The Heart of the Matter
A few years ago I sat at my computer asking God about my Heart. Heart occurs over 800 times in scripture. Any time I would read about it, I was trying to wrap my mind around this concept. Clearly we all have a heart that beats inside of us, but what is the bible referring to??? I was trying to understand the true meaning.
Paul Tripp states “Our inner man- mind, emotion, will, soul, spirit- all of these terms are collected into one big basket term called The Heart. The heart is the control center, the center of our emotions, cognitions and desires. It is the steering wheel of the human being."
If the heart is what steers us most, I think it is critical for us have a true understanding of our hearts and what scripture tells us about our hearts.
“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. “ Ezekiel 36:26
Our hearts is the starting place for spiritual life because God removes our hearts of stone and gives us a heart of flesh. Scripture tells us that God can stir hearts, fill them with wisdom, turn our hearts to His ways and He can circumcise our hearts. We can seek knowledge with our hearts and our hearts have the capability to trust. We are also promised that a pure heart can see God! (Matthew 5:8) Our hearts can also be troubled, wounded, pierced, grieved and even broken.
“The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
A person’s character is determined by their motives and motive is always a matter of the heart. It is thoughts and intents of the heart that shape a person’s life. It is the dwelling place of our true beliefs. It is the connecting point when it comes to God. No wonder God encourages us to seek Him with ALL of our hearts.
“Then {with a deep longing} you will seek Me and require Me {as a vital necessity} and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all of your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (AMP version)
So what does it mean to seek God with ALL of your heart? Well in other words, to find God you must look with all your heart (mind, emotions, will, soul and spirit). It is essential to be intentional with our minds and the affections of our hearts. To hear His voice, you must listen with your heart. To love Him you must love with all of your heart. You cannot be the person God meant for you to be and you cannot live the life He meant for you to live unless you are in-tune with your heart and hand it over to Him. It is not perfection that God seeks- it is a heart that longs to please Him, a heart that abides in Him.
“Let all that I am praise the Lord, with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name” Psalm 103:1
Take time today to sit quietly before the Lord. Let your attention and affections be centered on God.
Let all that I am seek the Lord… and when I do… I am sure to find Him.
Comments