Welcome to today's reading from the Our Daily Red Devotional.

I'm Kirsten Holmberg, and I titled this encouragement, Protect Your Heart.

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. In Proverbs 4, he instructs his son to guard his heart, because from it, everything else flows.

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. We venture into enemy territory every day, but with God's wisdom

guarding our hearts, we can stay focused on our mission to live well for God's glory.

Today's Our Daily Read Devotional Scripture reading is from Proverbs 4,

verses 20 through 27.

My son,

Pay attention to what I say.

Turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight. Keep them within your heart, for they are life to those who find them and health to one's whole body.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity.

Keep corrupt, talk far from your lips.

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