The Heart

Every time we hear phrases like “I love you with all my heart” and stuff like that. I thought about it and a verse came to me. Its Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” It says that our heart is deceitful and there is no cure for it. Even we can’t understand it. Jesus also said that its what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. Check out these verses from Mark.

Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.' " Mark 7:15.

For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' " Mark 7:21-23

From these verses, we can see that the heart is not a very nice place. Look at the ‘stuff’ that come from it! Evil thoughts, greed, deceit,…the list goes on. The word ‘heart’ can mean a few things besides our physical pumping heart. It refers chiefly to our feelings and our thoughts. Here, in Mark, I think it refers to thoughts that breed in our heart.

You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. Matthew 12:34

In the verse above, Jesus also said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. So, from here its clear that the heart is far from good. It is a breeding place for evil thoughts like those stated above which in turn changes into actions when it is full grown. The underlined portion of the verse below reinforces this point.

rebellion and treachery against the LORD,
turning our backs on our God,
fomenting oppression and revolt,
uttering lies our hearts have conceived. Isaiah 59:13

This is what our hearts became because of sin: corrupted and vial.

Then what about the verse that says we must love the Lord with all our heart?

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' Matthew 22:37

How can we love a pure, holy and awesome God with a heart that is so deceitful? It is not an optional commandment…It’s part of the greatest commandment! We are called to love God with all our heart! Note that before the Fall, man was perfect and could love God with a pure heart but things were different after the Fall. That’s why Jesus Christ had to come and die for our sins and cover our hearts with the blood of Christ so that we may come before God. Without such forgiveness and cleansing, how can we even stand in His presence?

We stand before God purely by His grace and mercy. With our hearts cleansed before God only can we love him with all our heart as well as love our neighbour as ourselves. That’s why we are commanded to love God with ALL our heart. He deserves our all after what He has done on the cross to sanctify and purify our hearts so that we can have a close relationship with Him.

Happy New Year!!!.....a bit late:P

hehe. Happy New Year 2007!!! yeah..a bit late but better late than never right..? hehe. Was having exams so not free to write here. i will try to update as much as i can. hehe.

So...a new year to look forward to. What is going to happen? I don't know. Sometimes it feels like walking into a dark tunnel where one can't see your own hand in front. Sometimes makes me feel curious to ask, "What has God have on that blueprint of his..?". But being the well meaning Father he is, i am sure he has got a reason for not letting me have a peek. :P

Through this, i feel God is training me to trust him more. Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding". Notice the word 'all'....it's not 'some' or 'part' but 'all'. Kinda hard to do that but God has given us his Holy Spirit to help us in our weaknesses. Through situations and circumstances, i have come to realise that God has a purpose for everything...even if it is not obvious at first (frustrating at times). This helps me to trust Him even more because God lets something happen for a purpose and doesn't simply allow it for no reason.

So....yeah....like that lor. hehe. Happy New Year again!!!! Have a blessed year 2007 ahead!


Solis Deo Gloria!!

Ian


Bible Verses...enjoy! :p

Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Matthew 10:29
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny ? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.