The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to the fruit of his deeds. Jeremiah 17:9-10 ESV
The heart is a vital organ. We need it to work to stay alive. When you read the word heart in the Bible, you need to understand it’s not referring to the bodily organ. The word heart in the Bible refers to the mind and soul. It encompasses who we are and how we treat others.
Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. When we say someone does something wholeheartedly, we mean they put their heart into it or give it all they have.
So often, we hear people say, “Follow your heart.” NO! Jeremiah warns against this in our Scripture passage for today. Our hearts are deceitful. We can’t trust them. We have to love God with all our hearts and trust Him.
If your heart, meaning the vital organ that pumps blood through your body was causing you to suffer, you would probably be calling an ambulance or going to the nearest emergency room. You would at least make an appointment to see your doctor.
Why then do we fail to do anything when we have trouble with our spiritual hearts? Why are we willing to let these problems drag on? Perhaps it’s because when our physical hearts aren’t working properly, they cause our bodies to suffer. It can be very painful and cause us a great deal of discomfort.
When our spiritual hearts don’t work as God calls them to, it feeds the flesh. When we feed the flesh, we sin but sin feels good for a little while. This is why we are so easily enticed to do it. It looks good, it tastes good, and it feels good at least temporarily. But then, it too, causes us to suffer.
Today, I want you to give yourself a checkup where your heart is concerned. We know God searches our hearts. Is he pleased with what He sees? What is God looking for when He looks at our hearts? David was well suited to answer this as he was considered to be a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).
David sinned with Bathsheba and was heartbroken over the sins he had committed. He wrote this in Psalm 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Our hearts should be broken over our sins. Then and only then will we truly repent. We must humble ourselves before God. Our Spirits must be broken so we no longer rebel against God, but humbly submit to Him.
Once our hearts are broken and we surrender to God, then we can have peace in our lives and unending joy. We can rest in His shelter (Psalm 91:1).
God wants us to have a heart of compassion for others, even our enemies. I have struggled with that one over the years. That whole love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you was hard to do. I had to pray for God to help me with that one and He did. I noticed the more I prayed the more he turned my heart from hatred to compassion. He will gladly do the same for you if you are struggling in that area. I still have to call on Him to help with this at times.
God tells us not to hold on to things like bitterness, anger, and wrath because He knows these things are to our hearts like poison is to our bodies. He knows they are not good for us.
Focus on Him. Love Him with all your heart. If your heart is filled up with love for your Lord and Savior, there is less room for the bad things. Trust in Him today. Show your trust by being obedient.
Our Scripture passage tells us that God searches our hearts and tests our minds. He will be doing regular checkups. Be sure that you are taking good care of your heart so God will be pleased with what he sees.
Have a great day!