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Noel Merrick

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Heart - Leb, Lebab (Hebrew Word Study)

Updated: Sat, 07/16/2016 - 16:37 By admin Heart (03820) (leb - note that this discussion also includes the closely related noun lebab -03824) sometimes refers to a literal heart (, , ), but most often is used figurative to refer to what I term the "control center" of our being. Think of an Air Traffic Controller and how dysfunctional, even destructive it is when the controllers fail to function as they should. See New Testament word study on Heart = kardiaJust as a healthy human heart is at the center of the body and absolutely essential for physical life and health, so too a healthy spiritual heart (intellect, emotion, will) is at the center of one's inner being (soul) and is vital for a healthy soul, serving as the "fountain" of all moral attitudes and actions. Our spiritual heart thus controls out actions and our actions determine our habits, which in turn determine our character. When God measures the ''worth'' of a man's life He puts the measuring tape around his heart, not around his head. Be a man after God's Own heart () We must continually "post a guard" at the doorway of our heart, so that every avenue for sin's entry is blocked.Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. (-Spurgeon's note) (See study "Delight yourself in the Lord")John MacArthur - The “heart” commonly refers to the mind as the center of thinking and reason (; ;), but also includes the emotions (, ), the will (; ), and thus, the whole inner being (). The heart is the depository of all wisdom and the source of whatever affects speech (), sight (), and conduct (, ). (MacArthur, J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word )Thou hast put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound. (-Spurgeon's note)John Kitto - All the phrases, more or less metaphorical, in which this word occurs, are rendered intelligible, without detailed examples, when we are told that the heart was, among the Hebrews, regarded poetically not only as the seat of the passions and emotions, as of love, pleasure, and grief, but also of the intellectual faculties—the mind, the understanding. In the original Scriptures, as well as in the English and other translations, the word 'heart' therefore, constantly occurs where 'mind' is to be understood, and would be used by a modern English writer. We say modern, because the ancient usage of the English word 'heart' was more conformable than the present to that of the Hebrews. (Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature)I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; will tell of all Thy wonders. (-Spurgeon's note)Richard Watson - The Hebrews regarded the heart as the source of wit, understanding, love, courage, grief, and pleasure… The heart is said to be dilated by joy, contracted by sadness, broken by sorrow, to grow fat, and be hardened by prosperity. The heart melts under discouragement, forsakes one under terror, is desolate in affliction, and fluctuating in doubt. To speak to any one's heart is to comfort him, to say pleasing and affecting things to him. The heart expresses also the middle part of any thing: "Tyre is in the heart of the seas," ; in the midst of the seas. "We will not fear though the mountains be carried into the heart (middle) of the sea," .The heart of man is naturally depraved and inclined to evil, . A divine power is requisite for its renovation, . When thus renewed, the effects will be seen in the temper, conversation, and conduct at large. Hardness of heart is that state in which a sinner is inclined to, and actually goes on in, rebellion against God.I have trusted in Thy lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation. (-Spurgeon's note)Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Both Old and New Testaments speak repeatedly of the heart as the centre of a person’s inner life. An examination of the hundreds of references to the heart in the Bible will show that the word is not limited in its meaning to one particular part of a person. ‘Heart’ may refer to a person’s whole inner life – what the person really is (; ; ; ; ); or it may refer to attributes of human personality such as a person’s understanding (; ; ; ), desires (; ;; ), feelings (; ; ; ; ), determination (; ; ; ), or character (; ; ; ; ). Sometimes ‘heart’ is used as another word for a person’s spirit (; ; ), soul (; ; ) or mind (; ; ; cf. ). The heart is what is sometimes referred to as ‘the inner being’, and is the source of all the wrong that a person does (; ; ; ; ; ; see SIN). Therefore, the heart must be cleansed to bring forgiveness; or, to use another picture, it must be re-created to bring new spiritual life. Only God can bring about this cleansing or re-creation (; ; ; ; ). Since the heart determines actions, a person must be careful to have right attitudes of heart at all times (; ; ; ). God sees the inner condition and judges the person accordingly (; ; ; (Bridgeway Bible Dictionary)The heart is the source of whatever affects life and character (;).He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart. (-Spurgeon's note)Dictionary Discussions of Heart:Heart - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Good Summary Heart - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology Heart - Holman Bible Dictionary Heart (includes OT allusions) - Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Heart (primarily discusses "kardia") - Hastings' Dictionary of the New TestamentThe Dictionary of Biblical Imagery writes that "In the Bible heart encompasses more than what we mean by mind (for which there is no word in biblical Hebrew). The heart is the center of the being, where the will, affections, thoughts, purposes and imagination reside. Human emotions are more frequently associated with the lower organs."In the context of , watching over one's heart involves guarding what is said (, and the heart affects what is said, ), what is seen (, , ), and what is done (, ).Charles Wood writes that "In Hebrew the heart is the “kernel of the nut;” the internal citadel of the soul."Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD. (-Spurgeon's note)Oswald Chambers has an interesting thought on heart explaining that "The Bible term “heart” is best understood if we simply say “me,” it is the central citadel of a man’s personality. The heart is the altar of which the physical body is the outer court, and whatever is offered on the altar of the heart will tell ultimately through the extremities of the body. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Chambers, O. The moral foundation of life : A series of talks on the ethical principles of the Christian life. Hants UK: Marshall, Morgan & Scott)Leb and its synonym lebab (03824) appear 860 times in the OT. The law, prophets, and Psalms often speak of the heart. Heart is used first of man in . In leb is used of God. “Heart” may refer to the organ of the body (, ; ). Leb may also refer to the inner part or middle of a thing (;; ).The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. (-note)Lebab (03824) means heart, mind or the inner man, contrasted to the outer man (See : ;). Lebab is often compounded with “soul” for emphasis, as in (cf. ). Baker writes that lebab primarily "describes the entire disposition of the inner person that God can discern (); be devoted to the Lord (); seek the Lord (); turn against people (); be uncircumcised (); be hardened (); be totally committed to the Lord (; ). It is also used to describe the place where the rational, thinking process occurs that allows a person to know God’s blessings (); to plan for the future (); to communicate (); and to understand God’s message (). Like our English usage, it often refers to the seat of emotions, whether it refers to joy (); discouragement (); comfort (); grief (); sorrow ([3]); or gladness (). (Ibid) Leb can be used of the man himself or his personality: ( ). Leb is also used of God in this sense ().The seat of desire, inclination, or will can be indicated by heart (); (; , ); (). Leb is also used of God in this sense "with my whole heart and with my whole soul” (). Two people are said to be in agreement when their “hearts” are right with each other (2Ki10:15). In Joash “had in his heart”.The “heart” is regarded as the seat of emotions: (; ; ). So there are “merry” hearts (), “fearful” hearts (), and hearts that “trembled” ().The “heart” could be regarded as the seat of knowledge and wisdom and as a synonym of “mind.” This meaning often occurs when “heart” appears with the verb “to know” (;. 29:4). Solomon prayed, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart” (;. 4:29). Memory is the activity of the “heart,” as in .The “heart” may be the seat of conscience and moral character. How does one respond to the revelation of God and of the world around him? (Job = , David = ).The “heart” is the fountain of man’s deeds (). David walked “in uprightness of heart” () and Hezekiah “with a perfect heart” () before God. Only the man with “clean hands, and a pure heart” () can stand in God’s presence.Leb may refer to the seat of rebellion and pride (; Tyre in ). They all become like Judah, whose “sin… engraved upon the tablet of their heart.” ().God controls the “heart.” Because of his natural “heart,” man’s only hope is in the promise of God to receive a new heart ( = New Covenant). So David the sinner prays “Create in me a clean heart (), "unite my heart [give me an undivided heart] to fear thy name” ().God tries the heart (). Hence God’s people seek His approval: test "my heart” ().The “heart” stands for the inner being of man, the man himself. As such, it is the fountain of all he does (). All his thoughts, desires, words, and actions flow from deep within him. Yet a man cannot understand his own “heart” (). As a man goes on in his own way, his “heart” becomes harder and harder. But God will circumcise (cut away the uncleanness of) the “heart” of His people, so that they will love and obey Him with their whole being ().Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones, And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart. (-Spurgeon's note)Adam Clarke writes "Above all keeping," guard thy heart. He who knows any thing of himself, knows how apt his affections are to go astray.Spurgeon writes that "Some of your hearts are not worth keeping. The sooner you get rid of them the better. They are hearts of stone. Do you feel today that you have a stony heart? Go home, and I pray the Lord hear my desire that your polluted heart may be removed. Cry unto God and say, “Take away my heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh;” (-note, -note) for a stony heart is an impure heart, a divided heart, an unpeaceful heart. It is a heart that is poor and poverty–stricken, a heart that is void of all goodness, and you can neither bless thyself nor others, if your heart be such. ( The Great Reservoir)The Heart of Prayer is the Heart! - The status of one's heart determines the power of one's prayers - Notice that the Lord will not listen to you, if you cherish sin in your heart! If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear.Comment: There are a number of reasons why our prayers may seem to go unanswered and the presence of unconfessed and unforsaken sin is often the cause (see also -note). This possibility must always be considered with all honesty before seeking another reason (Consider frequently praying , !) Note also that the Hebrew word for "regard" means "to look with favor upon" or even to "plan". One picture is that of a heart which is making "provision" for sin (as in -note). Notice in , that the "antidote" for "making provision" is that we first "put on (aorist imperative - Do this now - it is urgent!) the Lord Jesus Christ." When we have obeyed (by the Spirit) that command, then (and only then) can we obey the second command to "make (present imperative = continually = your "new" lifestyle in Christ, clothed with Christ!) no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." But be careful -- don't "invert" this verse! In other words, don't think by not making provision for the strong desires of the flesh that you are putting on the Lord Jesus Christ! To reverse the order is to fall into the subtle trap of legalism! And so the order is vitally important and is paralleled by a similar order in -note where Paul commands us to continually (only possible as the Spirit gives us the desire and the power - :13NLT-note) "walk (present imperative = continually conduct your life) by the Spirit, and you will (absolutely) not carry out the desire of the flesh." Another aspect of regarding wickedness in our heart is when we compromise with sin rather than demonstrate a Spirit enabled holy aversion to it. The sanctified believer must have the same attitude toward sin which God has. A clear conscience, devoid of a desire for sin, is necessary for effectual prayer (see esp ,-note). Avoid nullifying your prayers by planning, harboring, or entertaining sin or wickedness in your heart. As an aside it is interesting to note that the Greek Septuagint translates the Hebrew word "regard" with the Greek verb theoreo (derived from theorós = spectator who looks at things with interest and purpose, careful observation of details) which conveys the picture of one giving rapt contemplation of a vision (the sense in ). It is also notable that theoreo in the Septuagint translation is in the present tense which depicts an intentional, continuous contemplation of an object (in the object is wickedness!) which remains before the spectator! Little wonder that Jehovah will not hear the prayers of such a man or woman whose heart harbors these thoughts!

