Koschei’s Heart
One of the many things I learned on my trips to Russia was that the Russians have a rich heritage of folklore. Russian parents tell their children different fairy tales than their American counterparts. While delving into these fascinating stories, I encountered one of the most interesting villains I have ever heard about in literature—a wizard known as Koschei the Deathless.
Koschei was driven by his pursuit of immortality. He was terrified of dying and searched for a means by which he could live forever. He achieved his end by casting a spell that removed his heart and hid it in a needle, inside an egg, in a duck, in a rabbit, then locked it in an iron chest, which he buried under an oak tree on an island. In other words, he nested his life source in a series of fail-safes (think of Russian stacking dolls). If someone were able to find the island, they would have to locate the tree under which the chest was buried. If they were able to get to the chest, when they opened it, the rabbit would run. And if, by some unlikely series of events, they were able to catch the rabbit, the duck would fly.
If Koschei’s enemies somehow captured the duck, he would be in trouble. The egg contained the needle which held the heart of his power. If the egg broke, the needle within it would break, forcing hundreds of years of age down upon the wizard in a single instant.
Koschei became ageless and powerful, but he had entrusted his heart to a spell that could not make him happy. He rode solo upon an enchanted horse through the mountains. Witnesses described him as ugly, subhuman. Some called him a monster, some a demon. And everywhere he went, he was haunted with paranoia that someone might discover his secret and bring about his death.
The moral of the story is that we must be careful with our hearts, entrusting them to proper guardians who will care for them.
In Proverbs 23, a parent pleads with his son to be careful with his heart. He knows the heart is the source of the “springs of life” (Prov. 4:23). The condition of the heart determines one 's entire life.
He says, “Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge” (Prov. 23:12). The heart has to be programmed properly or it will lead you astray. First and foremost, it should be filled with the word of God where true wisdom lies.
The parent continues, “My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad” (Prov. 23:15). A parent’s greatest concern should center on the heart of his children. As goes the heart, so goes the child.
He says, “Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day” (Prov. 23:17). It's so easy to be influenced by the world and give your heart over to those who do not walk in the ways of God, thinking that's where happiness lies. But true peace lies in the fear of the Lord.
The parent continues, “Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty and slumber will clothe them with rags” (Prov. 23:19-20). These words are thousands of years old, but they are still relevant. People are still turning to drugs and alcohol as the solution to their problems. They entrust their hearts to these substances only to find slavery instead of freedom.
Another common place where we bury our hearts is in sexual immorality and lust. But the wise man warns his son, “For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well. She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind” (Prov. 23:27-28).
So the wise parent pleads, “My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways” (Prov. 23:26). May God bless the world with more parents who can be entrusted with their children's hearts! This is the Father's plan for keeping young people safe. If they do not have godly parents, where can they turn?
Your heart is the source of all your thoughts, actions, and decisions. Guard it carefully! Do not entrust it to someone or something who doesn't care about you. Too many have given their hearts to the wrong masters. They become less than human. They never get to experience life as it should be fully lived. Only God knows how to take care of your heart. Give it to him. Only then can you become the glorious person you were created to be!
Drew Kizer