The heart is the body’s vital organ. But it is also seen as the emotional center of one’s being. The hearts position within our body is a metaphor for the center.
The word Heart occurs approximately one thousand times in the bible, but the range of the meaning is great.
There is the physical heart, the psychological heart, and the spiritual heart.
1. Physical heart - the beating of the muscle within us the implies life. 1 Samuel 25: 37-39 describes a time when Nabal’s heart gave out on him, possibly of a stroke.
In 1 Samuel 25 the verses leading up to Nabal’s death describes how David was in the area of Nabal’s land and by being there when he was on the run from Saul he provided protection for Nabal. David had asked for supply and a gift of animals for this. Of course Nabal treated David like he was nothing but a run away slave. This angered David so he was going to attack Nabal and ensure nothing was left. Nabal’s wife Abigail beg David not to attack her husband and all he owned. Abigail also provided David with what he was asking for. David accepts and sends Abigail on her way with a blessing. Abigail explains what happened to Nabal the next day and he gets angry about the transaction. So in about 10 days Nabal falls dead from a stoke or heart attack.
Here Nabal stood up to the meaning of his name which is FOOL. Doctors are always saying that stress and other things like bitterness affects the body in negative ways. These emotions effect the heart.
2. Psychological Heart
The heart has a lot of influence on our psychological actions. Some of them are:
The heart perceives John 12:40
Understands 1 Kings 3:9 “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.
The heart debates Mark 2:6
Reflects Luke 2:19 Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Remembers Luke 2:51 But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
Expresses a whole list of emotions such as bitterness, anxiety, anguish, sorrow, joy, happiness, affection, lust, stubbornness, hatred, fear, and many more.
But anyone of these are not bad in it’s self but in excess they can be dangerous.
3. Spiritual Heart
The spiritual heart is what I want to focus on today and the heart is especially important when discussing our spiritual well being.
Our Spiritual heart is the seat of our knowledge of God (2 Corn. 4:6) For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Proverbs 27:19 says As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.
With our heart reflecting or revealing us as a man then the old saying What’s in the heart spills out of the mouth.
Psalm 37:30-31 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.” In order to speak with wisdom, we must have God’s words written in our hearts. Are His words indelibly scribed on your heart? Does what we’re about to say contain wisdom from a heart growing to be righteous? If not, maybe it’s best to keep silent.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.
Some people are going around with a sick and dying heart and do not even know that it is.
Share story of person who did not even know they had a 90% blockage in all of there arties until they had a test done for something else and it was discovered.
The same thing can be true with our spiritual heart. We can be going around sick and not even be aware of it.
First we need to have a diagnosis by listening to the Spirit, getting down on our knees with God and ask for him to reveal any sin to us that we have held onto or even recently committed. Some sin has been with us and we have gotten use to it. To the point of not even realizing we are sick with sin. Sometimes it takes a loved one or friend to say hey are you sure everything is OK? or “I really do not think what you are doing is healthy.
Testing and evaluation
Is what usually comes next when you realize something may not be quite right but you are not sure. This is where we really dig in to find out what is wrong.
To start we need to seek God in prayer and in His word. Find a partner that will help you thru you illness. That is why there are support group for sick people, is to help them walk through the situation and when they have made it they help are to help others.
The bible tells us to fellowship together which is just for this reason. Sure the potlucks or blessing like today are good eating but we need to fellowship together in order to build one another up for when we are out in the world. The truth is that to many people have been torn up in the church instead of lifted up.
A commentary of Matthew 5: 17-20 says:
Matthew 5:17
Vs. 17-20: Let none suppose that Christ allows his people to trifle with
any commands of God’s holy law. No sinner partakes of Christ’s
justifying righteousness, till he repents of his evil deeds. The mercy
revealed in the gospel leads the believer to still deeper self-abhorrence. The
law is the Christian’s rule of duty, and he delights therein. If a man,
pretending to be Christ’s disciple, encourages himself in any allowed
disobedience to the holy law of God, or teaches others to do the same,
whatever his station or reputation among men may be, he can be no true
disciple. Christ’s righteousness, imputed to us by faith alone, is needed by
every one that enters the kingdom of grace or of glory; but the new
creation of the heart to holiness, produces a thorough change in a man’s
temper and conduct.
I read this for two reasons.
1. It speaks of obeying God and not leading others to disobey as we may. No matter who we are.
2. A new creation of the heart of holiness will produce a THOROUGH change in a man’s temper and conduct. It does not say partial but THOROUGH change.
Lastly we are prescribed a new diet or exercise program to help our heart. Here is would be a new living.
We do this by :
Listen : God speaks to listeners
Pray for each other: James. 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous
man is powerful and effective.
Ezekiel. 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will
remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of
flesh.
Quotes:
My heart is resting, O my God;
I will give thanks and sing;
My heart is at the secret source
Of every precious thing.
Now the frail vessel Thou hast made,
No hand but Thine shall fill;
For waters of the earth have failed,
And I am thirsting still.
I thirst for springs of heavenly life,
And here all day they rise;
I seek the treasure of Thy love,
And close at hand it lies.
Anon.
Cheerfulness is just as natural to the heart of a man in strong health as
color is to his cheek.
John Ruskin.
