The Word for today:
Proverbs 6, 7
Proverbs 6, 7
So taken was I with Pastor Joe's article yesterday--"how's your heart?"--that I decided to pursue the topic further.
Thus I set out to explore Psalms and Proverbs in search of the heart. I intended to summarize what I found in this article today.
But I found too much heart to summarize. So I'll simply show you what I found and let you synchronize the beat of your heart with the heart of God...
Psalms:
God gives his whole heart.
(The word heart appears in Psalms 125 times.)
God gives his whole heart.
(The word heart appears in Psalms 125 times.)
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. (Psalms 16:9-10)
I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet. (Psalms 22:14-16)
The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever! (Psalms 22:26)
The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. (Psalms 33:11)
I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly. (Psalms 40:10)
Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. (Psalms 69:20-21)
So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. (Psalms 78:72)
My heart is stricken and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread….You will arise and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to favor her, yes, the set time, has come. (Psalm 102:4…13)
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. (Psalm 109:22-27. Verse 25: cf. Psalm 22:7; Jeremiah 18:16; Lamentations 1:12))
He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. (Psalm 147:3-4)
(He knows the stars; He made them. He knows the broken heart; He had one.)
He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. (Psalm 147:3-4)
(He knows the stars; He made them. He knows the broken heart; He had one.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Proverbs:
Give your whole heart to God.
(The word heart appears in Proverbs 81 times.)
Give your whole heart to God.
(The word heart appears in Proverbs 81 times.)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
He also taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands, and live." (Proverbs 4:4)
My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-22)
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23)
My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and call understanding your nearest kin. (Proverbs 7:1-4)
The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil. (Proverbs 15:28)
A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)
Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility. (Proverbs 18:12)
Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin"? (Proverbs 20:9)
The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
(Proverbs 21:1)
(Proverbs 21:1)
My son, if your heart is wise, my heart will rejoice--indeed, I myself. (Proverbs 23:15)
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day. (Proverbs 23:17; cf. Proverbs 9:10)
Hear, my son, and be wise; and guide your heart in the way. (Proverbs 23:19)
My son, give me your heart, And let your eyes observe my ways. (Proverbs 23:26)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Franklyn: How about ACTS 13:22 " I have found David the son of Jesse. A man after my HEART, who will do all my will." It seems to me that GOD blessed David not necessarily for what he did right; but rather for who he sought when he screwed things up. He knew that they could only be rectified by seeking GODS own HEART, thru the HOLY SPIRIT; which is the one thing he always begged not be taken away from him. Perhaps new meaning could be given to the phrase "Have a heart."
ReplyDeleteThat verse has been pivotal to any understanding I've managed to glean from scripture.
ReplyDeleteI once thought 'after' implied a quality, that David was like God. Good for David, but given the facts of David's life, how could that be?
Then I came to realize that 'after' meant (as you've shown) the direction of David's heart/soul--as pictured in Psalm 63:8/KJV: "My soul followeth hard after thee." That's when it became clear to me that God was much more interested in the direction a heart is taking than in its current condition. That was a big biblical breakthrough for me. Later I found that Ezekiel (18:21-24) commented on this principle, showing hearts going in both directions!