|
THE HEART
God's Vehicle for Change
"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are
the issues of life."
- Proverbs 4:23
Oftentimes when we are talking about our heart we use it as a way of describing our spirit. Man is essentially spirit. He has a soul and he lives in a body. But the heart of man is more than just the physical organ in his body. Just as the mind is far more than the physical organ we call the brain. Both are part of the eternal side of man that will never die.
Jesus said, "Out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). The belly is a term also used to describe the heart or spirit of man. It is the center or core of his being. Proverbs calls it the "inward parts of the belly" (Pro. 20:27). Actually there are several different concepts that might help us understand more about what the heart of man is. When we talk about something being very meaningful to us and has our full attention, we might say, "We are giving it our all" or "We are putting our whole heart into it." The idea implies we are putting the deepest part of our being into it. The heart can also mean the basic, fundamental aspect of a thing. For instance, we might refer to it as the "heart of reasoning" or "getting to the heart of the matter." There is also this thought: "She spoke from her heart," or "She showed us how big her heart was in her giving," implying that a person's sincerity and generosity are true expressions of the heart.
What is so important for us to understand about the heart is that it carries the full weight of our person. Proverbs twenty-three says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Pro. 23:7). What you think in your head does matter alright, but what you think in your heart matters more. It is what makes you who you are! That is why the heart of man was and is the target for change in the redemptive plan of God! Jesus didn't come to create in us a new mind or a new body. He came to create in us a new heart! (Ezekiel 36:26). If we ever expect there to be a change within our mind or body, we must first address the need for change within our heart.
When we give our whole heart
to God and allow him to move
our heart, then we will see things change, even supernatural changes that are beyond our natural ability.
Jesus gave us the parable of the "sower and the seed" (Mark 4:14-19). He spoke of four different kinds of soil. Each one represented the heart of man. In other words, the heart was the production center of man's being. What he does in his heart is what determines the fruit of his life! "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh" (Luke 6:45).
The heart is really what drives everything. There are potentials that lie within every one of us that only the heart can awaken. It is the most capable part of our being. Jesus said, "Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith" (Mark 11:23). There are endless possibilities that all rest upon what we do with our heart, and what our heart is capable of believing.
Think about how much of the miracles that Jesus did came about because his heart was moved with compassion (Matt. 9:36, 14:14, 20:34; Mark 6:34; Luke 7:13). Both Paul and John wrote in their letters about "bowels of compassion," or "bowels of mercies." These are characteristics of the heart being moved upon by the Holy Spirit. When we give our whole heart to God and allow him to move our heart, then we will see things change, even supernatural changes that are beyond our natural ability. That is why it is so important that we keep our heart and live to serve God with all our heart, because it is the heart that becomes God's vehicle for change. It is the most significant part of our lives that needs changing, and when God changes our heart, then we have the means of helping to bring change to everything that concerns us and most importantly, what concerns the heart of God.
PRAYER
Father, I thank you for changing my heart. I thank you for giving me a new heart. Help me today to let my heart feel what you feel, so that I can do what you would do in every situation I face. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
CONFESSION
I purpose in my heart to reach deep within and let God shape my life the way he wants to shape it. I will put all my heart in my relationship with God and my fellowman. I will listen to my heart. I will follow my heart. I will believe with all my heart to see God's mighty hand move in every area that becomes a heart matter in my life.
DEFINING MOMENTS...
Jesus said, "For wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:21). What is it you treasure today? In other words, what holds your attention, what has your interest, what is it that you see as valuable enough that you are willing to put your time and effort into it? Is it your job, your family, your possessions? All of these are important, but what is most important is treasuring the presence of God, the life of God, the will of God, and serving God! When these things become your treasure, then be assured they will become the character of your life, which can and will impact change in you and through you to the glory of God!
In His Grace,
Pastor David
Faith Harvest Church
| 
