SURRENDERED HEART

What comes to mind when you hear the word “heart?” Usually we think of things like “my achy breaky heart” or "heart medicine" or "heart surgery", in other words, that blood pumping muscle in the middle of our chest that keeps us alive. In the Bible, a person’s heart is much more than simply a vital internal organ delivering blood all the way through the body. The heart is seen as the center, the core of a person. If you conduct a search of the word “heart” in the Bible you will discover it is used 832 times. Jesus says pure hearts will see God (Mt. 5:8), and that our heart tells the mouth what to say (Mt. 12:34). Jesus also says in Matthew 15:19 and Mark 7:21 that the evil you do comes from your heart which breaks the heart of your loving God. Just a brief study of this word in the Bible reveals that the heart is the foundation of the decisions that you make. Those decisions either honor God or move you further from Him. That’s why the Bible emphasizes over and over again the importance of "guarding your heart". The condition of your heart is extremely important to determine where you stand in relationship with God. “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

The Lord said, "These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me”—Isaiah 29:13. God wants to direct your habits. Jesus wants to influence your decisions. The Holy Spirit wants to guide your thoughts. God wants to guide every aspect of your life. Those statements are true, but do you know what He wants the most? Your heart! It is in your heart where God wants to make the greatest impact. You see, you can try to clean up your habits and life by your own will power and, some instances, your effort might pay off. You might do the things that "good Christ-followers do" and think to yourself that God is pleased with you. Well, what really pleases God is for your heart to be His! It is not your habits or lifestyle that ultimately pleases God. God is pleased when He has YOUR WHOLE HEART! You can honor God in all kinds of ways and still withhold that which He wants the most—your heart! Surrender to Him all of your heart today!

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