Matthew Henry: "If I have favorable thoughts of it, if I love it, indulge it, and allow myself in it, if I treat it as a friend and bid it welcome, make provision for it and am loathe to part with it, if I roll it under my tongue as a sweet morsel, though it be but a heart sin that is thus countenanced and made much of, if I delight in it after the inward man, God will not hear my prayer, will not accept it, nor be pleased with it, nor can I expect an answer of peace to it.’’

Adam Clarke: ""If I have seen iniquity in my heart," if I have known it was there, and encouraged it; if I pretended to be what I was not; if I loved iniquity, while I professed to pray and be sorry for my sin; the Lord."John Bunyan: "Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer."Illustration - After moving to a rural area, I discovered that my fax machine would transmit messages but could not receive them. Every incoming message was cut off and labeled with the frustrating words: "Communication Error. Line disconnected during reception." "Too much resistance and noise on your telephone line," the repairman said. After 2 hours of searching, splicing, and tightening connections, he had solved the problem. I have continued to ponder this situation as an illustration of my communication with God. It's easy to transmit my requests to Him, but much more difficult to receive His messages to me. My natural focus is on what I want to say rather than what I need to hear. If I allow the "resistance" of sin and the "noise" of the cares of life to build up, they disrupt my attention as I read the Bible, hear a sermon, or remain silent in prayer. When Jesus told a story about listening and responding to God's Word, He emphasized His point by saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" (). Today is a fresh opportunity to clean up the line of communication with God. Let's give Him our undivided attention and listen carefully to Him in His Word. --D C MacCasland Communication with the Lord Involves much more than prayer, For we must also read His Word And listen to Him there. --SperWorldly static disrupts our communication with God.Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, And has not sworn deceitfully. (,-Spurgeon's note) PRAYER. A MATTER OF THE HEART - "Therefore hath Thy servant found it in his heart to pray this prayer unto Thee" (). A Find. Note that expression. David had made a find, a great find, an important one. And the find was in his own heart. And the find was a desire for prayer—a heart desire—a love for prayer. Have you a love, a heart affection for prayer? Highest Form. This is the highest form of prayer. Prayer first begins as a matter of necessity. But it soon ought, and should, become a matter of the heart.

Madam Guyon has defined prayer as "nothing else but the application of the heart to God." In other words, the heart talking to God, and communing with Him.

Independent. "The prayer of the heart," wrote Madame Guyon, "cannot be interrupted by the occupations of the mind." Nothing can interrupt the prayer of the heart but unruly affections.

Essentials. In order to find prayer in the heart, the following are essentials:

1. A HEART RIGHT WITH GOD. If the heart is not right with God, communion with God is impossible. An impenitent sinner finds no such thing in his heart. He has no intelligent wish to enjoy God's friendship. The whole atmosphere of prayer is foreign to him.

