by: Sandy Domelle
Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” If you did a word study about the heart and your words, you will find that they go hand in hand throughout many verses in the Bible. Why? Because our words affect our heart.
Our heart is a very important organ in our body. When our heart isn’t physically well it becomes weak. Many of you know someone who has had heart surgery and seen how weak they can be. Their heart and body become fragile for a while until they regain strength. Do you know that our heart can also become spiritually weak? When we are spiritually weak, we become fragile.
Just as important as it is for us to do things for our heart to stay physically healthy and well, we have to do things spiritually to keep our heart well. We have to protect our spirit, make sure we are spending time in prayer and reading our Bible, and we need to get preaching. All of these things, plus much more, keeps our hearts right with the Lord.
The condition of our heart either keeps us close to the Lord or pushes us away from Him. That’s why it is so important that we strive daily to spiritually have a healthy heart. When our heart is right with God, we are willing to give him everything and anything.
If you stop and think of your heart right this very minute, is it willing to give God anything? Are you willing to give God your children? What if God wants them to serve Him on the opposite side of the world, in the most remote area and you don’t get to see them but when they take furlough?
Are you willing to give up your desires for what God wants your husband to do? What if God wants your husband to step up and do more? Too many women hold their husband’s back from serving the Lord. You can’t figure out why you’re not happy in life, but it’s because you won’t yield your desires for God’s.
How about your dress standards? When we balk at dressing modestly or not wearing pants, “that which pertaineth to a man,” we are hurting our dear Saviour. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
How about giving your complete all to the Lord? Are you hindering yourself from God using YOU? Maybe if you gave up something, or committed yourself to certain things, your preacher could use you more in the church. Is there anything in your life that is hindering you from doing more for the Lord?
When our heart is right with God, we are willing to give him everything and anything!
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” God tells us to keep our heart “with all diligence.” “Diligence” means, “careful and persistent work or effort.” That’s a powerful verse and God knows that the Devil will do all he can to get our heart and mold it to what he prefers.
That’s why God says the same exact thing in 2 verses in the Bible. Matthew 6:21 and Luke 12:34 say, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The Devil knows that where you put your money, time and children, is where he can wrap your heart into.
Matthew 6:19-20 says, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:” In these verses we see that we’re not to lay up treasures here on Earth, but we’re to lay up treasures in Heaven.
If we are focused on our earthly possessions, a well-paying job, great clothes, a large home or great car, then we are focused too much on the earthly possessions and not on treasures for Heaven.
Women live by sight, so this is an area where we struggle. Lamentations 3:51 says, “Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.” Think about how much time we put into looking good. Think about all the money that is made off women through plastic surgery, weight loss companies, tanning salons, hair salons, cosmetics, pedicures, manicures, clothing, and on the list could go. We can also look at the importance that women put on their homes with the size of the house and decorations. Is there anything wrong with looking our best or having a nice house? No! But, we can’t get so consumed in earthly things or possessions that we are more concerned about our treasures on earth than the treasures we storing up in Heaven.
As a Christian, I want my heart to be buried in the things of the Lord. If I bury my heart into serving the Lord, that’s where I’ll be putting my money/treasure. God mentions many verses on the type of heart we should have.
Clean Heart – Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. We get a clean heart by spending time in God’s Word and prayer. Asking God to forgive our sins, asking Him to create a clean heart in us.”
Fixed Heart – Psalm 57:7, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.” I want my heart fixed on Him so that I don’t stray to the world. The world has a strong pull for our young people, but also for older adults. As parents or leaders, if we don’t have a fixed heart that is grounded, we won’t pull our children and those under us towards the Lord. Your heart will have become so lukewarm because of worldly things that you don’t care if your children serve the Lord as long as they go to church. Do you realize that if your children grow up to “just” go to church and not serve the Lord that your grandchildren most likely won’t end up in church? Get your heart fixed on God.
Merry Heart – Proverbs 15:13, “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” A happy person is the one you want to be around. Look at yourself, are you happy by nature? Do people see your happy side? Some people think they are happy, but they never show it! Smile, be happy and be the one who encourages others.
Wise Heart – Proverbs 16:23, “The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.” A wise heart comes from studying your Bible. Know why you believe what you believe. Teach your children by giving the Scriptures as to why we don’t do things, don’t just tell them we don’t do certain things and expect them to understand.
Understanding Heart – 1 Kings 3:9, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” I’ve learned that an understanding heart has to be a heart that is in tune with the Lord. Reading God’s Word gives me understanding, but I have to ask for it too.
Tender Heart – Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” A tender heart helps us to forgive. If we aren’t forgiving, we often become bitter, bitter with people and God. Pray daily to have a tender heart.
Church is very important. We need to be in church on Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night because we go in for a heart check up. God works on our heart through the preaching so we can fix the issues that are at risk. Our heart condition can only be seen and repaired by the Great Physician. If it’s not dealt with, it can end up in a spiritual death.
Matthew 15:8 says, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” How is your heart condition? Is your heart far from Him? Are you dying spiritually?
Joshua 22:5 says, “But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”