Scripture Text: KJV
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Jeremiah 17:9–10 (NLT) The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.
The book of Jeremiah was written during one of the darkest seasons in Israel’s history.
God had chosen Jeremiah as His prophet during a time when Judah’s leaders, priests, and people had all drifted far from Him.
They still offered sacrifices and attended temple services, but their hearts were no longer aligned with God’s will.
And that’s a lesson within itself, because there are many people who are going to the Temple, to the Church, but their hearts are far from God’s heart.
Jeremiah’s ministry took place just before the Babylonian exile, in a time when Judah was surrounded by corruption, idolatry, and self deception.
The people said they loved God with their lips, but their actions told a different story.
But God used Jeremiah to expose this hypocrisy.
God raised up Jeremiah to uncover the deception among His people.
It was through Jeremiah, God revealed the true condition of their hearts and exposed what was really going on, and to reveal a powerful truth: and that was that sin doesn’t start in our hands, but it starts in our hearts.
So, when Jeremiah says the heart is deceitful above all things, he’s not just talking about feelings, but he’s talking about the inner nature of humanity, the deep seat of our motives, desires, and will.
The heart of man is self centered by default. We are naturally drawn to what benefits us, not necessarily what glorifies God.
Here it is:
The heart of man says, I want to be seen.
But the heart of God says, I want to serve.
The heart of man says, I’ll forgive them when they apologize.
But the heart of God says, forgive them even while they’re crucifying you.
You see, the heart of man seeks recognition, while the heart of God seeks redemption.
The heart of man says, Me first.
But the heart of God says, others first.
The heart of man holds grudges.
But the heart of God gives grace.
The heart of man looks inward.
But the heart of God looks upward.
I believe that we need to have an examination of the Heart.
In verse 10, God says, I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the motives.
That means you can’t fool God with your performances. You can dress holy, sing holy, shout holy, and even talk holy, but if your motives aren’t pure, God sees the truth.
And just because you think that you are right all of the time, does not make you right all of the time.
Because, God doesn’t judge by appearance; He judges by authenticity.
He doesn’t look at how loud your praise is, but how real your surrender is.
That’s why David prayed in Psalm 51:10, Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Because a dirty heart can’t produce divine results.
Let’s look at the heart of God.
The heart of God is merciful, patient, and consistent.
Where our love runs out, His love runs deeper.
While the heart of man is conditional, the heart of God is covenantal.
God doesn’t love us because we’re perfect, but He loves us because He’s perfect.
When man fell in the Garden of Eden, the heart of man said, Hide.
But the heart of God said, Adam, where are thou.
When man rejected Jesus, the heart of man said, crucify Him.
But the heart of God said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.
When we walk away, the heart of man says, you made your bed, lie in it.
But the heart of God says, I’ll leave the ninety-nine to come find you.
The heart of man gives up. But the heart of God keeps reaching.
The heart of man says, you’re done.
But the heart of God says, You’re delivered.
The heart of man says, that’s impossible.
But the heart of God says, all things are possible.
There was once a sculptor who spent months carving a beautiful statue from stone. Every day he chipped away at it, piece by piece until the figure took shape.
One afternoon, a young boy walked by and asked, how did you know there was a man inside of that rock?
The sculptor smiled and said, I didn’t see the rock, but I saw what was hidden beneath it.
That’s the difference between the heart of man and the heart of God.
The heart of man sees your flaws and says, to man you’re just a rock.
But the heart of God sees your potential and says, there’s purpose in you waiting to be revealed.
Man sees what you are, God can sees what you can become.
If we allow God search our heart, He can also shape your heart.
He’s not just trying to change your habits, but He’s trying to change your nature.
Here it is, Lord, search my heart, and make it like Yours.
Break what’s not like you, and build what honors you.
Because at the end of the day, the goal is not to have a better heart, but it’s to have God’s heart beating inside of us.
Lord, align my heart with Yours.
Teach me to love like you,
Forgive like you, live like you, until my desires reflect Your will, and my heart beats in rhythm with Heaven.
The heart in Hebrew is leb, which refers not just to emotions, but the center of human thought, will, motives, and desires. It’s who we really are on the inside.
Deceitful comes from the Hebrew word ?aqob, meaning crooked, insidious, slippery, or fraudulent. It’s the same root word used for Jacob’s name, meaning supplanter or deceiver.
Desperately wicked (or incurably sick) describes a condition that can’t be fixed by human effort. The heart is spiritually diseased, infected by sin, and beyond self-repair.
The human heart is untrustworthy when it’s not surrendered to God. It can lie to you, justify sin, and disguise selfishness as righteousness.
You might think, I’m doing this for God, but if your heart isn’t pure, it could really be for recognition, pride, or comfort.
That’s why God doesn’t just look at what we do—He looks at why we do it.
Verse 10 God’s Divine Examination
I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Now, the Lord answers His own question: Who can know it?
Only He can truly understand and judge the heart.
Search the heart. God examines the depth of who we are, even the motives we try to hide from others (and ourselves).
It says Try the reins.
Reins, is an ancient term meaning the inner mind or conscience. It’s the control center of our will. God tests what drives us.
And then it says. To give every man according to his ways.
God rewards or disciplines based not just on outward behavior, but on inward intentions and the fruit they produce.
God is the heart inspector. He weighs motives, tests sincerity, and discerns what’s real from what’s religious. No matter how polished our image, He knows the truth of our spiritual condition.
So, this passage reminds us of a vital truth:
The heart of man can only be healed by the hand of God.
We can’t fix our hearts through good deeds or positive thinking.
Only God’s Spirit can transform a deceitful heart into a devoted one.
Only divine a surgery can remove what sin had corrupted.
So, we need to have Self-Examination: Asking God daily, search my heart, Lord. Don’t assume purity, but invite in correction.
Surrender: Let God change our desires, not just your behavior.
Then we need Discernment: Don’t trust every feeling. Measure your emotions and motives against the Word of God.
And then we need Grace: Though the heart is deceitful, God’s grace is deeper. He doesn’t just expose what’s wrong, He restores what’s broken.