2. A HEART FILLED WITH HIM. That is a heart in which He is quite at Home, and which He has filled with Himself.

3. A HEART SET ON GOD'S WORD. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." This is a trustingly beautiful prayer by David. Read it carefully and prayerfully. When examined, you will find that David is only talking over and repeating and thanking God for His own Word. This is one secret of blessing and successful prayer seasons and times. (James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose)Heart of the Matter - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.—-noteWhat is the essential difference between the heart and mind? Many believe there is no difference and that they are really the same thing. But I see a clear difference between the heart and the mind: the mind is the part of us that thinks and reasons; the heart is the part of us that contains our deep longings and desires. Although the mind is important, the heart is even more important because it is the engine room of our personality—the part from which come our drive and motivation. That is why our Lord says, "The mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart" (). Christ said that the words He spoke were the words given to Him by His Father (). Does this mean the Father wrote out the words which He wanted Christ to say, and then Jesus had to learn them by heart? No—the heart of Jesus Christ was the very heart of God the Father; consequently, the words Christ spoke were the exact expression of God's thought. Jesus' tongue was always in its rightful place. He spoke not just from His head but from His heart; His heart and His mind were one. Oswald Chambers put it like this: "The heart is the central altar and the mind the outer court. What we offer on the central altar will show itself in due course through the outer extremities of personality." In the search for unity of purpose and integration, there is no doubt that the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. (Selwyn Hughes - Every Day With Jesus)J Vernon McGee writes that…the heart symbolizes the center of one’s innermost being. The Lord Jesus said that it isn’t what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out of a man. “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (). Some of the meanest things in the world come out of the human heart. The heart is the seat of the total personality. If you want to know how important the heart is, get your concordance and look up all the references to the heart that are in the Bible (Ed: see below for OT & NT Scriptures you can study!). We are to keep our hearts with all diligence. What we hear is important. What we study is important. What we see is important. We should recognize that out of that heart will come all of the great issues of our lives.Let’s not miss the fact that the Book of Proverbs, written long before Harvey made the discovery of the circulation of blood, makes a statement about the heart that centuries later science demonstrated to be true. In the Book of Proverbs (and this can be said of the entire Bible) you will find no unscientific or inaccurate observation. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (:14NRSV) Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (:14NRSV)Spurgeon wrote that…Inasmuch as the heart is the most important part of man—for out of it are the issues of life—it would be natural to expect that Satan, when he intended to do mischief to manhood, would be sure to make his strongest and most perpetual attacks upon the heart. What we might have guessed in wisdom, is certainly true in experience; for although Satan will tempt and try us in every way, though every gate of the town of Mansoul may be battered, though, against every part of the walls thereof he will be sure to bring out his great guns, yet the place against which he levels his deadliest malice, and his most furious strength, is the heart. Into the heart, already of itself evil enough (), he thrusts the seeds of every evil thing, and doth his utmost to make it a den of unclean birds, a garden of poisonous trees, a river flowing with destructive water. Hence, again, arises the second necessity that we should be doubly cautious in keeping the heart with all diligence; for if, on the one hand, it be the most important, and, on the other hand, Satan, knowing this, makes his most furious and determined attacks against it, then, with double force the exhortation comes, "Keep thy heart with all diligence."Guthrie writes that…He who would keep his heart pure and holy must plant a sentinel at every avenue by which sin may find access there, guarding against none more than the “little” sins, as they are called. The man of God has his eyes to keep, and so Job said, “I have made a covenant with mine eyes” ()-note)—his tongue, and hence the exhortation, “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile”—his ears, and hence the warning, “Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causes to err”—his feet, and hence David says, “I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.” And since there is no gate of the five senses by which the enemy may not come in like a flood, unless the Spirit lift up a standard against him, we have need to guard every port, and write over every portal, “Here there entereth nothing to hurt or to defile.” (Thoughts for the Quiet Hour)The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him. ()Mark Water writes that we watch over our hearts in two waysFirst, we guard our affections by mortifying our members (-note). The apostle is saying, “You are to prevent the working and deceit of sin, which is in your members.” He also says, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”(-note). Fixing and filling your affections with heavenly things will mortify sin.What are the objects of such affections? They include God Himself, in His beauty and glory; the Lord Jesus Christ, who is “altogether lovely… the chiefest of ten thousand” (, -note); grace and glory; the mysteries of the gospel; and the blessings promised by the .)Second, let us fix our affections on the cross of Christ. Paul says, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (-note). When someone sets his affections upon the cross and the love of Christ, he crucifies the world as a dead and undesirable thing. The baits of sin lose their attraction and disappear. Fill your affections with the cross of Christ and you will find no room for sin. The world put Him out of a house and into a stable, when He came to save us. Let Him now turn the world out-of-doors, when He comes to sanctify us.Remember also that the vigor of our affections toward heavenly things is apt to decline unless it is constantly looked after, exercised, directed, and warned. God speaks often in Scripture of those who lost their first love, allowing their affections to decay. Let us be jealous over our hearts to prevent such backsliding. (Water, M. The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations. Alresford, Hampshire: John Hunt Publishers Ltd)The Puritan John Flavel has the following discussion on in his introductory chapter…THE heart of man is his worst part before it is regenerated, and the best afterward; it is the seat of principles, and the fountain of actions.The eye of God is, and the eye of the Christian ought to be, principally fixed upon it.The greatest difficulty in conversion, is to win the heart to God; and the greatest difficulty after conversion, is to keep the heart with God.Here lies the very force and stress of religion; here is that which makes the way to life a narrow way, and the gate of heaven a strait gate. Direction and help in this great work are the scope of the text: wherein we have,I. An exhortation, “Keep thy heart with all diligence.”II. The reason or motive enforcing it, “For out of it are the issues of life.”In the exhortation I shall consider,First, The matter of the duty.Secondly, The manner of performing it.I. The matter of the duty: Keep thy heart. Heart is not here taken properly for the noble part of the body, which philosophers call “the first that lives and the last that dies ;“ but by heart, in a metaphor, the Scripture sometimes represents some particular noble faculty of the soul. In , it is put for the understanding; their foolish heart, that is, their foolish understanding was darkened. , it is put for the memory; “Thy word have I hid in my heart ;“ and , it is put for the conscience, which includes both the light of the understanding and the recognitions of the memory; if our heart condemn us, that is, if our conscience, whose proper office it is to condemn.But in the text we are to take it more generally, for the whole soul, or inner man. What the heart is to the body, that the soul is to the man; and what health is to the heart, that holiness is to the soul. The state of the whole body depends upon the soundness and vigor of the heart, and the everlasting state of the whole man upon the good or ill condition of the soul.By keeping the heart, understand the diligent and constant use of all holy means to preserve the soul from sin, and maintain its sweet and free communion with God. [I say constant, for the reason added in the text extends the duty to all the states and conditions of a Christian’s life, and makes it binding always. If the heart must be kept, because out of it are the issues of life, then as long as these issues of life do flow out of it, we are obliged to keep it.] Lavater on the text will have the word taken from a besieged garrison, beset by many enemies without, and in danger of being betrayed by treacherous citizens within, in which danger the soldiers, upon pain of death, are commanded to watch; and though the expression, Keep thy heart, seems to put it upon us as our work, yet it does not imply a sufficiency in us to do it. We are as able to stop the sun in its course, or to make the rivers run backward, as by our own skill and power to rule and order our hearts. We may as well be our own saviors as our own keepers; and yet Solomon speaks properly enough when he says, Keep thy heart, because the duty is ours, though the power is of God; what power we have depends upon the exciting and assisting strength of Christ (). Grace within us is beholden to grace without us. “Without me ye can do nothing.” ()So much for the matter of the duty.2. The manner of performing it is with all diligence. The Hebrew is very emphatic; keep with all keeping, or, keep, keep, set double guards. This vehemency of expression with which the duty is urged, plainly implies how difficult it is to keep our hearts, how dangerous to neglect them!The motive to this duty is very forcible and weighty: “For out of the heart are the issues of life.” That is, the heart is the source of all vital operations; it is the spring and original of both good and evil, as the spring in a watch that sets all the wheels in motion. The heart is the treasury, the hand and tongue but the shops; what is in these, comes from that; the hand and tongue always begin where the heart ends. The heart contrives, and the members execute: “a good man, out of the good treasure of his, heart, bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” () So then, if the heart err in its work, these must miscarry in theirs; for heart errors are like the errors of the first concoction, which cannot be rectified afterward; or like the misplacing and inverting of the stamps and letters in the press, which must cause so many errata in all the copies that are printed. O then how important a duty is that which is contained in the following:PROPOSITION.