Heart
The heart is a muscle at the center of the body that, through contraction
and relaxation, sustains life. When it stops working, we cease to be alive.
Yet a heart is more than an organ that pumps blood. In our culture, as
well as in the Bible, the heart is a metaphor for the most sensitive areas
of our lives, the place from which our passions are aroused and our worst
plans are conceived.
When
we give our hearts to God, we love with all we have. This means we focus
our attentions on him and grow to desire his will for our lives. Sound
impossible? Well, it isn't. When we give our hearts to the Lord, he gives
us the Holy Spirit, who comes to live in our hearts. If we allow the Spirit
to guide us, he will safeguard our hearts against self-destructive sin
and inspire us to serve God and others.
The
Bible uses the heart as a metaphor for what motivates our lives. We are
to protect it from harm.
Psalm 40:8
Proverbs 4:23; 25:20
Isaiah 65:14
Acts 14:17
The number one commandment is to love God with all our hearts.
This means serving him, praising him and striving to learn about him.
Deuteronomy 6:5
Joshua 22:5
1 Kings 8:61
Psalm 9:1
Matthew 22:37-38
Ephesians 5:19
God looks past false exteriors and sees the intentions of the
heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
1 Kings 8:37-40
1 Chronicles 28:9
Luke 16:15
Acts 1:24-25
While we often associate the heart with the greatest love, it
also contains the worst sins.
Exodus 9:34-35
2 Chronicles 36:13
Psalm 14:1
Matthew 5:28; 15:19
The hearts of humankind are naturally wicked and dishonest, but
once we give our hearts to God, he can completely change them.
Jeremiah 17:9
Ezekiel 36:26
Luke 6:45
Ephesians 1:17-18
God has the power to change our hearts and heal the pain they
contain.
1 Samuel 10:9
Ezra 1:5
Psalm 86:11; 147:3
Isaiah 61:1
We're told to apply God's ways to our hearts. By doing so, we
are promised blessings.
Job 22:22
Proverbs 3:1-6
The Holy Spirit lives in our hearts after we give our lives to
God.
Romans 5:5
Galatians 4:6
Part of living a Christian life is focusing our hearts on spiritual
matters.
Matthew 6:19-21
Colossians 3:1-2
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