Picture Scripture- Week 5 Body (Heart)
Picture: Body (heart)
Scripture: Jeremiah 17:9; Jeremiah 24:7; Jeremiah 32:38-41; Psalm 86:11-13
If someone were to you ask you where your heart is located, you may say that it’s centered in the chest (and slightly offset to the left). What if someone asked you the purpose of your heart? You may say to pump blood throughout your body. What would your answer be to the question, “What makes your heart beat?” Maybe your answer would be something about... The electrical activity of the atria and ventricles working together, to pump blood (or just maybe you would say different emotions like love, panic, etc). We may take it for granted, but our heart is a vital organ to your body that we can’t live without and we must take care of it.
Today, though, we focus on our scripture that shows us that the human heart, left to himself, is evil, treacherous and deceitful. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” When we live for us and continue to ignore God’s will, our heart and lives become quite messy. In His grace, God can create a new heart within us and renew a right spirit (Psalm 51:10). Our heart, encompasses our thoughts, feelings, and desires, not just our emotions. If our hearts believe in God, as they are designed to, then God saves us and leads our hearts to exceeding joy (Psalm 43:4). He can transform our hearts into something beautiful.
If you want to get to know more about how God’s heart beats and what His desires are for His children, try calling out to Him every day, being deep in His Word and abiding in Him. Pray in-line with His desires for you. Having a heart for God is critical to your relationship with our Father. One of my favorite devotional books that focus’ on getting to know our God in a more intimate way is the Heartbeat of God written by our very own, Chris Baxter. With these daily readings and prayers You will truly grow deeper in your relationship with God and understand more about His everlasting heartbeat.
(Book: http://a.co/d/hwSIOk4)
Close your eyes and be quiet for just a minute. Can you feel your heart beating? Are your thoughts, feelings and desires lining up with God’s thoughts, feeling and desires in His Word? Or, is your heart beating to the tune of your own drum?
Lastly, think about the purpose of your heart and how you take care of your it. Do you just take care of it physically by exercising, eating right, managing your stress, etc. or Do you take care of it spiritually as well?
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23).
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the heart you placed inside of me. Thank you for letting me hear and feel YOUR heartbeat, truth and hope when I cry out to you in repentance for the times I don’t use my heart as You intended. I ask that You transform my desires into Yours so that I will desire and ask You for what is really best for me. Let my desires be Yours. Let my heart beat like Your heart beats and break when Your heart breaks. I want to know you so intimately that our hearts beat collectively. I want to praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever (Psalm 86:12).
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnqb7Vn4AEE
