to put on right living. We were declared righteous before God the moment we are saved. But it is our job to continue living a holy and righteous life. We need to make sure we guard our heart by watching what we allow to influence our heart. We must not allow the wrong people, the wrong viewing habits, the wrong speech habits, the wrong actions, anything contrary to the word of God, to settle into our hearts and cause us to fall into temptation or sin. We wear a righteous lifestyle to guard our hearts and keep it pure and holy before God.

Memory Verse:

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. -Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

New International Version (NIV)

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