“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
(Isaiah 55:10-11)
When God gives, an appropriate response is to honour God by being a good steward over what He has given. Part of that stewardship is cultivating what is given. Then there’s the responsibility to guard what has been entrusted to you.
When someone entrusts you with their most precious possession, your response reveals everything about your character. How much more significant, then, is our responsibility when the One who entrusts us is the Creator of the universe? Scripture repeatedly calls us to guard what God has given us—not out of fear, but from a deep understanding of the incredible value of His gifts and our role as faithful stewards.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23). Solomon’s wisdom cuts straight to the core issue. Our hearts are the wellspring of our actions, decisions, and ultimately our destiny. When God transforms our hearts, He places within us something precious beyond measure—His very nature, His love, His purposes. This isn’t merely an emotional feeling; it’s the essence of who we become in Christ.
Yet how easily we allow our hearts to become cluttered with worldly concerns, bitter disappointments, or competing loyalties. Guarding our hearts means being intentional about what we allow in and what we keep out. It requires the same vigilance a security guard shows when protecting valuable assets.
Paul’s urgent words to Timothy ring with personal intensity: “Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (2 Timothy 1:14). The apostle understood that God doesn’t give us gifts merely for our own enjoyment or advancement. Every gift—whether spiritual, material, or relational—comes with profound responsibility.
Why does Scripture emphasise guarding so strongly? Because we have an enemy who specialises in theft. Jesus warned that “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). Satan’s strategy is often subtle—a gradual erosion of our faithfulness, a slow compromise of our values, a gentle shift in our priorities. Before we realise it, we’ve squandered gifts we once treasured.
This is why Paul instructs us to “be alert and of sober mind” (1 Peter 5:8). Guarding requires active vigilance, not passive hoping.
How do we practically guard what God has given us? Through prayer, community accountability, regular engagement with Scripture, and conscious choices about our time and attention. We guard our faith by exercising it, our relationships by investing in them, our spiritual gifts by employing them in service.
The beautiful promise is found in Philippians 4:7: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” As we faithfully guard what He’s entrusted to us, God Himself becomes our guard.
God gives.
He loves giving. And He loves receiving fruit in the light of what He’s given. That happens when we commit to honour Him, steward what He’s given and cultivate it ensuring we guard it carefully for His glory.
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
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