Defend your Heart
Deuteronomy 15:10 You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to hm, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.
Deuteronomy 30:17-18 But if you heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish.
Joshua 22:5 Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
1 Chronicles 28:9 ” …. serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if your forsake him, he will cast your off forever….”
Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
Psalm 4:4 Tremble, and do not sin; meditate on your heart upon your bed, and be still SELAH.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Proverbs 4:4 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. SELAH
Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 21:2 A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.
Amos 8:11 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land–not a famine of bread, not a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Our hearts are selfish organs and they want what they want when they want it. Even if the person has learned something they desire is bad for them, that is not always reason enough doe them to not act on the desire to HAVE it. We like immediate gratification and tell ourselves “it’s only once. Won’t be a big deal.” When they follow through with filling their desire, they may or may not feel badly–guilty, ashamed or whatever. And since guilt or shame makes one feel badly, they reassure themselves it was not that big an offense (sin), and they will not repeat it again. Well, until tomorrow or the next day.
We spend so much of our time thinking of what we may want–not necessarily material objects, but we feel hunger and then we want a quick fix–fast food, bakery run, some kind of rapid filling to assuage the urge. But we do that with so many things–clothing we really don’t need, shoes–how many athletic shoes does one need? We over purchase because of something our eyes tell us–‘oh so cute, I want that; oh look how my butt looks in those jeans, oh look at how that sweater makes my eyes standout.’ And on and on we make our excuses.
But our hearts are self centered and filled with desires for something we want, perhaps even think we need. But, without the control of moderation and remembering the Word which reminds us through the Holy Spirit that our priority of need is really our relationship with Him. It leaves a hole within each of us, and we search through a bunch of choices to try to fill that emptiness. We try social media, playing on our phones, searching the internet for whatever idea may flash through our minds, we buy things we don’t need or particularly want once it is at home, and so on. We try to do SOMETHING to fill that void. In the process though, we are not searching in the right place, which is seeking God.
In this day and age, it seems so much more exciting and fulfilling to follow the world and its values. Sadly, people spend more time playing in a band on a Sunday, going to the movies rather than church, taking kids to their various sport activities and never seek God. There are too many other things to do in their busy lives to add one more thing. Afterall, kids sports are important–very costly and important. They NEVER stop to think about the cost of spending eternity in HELL. And I wonder if many think about eternity at all. They are consumed with the busyness of the present and it is now, now and now they are working to succeed–at jobs, at making sure the children do what they are supposed to do, to making sure the children have ALL the activities they want to do. Success is in the form of money, the form of the children’s success-scholastic, sports or dance or whatever. I wonder how many consider the importance of what they are not seeking, or just wondering and running to find how to fill that emptiness.
They fill their hearts with the wrong things–things that don’t matter in the long run. Momentary success, prestige, and praise, but nothing that is eternal. It is frightening and gut wrenching to me that my own family has no knowledge of God and spend their time with other activities rather than seeking what can truly fill their hearts and be lasting. God is eternal and a true relationship with Him is lasting and the most important thing one can seek. But hard to see that when one is trying to get through each day, and not thinking very far into the future. They are in charge of their own destiny. They are unaware that their hearts desire for other things is causing them to sin, and they will be facing a big loss–loss of eternity with Jesus.
People need to be told of Jesus and who He is/was/and will be forever. i continue to pray for those who do not know Him.
Thank You, Jesus for putting people in my life who introduced me to You–and have therefore saved my life. You are responsible for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Have you ever noticed that the narrow road is not crowded but the broad way is?
The door to heaven is open to everyone whose heart is open to God.
Those who live right won’t get left.
Sayings above from The Complete Book of Zingers by Croft M. Pentz, 1990, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois
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