— The keeping and right managing of the heart in every condition, is one great business of a Christian’s life.What the philosopher says of waters, is as properly applicable to hearts; it is hard to keep them within any bounds, God has set limits to them, yet how frequently do they transgress not only the bounds of grace and religion, but even of reason and common honesty? This is that which affords the Christian matter of’ labor and watchfulness, to his dying day. It is not the cleaning of the hand that makes the Christian, for many a hypocrite can show as fair a hand as he; but the purifying, watching, and right ordering of the heart; this is the thing that provokes so many sad complaints, and costs so many deep groans and tears. It was the pride of Hezekiah’s heart that made him lie in the dust, mourning before the Lord. It was the fear of hypocrisy’s invading the heart that made David cry, “Let my heart be sound in thy statutes, that I be not ashamed.” It was the sad experience he had of the divisions and distractions of his own heart in the service of God, that made him pour out the prayer, “Unite my heart to fear thy name.” (See Keeping the Heart -- Chapter 1 - although old this book is definitely worth reading if you are serious about the state of physical heart).J W Miller explains that…The Hebrew term heart is not simply a metaphor for feelings or emotions but also refers to the actual place in the body where thinking occurs and wisdom is born. How the heart was viewed at the time is spelled out in a lucid text from ancient Egypt, which describes how the heart is related to other bodily organs in performing its task:The sight of the eyes, the hearing of the ears, and the smelling the air by the nose, they report to the heart. It is this [the heart] which causes every completed (concept) to come forth, and it is the tongue which announces what the heart thinks. (“The Theology of Memphis,” Pritchard: 5)In other words the heart receives factual knowledge from the surrounding world, reflects on it, and then, through speech, expresses the conclusions drawn. The heart is the bodily organ by means of which the raw data of experience is shaped into thoughts, concepts, or judgments.The thoughts of the heart are vital to the health and vitality of the whole body. That too is why those who lack wisdom are spoken of in Proverbs (and in Egyptian literature) as lacking heart (; NIV: judgment). They lack the capacity or willingness to think things through and come forth with realistic judgments or thoughtsIn his Anthropology of the Old Testament, Hans Walther Wolff has shown that in most cases in the Bible where the term “heart” is used, “intellectual, rational functions” are ascribed to it, “precisely what we ascribe to the head and, more exactly, to the brain” (). For this reason it is no accident, Wolff continues, that the term heart “occurs by far the most frequently in the wisdom literature of the Bible—99 times in Proverbs alone, 42 times in Ecclesiastes, and in the strongly didactic Deuteronomy 51 times” (Ed: Study Scriptures at bottom of this page). That too is why the admonition to guard your heart above all else (4:23) may be thought of as one of the core challenges of the book of Proverbs. To guard your heart is “a fundamental precept, like Socrates’ ‘know thyself’ ” (R. Van Leeuwen, 1997:61). (Miller, J. W. Proverbs. Believers Church Bible Commentary. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press) (Bolding added)Cohen writes that in Solomon's day the heart was considered to be "the central organ which conditions all man’s activities and upon whose correct functioning depends the character of his living."The BKC adds that in "the word heart means more than mental or emotional capacity; it also encompasses one’s values (cf. -note). Heart in Hebrew refers to one’s emotions (; ; , ) but more often to his intellect (such as understanding, ; discernment, ; reflection, ), or will ().(Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor )R E Murphy on the heart - The heart is the central organ of the body in the wisdom literature. It is often paraphrased as “mind,” since it does have an intellectual component (cf. the usual, if unfortunate, translation of the “listening heart” of Solomon in as “understanding mind”). But it is also the basic orientation of a person, embracing desires, emotions, and attitude. The description of the deterioration of Solomon’s “heart” in , , is more than a picture of mental lapse! If the teacher’s words are in the heart, they are life and healing (; cf. ). Hence the need to guard the heart, for it is the source of “the surges of life”—literally, “from it the goings out of life”. The heart is imaged as a water source from which life erupts. , , , Appropriately in this passage the heart carries along several other organs of the body (cf. ear and eyes already in , ) mentioned frequently in wisdom instruction: mouth, lips, and eyes (parallel to “eyelids” or “orbs” in ), mouth, lips, and even the foot and hand. Such organs are affected by what is in the heart, for this gives the direction from which one is never to swerve, either right or left (; cf. ). Two words for “eyes” appear in , the second of which seems to mean the “eyelid” or “eyelash” probably related to the root, “to fly,” and hence indicating the fluttering eyelashes). The youth is to have “tunnel” vision, without any blinking, as described in : the perceptive person looks straight ahead at wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. The internalization of wisdom teaching () is matched by the internalization of evil in the heart of the wicked in , . (Murphy, R. E. Vol. 22: Word Biblical Commentary: Proverbs. Word Biblical Commentary. 2002)Charles Bridges author of one of the finest commentaries on the Book of Proverbs writes - Invaluable are these rules as our safeguard. Assaulted as we are at every point, every inlet of sin must be strongly guarded - the heart… the citadel of man - the seat of his dearest treasure. It is fearful to think of its many watchful and subtle assailants. Let it be closely garrisoned. Let the sentinel be never sleeping on his post. "Take heed to thy way, and keep thy soul diligently." (.) But the heart must be known in order to be effectually kept. Nothing is more difficult, while nothing is more necessary. If we know not our hearts, we know nothing to any purpose. Whatever else we know, to neglect this knowledge is to be a fool at the best. If we know not our weak points, Satan knows them well--"the sins that most easily beset us." (cp ) Then when I know my heart, and feel it to be so dangerous, and in such dangers, the question forces itself upon me -‘Can I keep my heart?' Certainly not. But, though it be God's work, it is man's agency. Our efforts are His instrumentality. He implants an active principle, and sustains the unceasing exercise. (, . with ) Conscious faith "commits the keeping of the heart to our faithful Creator." (. .) This done-in His strength and guidance diligently improve all the means of preservation. Watch unto prayer. Cherish an humble dependent spirit. Live in the atmosphere of the word of God. Resist the admittance of an evil world, even in its most plausible forms. (Example of Gideon's refusal to rule over - , . Example of the prophet Elisha's refusal of taking anything from the pagan king for doing the Lord's work - , ) Here lies the conflict to the end. ‘The greatest difficulty in conversion is to win the heart to God, and after conversion to keep it with him.' 'What is there'- asks Mede-‘that will not entice and allure so fickle a thing as the heart from God?’ Above all keeping - exhorts the wise man - keep thine heart. Here Satan keeps -here therefore must we keep- special watch. If the citadel be taken, the whole town must surrender. If the heart be seized, the whole man- the affections, desires, motives, pursuits-all will be yielded up. The heart is the vital part of the body. A wound here is instant death. Thus spiritually as well as naturally, out of the heart are the issues of life. It is the great vital spring of the soul, the fountain of actions, the centre and the seat of principle, both of sin and of holiness. (, .) The natural heart is a fountain of poison. () The purified heart is "a well of living water." (Jn, 4:14.) As is the fountain, so must be the streams. As is the heart, so must be the mouth, the eyes, the feet. Therefore, above all keeping, keep thine heart. Guard the fountain, lest the waters be poisoned. (Cp., , , ) Many have been the bitter moments, from the neglect of this guard. All keeping is vain, if the heart be not kept. But with this keeping, let us not forget to guard the outlets of sin! (, ) What a world of evil does 'the heart, pour out from the froward mouth! (, ) Commit, therefore, both heart and mouth to Divine discipline. (; , .) Then let prayer and faith be the practical principles of Christian watchfulness. Not only shun, but put away-yea-far from thee-the perverse lips. Their evil--be it remembered-extends beyond ourselves. Even should the peace-speaking blood speak peace to ourselves, still will remain the painful sense of injury to our fellow-creatures, perhaps without remedy. (Bridges, C. Commentary on Proverbs)Thomas Constable explains that the Hebrew concept of "Heart () usually means “mind” (; ["sense" = Hebrew leb = "heart"]; [again, "sense" = "heart"]; et al.), but it has a much broader meaning that includes the emotions (, ), the will (; ), and even the whole inner person (). Here the affections are particularly in view. With verses , , , verse 23 helps us see that the life in view is not some prize that one gains all at once. It is rather a growing spiritual vitality that enervates the wise person and enables him or her to reach out and help others effectively (cf. , , , , ,, , , ; ; and especially ). (Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible)Harry Ironside comments on Solomon's figurative use of heart noting that "Here is displayed a scientific knowledge and accuracy far beyond the times in which Solomon wrote. The great discovery of Harvey, the circulation of the blood, which revolutionized medical thought, is here calmly taken for granted, and used to set forth, or illustrate, a spiritual truth. Just as the heart is the centre of the physical system, whence flow the issues of life, so, in a moral and spiritual sense, the heart, used as a synonym for the soul, is that which must be jealously guarded, that thence may go forth that which is for the upbuilding of the child of God. (Ironside, H. A. Notes on the Book of Proverbs. 