Our heart is the seat where decisions are conjured and ultimately executed. Before we implement a decision in the natural; that decision would have already been processed in our hearts before being implemented in our hearts, hence the scripture says “watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life.” This verse of scripture is saying; one’s life begins from the heart; the heart is not where the blood vessels are pumping, instead it is at the centre of everything we do. Hear how the Greek defines the heart for us; the Greek meaning for heart is kardia – denoted as the “seat of physical, spiritual and mental life” or “in the sense of being interior or central.” In other words folks, everything begins with the heart and ends with the heart. Remember the scripture says, “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” In other words, what abounds in your heart to overflowing is what will spill out, so we have to keep a watch and a guard over our hearts. Are you aware there is constant warring in our members, and the whole essence is to get our hearts attention? Whatever captivates our hearts, is where we would tend to drift towards. If you are captivated by a heart filled with gratitude, it would be expressed on the outside, and if your heart is captivated by pain and sorrow, it will likewise express itself outwardly either through anger, un-happiness or even a bad attitude, and once our attitude is wrong, then the ability to have the right perspective becomes harder, and ultimately locks us into a place where we do not want to be. Watch this, the condition of our heart affects the entirety of our person. Scripture says “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.” Read Proverbs 5:13. “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22.
Scripture says “our ears are anointed to hear, eyes, blessed to see.” Likewise, the heart is meant for perception, discernment and insight. The Alexandrian Jewish scribes translated into Greek about 200 BC, the Hebrew text of Proverbs 2:10 “For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.” Saying when a person lacks insight, the Hebrew speaks of a “lack of heart.” Further buttressing my point, what comes out of your mouth reveals what is in your heart. A father’s advice to his son in Proverbs 2:1-2 reads thus “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, how does this happen? By turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding. Folks, it is a matter of the heart. Now I see what the verse of scripture is saying, ultimately, wisdom, understanding, comprehension and insight comes from storing God’s word in our hearts, after all scripture says “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and Holy, and He freed us from sin.” 1 Corinthians 1:30. Remember the verse of scripture in Proverbs 4:7 “The beginning of wisdom is this, get wisdom, though it cost all you have, get understanding.” Understanding comes from a refreshed and renewed heart, it comes from a heart fully immersed and established on the word of God. Hear my heart on this folks, the ability to make the right decision already exists within us; you say how? “Christ in you…”, however, the question now is, are we willing to embrace truth and make our decisions in the light of the truth (God’s word?) Selah.
If a heart is not prepared to gain understanding, then what could be a consequence or an implication of an untrained or un-educated heart? Scripture says this is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: “Break up your unploughed ground, and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, circumcise your hearts…” In other words, breaking up the fallow grounds of our hearts comes when we circumcise our hearts to the Lord. Breaking up, speaks of some level of preparation and readiness, it speaks of weeding, clearing, sanitization or even the use of chemicals to kill every weed as possible existing on the land. Planting seeds on acres of land requires thorough land preparation as you can imagine. Without any level of preparation; if the seed is planted, what do you think will happen? The seeds will not see the light of day let alone produce any shoot or bud; and eventually the seeds die off. Recall the bible saying “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it.” Read Jeremiah 17:9. Let me say this emphatically, once you are born again and a child of God, your heart is regenerated, so this verse of scripture does not and will never apply to you again. What Gods does is; He excises the old heart and puts a brand new one in, this is the truth folks, a heart surgery is done and a new one replaces the old one. Now the new heart requires substance for it to thrive; and that substance is the word of God, consequently the scripture says “I will give them hearts that recognize me as the Lord. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly.” Jeremiah 24:7.
There is a lot more insight to come, so look out for the next post. And by the way, I read these posts like a first timer; and it helps me a great deal, because it also challenges me the way I hope it challenges you too, so we are in this together, what you and I know in part is made whole by the revelation and insight coming from God’s word.
We write You read Be encouraged.
Kolumns 