This has been my favorite Bible verse for many years now. Volumes of books could be written about this single Scripture passage, of what it means and the implications. The Holy Bible has much to say about the wicked human heart. ...
Jeremiah 17:9-11, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.”
Never trust the man who trusts himself! Jesus said concerning the heart...
Matthew 15:16-20, “And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”
Matthew 12:34, “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
As you can see dear friend, the heart is a very important matter. Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” When the Bible speaks of the human “heart,” God is not referring to the beating muscle protected under your ribcage; but rather, to the subconscious part of our mind in our physical brain.
Man Was Created In God's Threefold Image
We are created in the threefold image of God our Creator. The Godhead is comprised of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Colossians 2:2; 1st John 5:7 - note: all Scripture citations are only from the inspired King James Bible).
Sting has it right, we are all human spirits. What saith the Scripture? 2nd Corinthians 5:1, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” I love this Bible passage. The “earthly house of this tabernacle” refers to our physical human body. The Bible teaches that when our human body is no longer functional and able to provide housing for our soul and spirit, we have an eternal house in Heaven, not made with hands.
I admit that I cannot fully explain what this verse means. We will not receive our immortal body until the Rapture (1st Corinthians 15:51-58). So what happens now when we die? Will we as saints have some type of a temporary surrogate body in Heaven? I simply do not know. As we just read in 2nd Corinthians 5:1, when we die and go to Heaven, we have an “eternal” house not made with hands. A house that we live in on earth is made of wood, concreate, glass, et cetera. But this verse is about our fleshly human body, our temporary earthly “tabernacle.”
2nd Corinthians 5:8, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” This verse disproves the heresy of Soul Sleep (the false teaching of such cults as Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists, that says when we die our body sleeps in the grave until a future resurrection). As we just read from the Bible, to be absent from the human body is “to be present with the Lord.”
I do not know if the saints in Heaven have physical bodies. But consider that Abraham did have a physical body in Luke 16:19-31. Jesus ascended into Heaven with His physical immortal glorified body (Acts 1:11). Jesus resurrected as the firstfruits of them that slept. That is, of them that died (1st Corinthians 15:20). By “firstfruits” the Bible simply means that Jesus was the first person to resurrect in His glorified, immortal, perfect, eternal body. Many saints were resurrected before Jesus (e.g., Lazarus, saints raised up when Jesus died on the cross, et cetera), but they weren't raised up in their immortal body; but rather, their earthly mortal flesh. That is why they all eventually died again. Jesus raised up Lazarus from the dead, but Lazarus died eventually. Jesus was the first, and so far the only one, who has been raised up in His immortal body (Philippians 3:21).
Mankind is also created in God's threefold image in that we have a mind to think, a heart to feel and a will to decide. Ecclesiastes 12:7, “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
Keep Thy Heart With All Diligence
I listen to Bible preaching in fair weather. I do that intentionally because I know when the storms of life come I won't feel like listening to sermons. When the carpet of life is pulled out from under our feet, and grief fills our soul, our minds become broken for a time. Any wise person knows that you should prepare before the hurricane comes, not wait until the last minutes when the storm winds are blowing, the rain is gushing down, and it is dangerous to go outside because of flying debris. The time to prepare is long before the storm arrives.
Likewise, most Christian believers wait until the storms of life come, and then they are ill prepared to cope with the storm. I study the Bible and listen to Bible preaching during fair weather, laying up spiritual supplies for when the storm comes. I believe that is part of what the Bible means in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” We maintain our automobiles. We maintain our physical health. We maintain our fireplaces, barbecues, air-conditioning units, septic tanks and finances; but yet we fail to maintain our heart.
A Christian friend recently came up to me at church. She reminded me of something that someone did last year to hurt me. I kindly told her that I didn't want to think about that, because if I choose to focus on it I will become bitter, and I don't want to be a bitter Christian. I forgave the person who hurt me. It is over. God will deal with that person if it needs to be dealt with (Romans 12:19). But I am not going to hold grudges, thinking about the things people have done to hurt me in the past, sulking in bitterness all the time. That is a miserable way to live! I choose to live above the clouds, where the Son is always shining. So many people live below the clouds where it rains, and is gloomy and stormy.
What we choose to think about throughout the day determines our mood, attitude and soul's condition. That is why the Apostle Paul exhorts every believer to do this...
Philippians 4:8-9, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
This is not brainwashing, it is keeping thy heart with all diligence. What we think about shapes our attitude, habits and overall mindset. If you are a miserable person, it is only because you have developed a habit of focusing on the wrong things, which has consequently led to thinking negative, bad and depressing thoughts all the time. If this is you, then you probably feel like you are beyond hope, worthless and a loser.
So, what do you do? The way out of depression is a slow process, but you start by picking something in your life to praise God for. It could be anything! Just find something good in your life, for which you are thankful to God, and praise Him for it. Then pick something else that you are thankful for. In time, if you keep doing this throughout each day, you will cultivate a good habit of praising God for the good instead of complaining all the time about the bad.
Numbers 11:1, “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.” God doesn't like complainers! The Hebrews whom God through Moses led out of Egypt, wandering in the Wilderness for 40 years. They complained continually and it displeased and angered the Lord. After complaining for the tenth time, the Lord decided that no one 21 years of age or older would enter into the Promised Land. Their complaining doomed them!
I have known umpteen Christians who became their own worst enemy. Instead of praising God for the blessings in their life, they chose to focus upon the problems in their life. They chose to focus on their bills piling up, health issues and marital problems. By doing so they created an inescapable pit of misery for themselves. That is not a life of faith in God. It is in our carnal sinful nature to be miserable, to think negative and complain. But that is not the way God desires for us to live each day.
I decided a long time ago that I am going to thank and praise God continually for the blessings in my life. I'm not going to complain about the constant neck pain, emotional suffering and major losses in my life. There's not a bite of food that goes into my mouth that I don't thank God for. I also thank God for my remaining health, being able to enjoy the food that I eat. Nothing irritates me more than to see a spoiled rich person stuff delicious food into their mouth, while denying that God exists. What wickedness!!! You don't deserve God's goodness, and neither do I. Psalms 145:9, “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”
Have you been diligently keeping your heart dear reader? Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Do you spend time in God's Word? Do you listen to Bible preaching? Do you walk with God? One of the great joys in my life is continually knowing that my name is written in Heaven. Luke 10:20, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” No matter how bad and difficult life gets, you can always rejoice that when all is said and done, you are going to Heaven as a child of God. That is why it is absolutely imperative that you KNOW beyond any shadow of a doubt that you are saved.
I know 100% that I am saved and going to Heaven. If you don't have that sweet assurance dear friend, then you will never be able to fall back on that peace and joy when the storms of life come. If you have any doubts and concerns dear reader, I ask you to read Michael P. Bowen's wonderful book in defense of a free grace Gospel, 'I NEVER KNEW YOU.' This book will settle your doubts, I am confident. It is 100% biblical in its message.
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