1908)The IVP Bible Background Commentary (OT) - It is a common tradition in the ancient Near East for the heart to be the seat of the intellect (see ) and the source of stability for one who would adhere to a just and wise life (see Solomon’s request in , , , , ). (Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press)Conrad Mbewe has an article entitled Pastoral Purity in which he addresses guarding our hearts…The first responsibility in this single-eyed pursuit of godliness is the guarding of the heart. The wise man spoke well when he said, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (). The minister's heart is the heart of his ministry. Be sure of this: Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Keeping the eye and heart and spirit and conscience pure is the future of a man's ministry. So, beware of sins of the heart—pride, envy, jealousy, lust, greed, anger, and sloth. No wonder that history has dubbed them "the seven deadly sins"! Long before a person makes visible shipwreck of his life and ministry, his heart has been allowed to be a citadel of sin. I say again, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.This is the greatest battle you will ever wage in your life and ministry. We may all keep away from physical adultery and actual theft. But how many people have reduced their ministries into ego-centric showrooms that have absolutely nothing to do with the glory of God? How many men's once robust ministries have shriveled because they were envious of other men's ministries? How many good men have been driven by jealousy into riding a hobbyhorse of what the Chinese call "killing a fly on the forehead of a friend using a hatchet"? What about that wandering eye that fails to see a member of the opposite sex without thinking of the bedroom? How many men are presently laboring outside God's will, all because of seeking a more lucrative ministry? The list is endless. Brethren, these are the sins that kill the spirituality and power of our ministries long before any overt sins are visible to our people. There is no doubt that to keep your ministry alive and kicking year after year, you must train yourself to be godly. (The Founder's Journal, 2002).Davis Huckabee writes that in Solomon "recognizes what is our greatest need, and gives command to strictly guard that which is the motive center and power plant of all our doings. This reminds us of . To leave the heart unguarded is to surrender the whole citadel of the soul. “As the heart is the center of motion to the circulation of the blood, which is the (animal) life (, ), so spiritually, as the seat of the desires and affections, it is designed to be the center and fountain of the heavenly life,” [Faussett]. Sin has so corrupted the heart, however, that it cannot perform its ordained function until it has been cleansed and changed in the new birth.Peter Marshall former chaplain of the US Senate tells the following story “The Keeper of the Spring” which illustrates the importance of constantly guarding our heart…An elderly, quiet forest dweller once lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slopes of the Alps. Many years ago, the town council had hired this old gentleman as Keeper of the Spring to maintain the purity of the pools of water in the mountain crevices. The overflow from these pools ran down the mountainside and fed the lovely spring that flowed through the town. With faithful, silent regularity, the Keeper of the Spring patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches from the pools, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise choke and contaminate the fresh flow of water.By and by, the village became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal-clear spring, the mill wheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants sparkled.Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting. As the council members reviewed the budget, one man’s eye caught the salary paid the obscure Keeper of the Spring. “Who is this old man?” he asked indignantly. “Why do we keep paying him year after year? No one ever sees him. For all we know, this man does us no good. He isn’t necessary any longer!” By a unanimous vote, the council dispensed with the old man’s services.For several weeks nothing changed. But by early autumn, the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. One afternoon, someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint to the water in the spring. A few days later, the water had darkened even more. Within a week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks, and a foul odor emanated from the spring. The mill wheels moved slowly; some finally ground to a halt. Businesses that were located near the water closed. The swans migrated to fresher waters far away, and tourists no longer visited the town. Eventually, the clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.The shortsighted town council had enjoyed the beauty of the spring but underestimated the importance of guarding its source. We can make the same mistake in our lives. Like the Keeper of the Spring who maintained the purity of the water, you and I are the Keepers of Our Hearts. We need to consistently evaluate the purity of our hearts in prayer, asking God to reveal the little things that contaminate us. As God reveals our wrong attitudes, longings, and desires, we must remove them from our hearts. (from Joshua Harris' book I Kissed Dating Goodbye. Multnomah Publishers)A W Pink has an entire chapter entitled Heart Work (click for entire chapter - recommended), writing that keeping of the heart with all diligence…is the great task which God has assigned unto each of His children. But oh, how sadly is the heart neglected! Of all their concerns and possessions, the least diligence is used by the vast majority of professing Christians in the keeping of their hearts. As long as they safeguard their other interests—their reputations, their bodies, their positions in the world—the heart may be left to take its own course.As the heart in our physical body is the center and fountain of life, because from it blood circulates into every part, conveying with it either health or disease, so it is with us spiritually. If our heart be the residence of impiety, pride, avarice, malice, impure lusts, then the whole current of our lives will largely be tainted with these vices. If they are admitted there and prevail for a season, then our character and conduct will be proportionately affected. Therefore the citadel of the heart needs above all things to be well guarded, that it may not be seized by those numerous and watchful assailants which are ever attacking it. This spring needs to be well protected that its waters be not poisoned.The man is what his heart is. If this be dead to God, then nothing in him is alive. If this be right with God, all will be right. As the mainspring of a watch sets all its wheels and parts in motion, so as a man "thinketh in his heart, so is he" (). If the heart be right, the actions will be. As a man’s heart is, such is his state now and will be hereafter: if it be regenerated and sanctified there will be a life of faith and holiness in this world, and everlasting life will be enjoyed in the world to come. Therefore,"Rather look to the cleansing of thine heart, than to the cleansing of thy well; rather look to the feeding of thine heart, than to the feeding of thy flock; rather look to the defending of thine heart, than to the defending of thine house; rather look to the keeping of thine heart, than to the keeping of thy money" (Peter Moffat, 1570)."Keep thy heart with all diligence, for Out of it are the issues of life" (). The "heart" is here put for our whole inner being, the "hidden man of the heart" (). It is that which controls and gives character to all that we do. To "keep"—garrison or guard—the heart or soul is the great work which God has assigned us: the enablement is His, but the duty is ours. We are to keep the imagination from vanity, the understanding from error, the will from perverseness, the conscience clear of guilt, the affections from being inordinate and set on evil objects, the mind from being employed on worthless or vile subjects; the whole from being possessed by Satan. This is the work to which God has called us.Rightly did the Puritan John Flavel say,"The keeping and right managing of the heart in every condition is the great business of a Christian’s life."Now to "keep" the heart right implies that it has been set right. Thus it was at regeneration, when it was given a new spiritual bent. True conversion is the heart turning from Satan’s control to God’s, from sin to holiness, from the world to Christ. To keep the heart right signifies the constant care and diligence of the renewed to preserve his soul in that holy frame to which grace has reduced it and daily strives to hold it."Hereupon do all events depend: the heart being kept, the whole course of our life here will be according to the mind of God, and the end of it will be the enjoyment of Him hereafter. This being neglected, life will be lost, both here as unto obedience, and hereafter as to glory" (John Owen in Causes of Apostasy).Here is Pink's summary of what it means to keep the heart. The reader is advised to read the extended discussion that goes with each point by clicking here.1. To "keep" the heart means striving to shut out from it all that is opposed to God…2. To "keep" the heart means striving to bring it into conformity with the Word…3. To "keep" the heart means to preserve it tender unto sin…4. To "keep" the heart means to look diligently after its cleansing.SELF-WATCH! by F B Meyer"Keep thy heart above all that thou guardest: For out of it are the issues of life."