THE HEART

THE HEART

Jeremiah 17:9,10 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.
Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

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

The heart that the prophet and Solomon spoke of is not, of course, the organ that pumps blood through our bodies.

The heart was considered the center of intellect, conscience, and will. The seat of thought and affection.

From the beginning of time we see the it is the nature of people to rebel against a holy God.

Before the flood the Lord made this startling declaration in Genesis 6:5,6:
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.

How sad is verse 6! It touches our hearts as we try to imagine how the Lord felt.

In his book “Old Testament Bible History”, Alfred Edersheim writes,
“This means more than the total corruption of our nature...(it)refers to the universal prevalence of open, daring sin, and rebellion against God.”

And after the flood the Lord said, "...every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.” Genesis 8:21

The question then comes up did people change their ways and started obeying and following the Lord? No! For in just a few chapters after the flood we read about the tower of Babel.

Edersheim points out that the flood destroyed sinners, but not sin!

I recently saw a sign that read “Follow Your Heart”. I got to thinking about that and wondering if that was a good idea especially after reading what the Lord had said about the heart.

“But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart (AND MIND, PHILLIPS), and these are the things that make you ritually unclean. For from your heart come the evil ideas which lead you to kill, commit adultery, and do other immoral things; to rob, lie, and slander others.” Matthew 15:18-19 TODAY'S ENGLISH BIBLE (GOOD NEWS BIBLE)

I don't believe that this list is exhaustive! And to add to our misery Jesus said “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” So much for following the leading of your heart. (Unless, of course, you're following the leading of the Holy Spirit).

The heart is indeed desperately wicked, however, the battle can be won as we rely on the Lord's Holy Spirit. With the Lord as our strength it behooves us then to heed the words of the psalmist.

Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

And consider the prayer of David as he confessed his sins of adultery and murder.
Psalm 51:10 
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.