21 For where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life
centers] will be also. --Matthew 6:21
We talk often regarding knowledge of the mind
and understanding of the heart. In long
ago Blogs we have explained this thoroughly in the concept that we understand.
We of the Western world think of the heart as a
physical organ that pumps our life-giving blood in our bodies. Not so in the Biblical sense. The ancient Hebrews understood the heart as a
physical part of our bodies but far more they understood the heart is the very
soul of a person. All things thought or
done comes from the heart. The Heart is the Center of Hidden
Emotional-Intellectual-Moral Activity. "Man looks at the outward
appearance, " says Samuel, "but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Sam16:7).
The heart's reasoning, as well as
its feeling, depends on its moral condition.
If we think bad or evil things our mouth speaks what is in our hearts
(Mark 7:21; Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45). For instances if one has unforgiveness in
their heart, the mouth speaks it though the one speaking may not mention the thing that
they do not have forgiveness. What folks
do not realize the hatred, resentment, and revenge shows in an outwardly way.
Our emotional state of the heart
affects us in the rest of our person.
Proverbs 15:13 says it well. “A heart full of
joy and goodness
makes a cheerful face, but when a heart is full of sadness
the spirit is crushed.” Proverbs 17:22 says “A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes
healing, but a broken spirit dries up the
bones.”
Our heart thinks (Matthew 9:4;
Mark 2:8), it remembers, and meditates (Psalm 77:5-6; Luke 2:19). God made our hearts to understand, to discern
and give us insight. An understanding
heart cannot be separated from our morals.
We intercede for those in our prayers to have eyes that see and ears to
hear. What we see and hear we take into
our heart unless we have the power of the Holy Spirit to reject what is wrong
or evil in God’s sight. James 1:5 says to
ask for wisdom in our circumstances and it will be given to us. James 1:6 says we must ask in faith without
doubting.
To be in God’s Will our heart
must be pure and clean (Psalms 51:10).
We must have a heart that is receptive to God’s Word and His direction
to live as we are purposed in our Mother’s womb. The Holy Spirit teaches us to discern,
understand, the statutes and God’s guidance to live a life in Jesus.
Our mouth reveals what is in our
heart, the ear determines what we receive in our heart. In Proverbs 2:2-6 says “So that your ear
is attentive to [skillful and godly] wisdom and apply your heart to
understanding . . . “. With the power of the Holy
Spirit we have wisdom and with that wisdom we understand the knowledge of the glory God (Habakkuk 2:14). We cannot have a pure and clean
heart without the power of the Holy Spirit to teach us an understanding heart.
God gave us the greatest commandment:
“and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all
your soul (life), and with all your mind (thought, understanding), and with all your strength’ (Mark 12:30) If we do this, we understand
the fullness of God’s love for us.
Thank you. This is very good, as always
ReplyDeleteThank you James, you are special!!
ReplyDeleteCharlsey, very insightlful. I especially like what you say about the reasoning of the heart being dependent on our moral condition. That healthy moral condition then is dependent on having "the mind of Christ." Phil 2, Romans 12
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bill, for your comment and thank you for your insight into our writings.
ReplyDelete