--:23SAID PETER to our Lord, "Spare Thyself this death of which Thou speakest--this bitter suffering and anguish shall never be Thine!"These words are continually spoken still, and many are the voices that bid us spare ourselves--the voices of our friends who love us; the voices of prudence and worldly wisdom; the voices of our own wayward hearts.Do not spare your judgment of yourself. Never permit yourself to do things which you would be the first to condemn in others. Never suppose that there are reasons for you to do a wrong, which, under no circumstances would you tolerate in your neighbour.Do not spare yourself in confessing your sins and mistakes. Confession is one of the tests of nobility. Not a few are willing to confess to God, who never attempt to confess to men. It is a serious question whether that sorrow for sin is genuine and deep enough which does not lead the offender to ask his fellow-man for pardon, even as he asks his God. Nothing could be clearer than Christ's words, that whenever we remember that our brother has aught against us, we are to leave our gift at the altar, and go first to seek reconciliation with him, before we offer our sacrifice to God.The supreme test of goodness is not in the greater but in the smaller incidents of our character and practice; not what we are when standing in the searchlight of public scrutiny, but when we reach the firelight flicker of our homes; not what we are when some clarion-call rings through the air, summoning us to fight for life and liberty, but our attitude when we are called to sentry-duty in the grey morning, when the watch-fire is burning low. It is impossible to be our best at the supreme moment if character is corroded and eaten into by dally inconsistency, unfaithfulness, and besetting sin.You cannot really help people without expending yourself. The only work that tells must cost you something. Gold, silver, and precious stones can never be built into the new Jerusalem unless you are willing to part with them from the stores of your own life.PRAYER - Most loving Father, may love fill and rule my heart. For then there will spring up and be cherished between Thee and me a likeness of character, and union of will, so that I may choose and refuse what Thou dost. AMEN. (F. B. Meyer. Our Daily Walk)THE GREAT CHANGE - -note (Ed: As a physician I might subtitle this one "The Greatest Heart Transplant!")These wonderful words refer primarily to Israel's restoration. Under the law the heart of His people had become like a stone, but through His infinite grace a new heart would be given them, so that by the constraint of love they would walk in His ways. God's method in dealing with a sinful heart is revolutionary, it is a regeneration.I. The Disease. "A stony heart" (v. 26). A heart that is "stony" is—1. COLD. It has become insensible—past feeling. All warmth of affection for God and His Word has died away. 2. HARD. Not easily impressed. Unyielding as a rock. Indifferent to all the gracious influences of light and the force of spiritual truth. Callous. 3. DEAD. Incapable of spiritual motion. No vitality toward God. Deaf to His call and dumb for His Name.II. The Remedy. "A new heart will I give you...an heart of flesh." The only cure for a stony heart is a new heart. Polishing or carving a stone into an altered and improved form will not make it a "living stone." A heart of flesh is—1. A NEW HEART. It is the gift of God, and takes the place of the stony heart, and so renewing the whole man. It is not only new to the man who gets it, but its manifestations are new to all who see them. 2. A SOFT HEART. Sensitive and childlike, easily impressed by the things of God. The stony nature has disappeared. 3. A WARM HEART. The love of God has found a home in it, and is shed abroad through it. It glows with compassion for the perishing, and burns with indignation against sin and iniquity. 4. A LIVING HEART. Once dead, but now alive unto God. A heart fitted to have communion with the living God. When Sir W. Raleigh was asked to adjust his head on the block he said, "It matters little how the head lies if the heart is right." Is thine heart right with God?III. The Results. The new heart opens the way for the fullness of the new life. The new character reveals itself by— 1. POSSESSING HIS SPIRIT. "I will put My Spirit within you" (). His Spirit is the new motive power in the life. . This new moral machinery requires a new power (). 2. WALKING IN HIS STATUTES. "I will cause you to walk in My statutes." The daily life is made to become pleasing unto the Lord. To walk in His way is to walk with God. 3. DWELLING IN HIS LAND. "Ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers," etc. (). The good land of His providence is the inheritance of all Who have been made "new creatures in Christ Jesus." 4. RESTING ON HIS PROMISES (). They are exceeding great and precious, so that we might delight ourselves in the Lord, because for His own Name's sake hath He done all this for us (). (James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose)A FIXED HEART. . I. The Heart Needs Fixing.II. God only Can Properly Fix ItIII. The Characteristics of a Fixed Heart. It is a -1. Confident Heart. "O God, my heart is fixed." 2. Happy Heart. "I will sing praises." 3. Wide-awake Hearts. "I will awake early." 4. Fearless Heart. "I will sing unto Thee among the nations." 5. Thankful Heart. "Thy mercy is great." 6. God-honouring Heart. "Be Thou exalted." 7. Pitiful Heart. "Save with Thy right hand." (James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose)F B Meyer - THE FORTRESS OF THE HEART"Keep thy heart with all diligence."--. "The peace of God shall keep your hearts."--.IN MOST of the old castles there is an inner keep, which is protected, not only by mighty walls and bastions, but by the portcullis at the gate, and sentries at every approach, who challenged every one that passed in and out. So the heart is continually approached by good and evil, by the frivolities and vanities of the world and the insidious suggestions of the flesh. It is like an inn or hostelry, with constant arrivals and departures. Passengers throng in and out, some of them with evil intent, hoping to find conspirators, or to light fires that will spread until the whole being is swept with passion, consuming in an hour the fabric of years to ashes.We need, therefore, to be constantly on the watch; we must keep our heart above all else that we guard, for out of it are the issues of life (R.V. marg.). Our Lord says that "out of the heart of man come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, thefts," etc. The devil and the world without would be less to be feared, if there were not such strong tendencies to evil within--many of them inherited from long lines of ancestors, who, alas! pass down to us the worst features of their characters equally with the best.Keep it Clean. Just as the eye of the body is perpetually washed with tear-water, so let us ask that the precious blood of Christ may cleanse away any speck of impurity. Remember how delicate a thing the heart is, and how susceptible to the dust of an evil thought, which would instantly prevent it becoming the organ of spiritual vision. Sursum Corda! Lift up your hearts! We lift them up unto the Lord!The Sentinel of Peace. Then the Peace of God will become the warden or sentry of the heart, and it passeth understanding! We can understand the apparent peace of some men. They have made money, and their gold-bags are piled around them as a fortress; they have rich and influential friends, within whose protection they imagine they will be sheltered and defended; they enjoy good health, and are held in high esteem. We can understand such peace, though it often proves ephemeral! But there is a peace that passeth understanding! It is to this that our Lord refers when He says, "My Peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth." "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."PRAYER - Keep me, Heavenly Father, as the apple of Thine eye; defend me by Thine Almighty power; hide me from this strife of tongues and the fiery darts of the wicked one. May my heart be as the palace which the Stronger than the strong man keeps in perfect peace. AMEN. (F. B. Meyer. Our Daily Walk)In his book Back to Bethel (= plain text version), (Download PDF Version) F B Meyer writes in his chapter entitled "The Rule of Our Thoughts"…I have explained that you might expect to be tempted to the end of your life, that the nearer you live to God, the more you will be tempted. The presence of temptation in your life is not a proof of deterioration, but the contrary, for the more you know of God on the one hand the more you will know of Satan's temptation, on the other hand.If you desire to be kept from yielding to temptation, you must be very careful of your thoughts, and it is about the necessity of guarding your thoughts that I am going to speak now.KEEP THY HEART CLEANFirst, let us look at , where the wise man says: "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life," or as the revised version puts it: "Keep thy heart above all things that thou keepest."You keep your wealth, you keep your home, you keep your health, you keep your character, but above all these things keep your heart. Why? Because out of it are the issues of life.When Bunyan depicted the character of Ignorance, he made him say:"I think my heart is as good as anybody's heart, and as for my thoughts, I take no notice of them."He shows at once that he does not know himself, and that he is exposed to every temptation that crosses his path. If you have never before noticed your thoughts you will find before I am done that the first suggestion of wrong comes through the doorway of the mind.Turn again to , and read: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."The thoughts lay down the tram lines upon which presently the tram car makes its way. Just as the tram car will pass up and down the rails in a great city, so does the act follow along the track of the thought.I know there are men who say, "I must not do that act, but I may indulge the thought of doing it." There are those who dare not act impurely, but during the hours of darkness they allow their thoughts to wander where they will, and such men and women think they have escaped wrong; but let them understand that those thoughts are all noted by God, and they will have to account for them at the day of judgment. Let them also know that the thoughts they have entertained in their hearts will find an issue, and there will be some act in their life, perhaps ten years hence, as a result of these unholy thoughts. Sometimes it seems rather terrible that a life should be blasted by one act, and you may be disposed to pity the man and say that it is hard for him to be judged and crippled for the rest of his life by the passionate act of a single moment. But remember that an act is never alone. It really sums up trains of unholy thought in which the man has been indulging, and therefore you do not judge him for the one act, but for the process of which it is the result. The tree was eaten through before it crashed to the ground in the storm. (See "Tiny Evils, Big Fall")

THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN - The Word of God tells us, in : "God saw that the wickedness of man was very great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Away back in the days of Noah the trouble God had with man was in his thoughts; The whole trend of the Bible is to get our thinking right.As a contrast to that verse in Genesis, I quote : "Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, think on these things."Up to the doorway of your heart are always coming hundreds and thousands of thoughts, and you must be careful to reject the evil ones and let into your soul only those that are of good report. If these are the tenants of the inner life, you need have no fear about your character. I am prepared to say that if you think right, you need not take much care about your life.Butler in his Analogy says there are three steps in the formation of character--act, habit, character. The act makes the habit, the habit or the bundle of habits form the character. Thackeray amplified this saying thus: "Sow a thought, reap an act; sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap character; sow character, reap destiny."I illustrated this not long ago to an audience of children by showing a thread, and attached to it a piece of twine, then a rope, then a chain, and padlock. I tied the thread around a boy, and he broke it easily. But I gradually wound the twine and rope and chain about him to show the power of habit. The thread was the thought leading to the act, the rope was the habit, the chain was character, ending in the padlock of destiny.Our Lord announces the same truth in : "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts." Then He names some of the sins--adultery, fornication, murder, thefts, covetousness. They all begin in the evil thoughts. In we are told: "Among whom also we all had our conversation in time past in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind." The Greek says "the desires of the flesh and the thoughts." I want you to notice that, "'fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the thoughts." Desire is not in itself wrong. The affections and propensities of our nature are not wrong in themselves. God gave these to us to pull along the chariots of our lives. He put within us all manner of appetites and propensities which are His own beautiful gifts. The wrong comes in two ways: if we desire too much of the right thing, and if we desire gratification in a wrong way. Whenever desire oversteps the bounds, or seeks gratification in a wrong way, it becomes lust.You cannot help the bad thoughts coming. As one of the Puritans said: "You cannot help the birds flying over your head, but you can keep them from building their nests in your hair." Some are part of us by heredity. Then the papers and books we read, the pictures which are exhibited in store windows and in art galleries, the conversations we overhear,--all around us there are many things exciting and appealing to us, and we are having unholy desires constantly presented to our mind. But we must not fulfill them. We may have the temptations to lust presented to us, but there is a vast difference between that and having the lust gratified. The evil thought may come to your door and knock, and you may keep your door locked. You sin when you open your heart and let the thought in and gloat over it. Then desire becomes lust.In , we read: "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts, and enticed. For when the lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Let me illustrate by the use of botany. You know that flowers have their sex, and the bees gathering honey in one flower carry the pollen to another, and the result is flower and fruit. Precisely in the same way the heart of man is always open, and bees of all kinds seem to bring the pollen of unholy thoughts; when these are sown in the desires of our nature, there is at once the result of which St. James speaks. As soon as you allow the evil thought to mingle with your nature, it bringeth forth the act of sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.I am not speaking now of the sinful state which we have inherited from Adam, but of the act of sin. Lust, when it hath conceived, bringeth forth this child of sin, and its grandchild, which is death. There you have the parent, child and grandchild.Now we may say that bad thoughts fly about like microbes. Our system of surgery has been entirely transformed in Great Britain by the recent discovery of the influence of microbes. We are now taught that the air is filled with microbes. The surgeons always keep their instruments in a solution of carbolic acid, so that when an instrument makes an incision in the flesh it will not carry microbes with it. This is to prevent suppuration, which is only the multiplication of microbes in an open wound.What microbes are to the body, bad thoughts are to the soul. As you have to use antiseptics to check microbes, so you must live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, who is the antiseptic to bad thoughts. These thoughts come from Satan. "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices," (). The Greek is, "We are not ignorant of his thoughts." Satan is always starting evil thoughts.To use a simile that anybody can understand, the soul is like a castle with a great gateway. Many people leave the gateway of their soul open, so that every vagrant, truant evil thought may come pouring in and do as it likes. At the gateway of your soul there are many thoughts apparently innocent, but really great traitors. If you keep your gateway unguarded, unsentinelled, these thoughts pour in and out, backwards and forwards, and presently blow up your whole soul with passion.Therefore, in dealing with our thoughts, two things are necessary: First, discernment; and second, keeping power.We read in ,: "In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate." The Lord of hosts shall be two things: first, a spirit of judgment, and secondly, strength. Are not these what we need? (For the rest of this chapter see - Back to Bethel by F B Meyer = plain text version or download the PDF Version) (Alternative Site)Today in the WordWhen Harry Truman became president, House speaker Sam Rayburn took him aside and said, 'From here on out you're going to have lots of people around you. They'll try to put a wall around you and cut you off from any ideas but theirs. They'll tell you what a great man you are, Harry. But you and I both know you ain't.' Rayburn wasn't trying to insult Truman. He was simply warning the new president to be on his guard. The Bible tells us to do the same thing. We need to guard our hearts because the heart is the seat of our affections, and therefore of our decisions.This truth is one more nugget in the gold mine of godly wisdom from the Proverbs. Our goal this month is to learn more about how God wants us to live and to capitalize on the resources He has provided to help us discover the path of life. contains much wisdom for us.Today's reading presents two very clear alternatives two paths that lead to very different ends. God is eager to lead us along a path that is straight, well-marked by His wisdom, and illuminated by His love.When we walk along this path, with God's instruction Book in our hands (), we don't need to worry about stumbling. God is not in the business of putting obstacles in our way.In contrast, 'the path of the wicked' () is a sharp turn in the road. Instead of being straight and well-lit, it is twisted and dark, littered with the stones and potholes of sin.Solomon could not have been any more plain. If we live according to the standards of God's Word, we will end up in 'the full light of day' (v. 18). But sin produces only darkness and eventual gloom. And no one will be able to say that God did not make the two choices clear.So how do we make sure we stay on the right path? , , , , , , , give us all the instruction we need. Solomon tells us to keep a guard on what goes into our hearts and what comes out of our mouths.At the same time, we need to keep our eyes straight ahead, fixed on Jesus (-note), so that we can see where we're going. Anyone can follow a well-marked path by paying attention to the signs.We used to sing a children's chorus that begins, 'O be careful little eyes what you see.' The song goes on to urge that we guard what our ears hear, what our hands do, and where our feet go. That's a pretty good spiritual checklist! We suggest you follow the song's biblical advice today and do a head-to-foot checkup on your Christian life.It has become commonplace in the last several years to acknowledge that proper diet and adequate exercise are crucial elements of preventing heart disease. In fact, a University of Pennsylvania study found that exercise worked like certain prescription drugs in preventing heart disease. In our culture, however, this welcome emphasis on physically healthy hearts isn’t combined with concern for spiritually healthy hearts. So consider today’s passage an ad for Spiritual Heart Check America!We begin with the oft-repeated exhortation to pay attention to the father’s words, to listen and focus on them. In short, if we’re looking at God’s words, we won’t be focusing on others’ words. We see once again the importance of treasuring up God’s Word, because His words bring forth life and health. It’s been noticed that people who are angry or unforgiving often experience increased physical ailments. Verse 23 emphasizes this: the condition of our heart is to be protected at all costs.Jesus taught the same thing. When the Pharisees accused His disciples of being unclean, Jesus replied, “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him 'unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean’ ” (). Thus today’s passages encourages us to monitor what we take in, not allowing an unfiltered stream to enter our hearts through TV, movies, magazines, and other media.Speech often indicates the true condition of our heart. It’s embarrassing to “slip” and to say something hurtful unintentionally, but this often reveals our true feelings. That’s why it’s good to be reminded that the condition of our hearts determines our words and actions. If we’re embittered toward others, we will find it nearly impossible to serve them and to look for their best. But if we have been cultivating edifying thoughts about others, we’re much more predisposed to love them through service and prayer.Matthew Henry wroteWe must keep a watchful eye and a strict hand upon all the motions of our inward man, . Here is,1. A great duty required by the laws of wisdom, and in order to our getting and preserving wisdom:Keep thy heart with all diligence. God, who gave us these souls, gave us a strict charge with them: Man, woman, keep thy heart; take heed to thy spirit, . We must maintain a holy jealousy of ourselves, and set a strict guard, accordingly, upon all the avenues of the soul; keep our hearts from doing hurt and getting hurt, from being defiled by sin and disturbed by trouble; keep them as our jewel, as our vineyard; keep a conscience void of offence; keep out bad thoughts; keep up good thoughts; keep the affections upon right objects and in due bounds. Keep them with all keepings (so the word is); there are many ways of keeping things—by care, by strength, by calling in help, and we must use them all in keeping our hearts; and all little enough, so deceitful are they, . Or above all keepings; we must keep our hearts with more care and diligence than we keep any thing else. We must keep our eyes (), keep our tongues (), keep our feet (), but, above all, keep our hearts.2. A good reason given for this care, because out of it are the issues of life.Out of a heart well kept will flow living issues, good products, to the glory of God and the edification of others. Or, in general, all the actions of the life flow from the heart, and therefore keeping that is making the tree good and healing the springs. Our lives will be regular or irregular, comfortable or uncomfortable, according as our hearts are kept or neglected.Ray Pritchard…There’s an old gospel song that says,How about your heart, is it right with God? That’s the thing that counts today.So how about your heart? Many of us are concerned about heart disease—and rightly so– but what about spiritual heart disease that is just as insidious? During a heated battle one of Napoleon’s soldiers was shot just above a heart. In those days surgery was done without anesthesia. While the doctor was removing the bullet, the soldier declared, “One inch lower you will find the emperor.”What would we find if we opened your heart today? Would we find Jesus Christ enshrined in your heart? (The Blessings of Obedience - sermon by Dr. Ray Pritchard - June 1997)What starts in the heart ends up on the lips ("rotten speech" -note, "rotten attitudes" -note). What begins with bitterness ends with slander. We think, we feel, and then we speak. What starts as a grievance becomes an outburst of wrath that hardens into anger that expresses itself in clamor and ultimately as slander. Malice marks such a person through and though. And it all starts with personal hurt that becomes bitterness. Stop it at the first and you won’t have to stop it at the last. That’s why reminds us to “guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.” We are doing Satan’s work when we climb that staircase. Every step is a step for him. (Do Not Grieve the Spirit - sermon by Dr. Ray Pritchard - June 2005)Healthcare for the Heart - If you're over 40 years old, your heart has already beat more than 1.5 billion times. I know that when my heart stops, it will be too late to change my ways. So I've been trying to control my weight, get exercise, and watch not only what I eat but also what's eating me.

This last point relates to another vital organ called "the heart"—our spiritual heart. It too has throbbed millions of times with thoughts, affections, and choices. In the heart we determine how we will speak, behave, and respond to life's circumstances (). Will we trust the Lord and choose to be gracious, patient, and loving? Or will we yield to pride, greed, and bitterness?

Today's Scripture reading emphasizes the importance of caring for our heart. Are we keeping spiritually fit?Weight: Do we need to lose the weight of unnecessary burdens and cares?Pulse: Are we maintaining a steady rhythm of gratitude and praise?Blood pressure: Is our trust greater than our anxiety?Diet: Are we enjoying the life-giving nutrients of the Word of God?Have you checked your heart lately? — Mart De HaanO Lord, You see what's in the heart— There's nothing hid from You; So help us live the kind of life That's filled with love for You. —D. De HaanTo keep spiritually fit, consult the Great Physician.Spiritual Heart Care - You're up at the crack of dawn, doing your exercises. You're not going to let your heart get weak! You've trimmed the fat from your diet. You get regular cholesterol checks. And you're exercising four times a week to keep your cardiovascular system in peak condition.

But you've let your spiritual heart turn to mush. Preoccupied with the temporary, you've neglected the eternal. You seldom read the Bible anymore. Your prayers are lists of requests to God to make your life more comfortable and pain-free. By the time you reach the church door after the sermon, you can't recall what the pastor said because you were thinking about something else.

If this describes you, it's time to get into a spiritual heart-care program. It begins where David (a man after God's own heart , 1 Sa 13:44, 16:7) was in --by acknowledging that God knows all about your heart. It continues in , "Create in me a clean heart, O God." And it results in the prayer ofPsalm 19:14, "Let … the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord."

Taking care of your body makes sense, but it makes even more sense to gain spiritual fitness by walking with the Lord. That's an exercise program with eternal value! — David C. Egner (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)Dear Jesus, take my heart and hand, And grant me this, I pray: That I through Your sweet love may grow More like You day by day. --Garrison

To keep spiritually fit, keep walking with the Lord.The Secret Garden - The Secret Garden, a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, tells the story of Mary, a young girl who goes to live with her wealthy uncle Archibald on his estate in England. Mary gets to know Dickon, a working-class boy who loves nature. The two children discover a fenced-in garden that Mary’s uncle has locked up because it reminds him of his deceased wife. The garden looks dead because of neglect, but Dickon assures Mary that, with proper tending, it will recover with new life. With the children’s help, “the secret garden” eventually bursts forth with colorful, fragrant blooms.

All of us have a secret garden of the heart. How we tend it will determine what speech and behavior it produces. Proverbs wisely admonishes us: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (). The word keep means “to watch or guard with fidelity.” Guarding what we take into our hearts and monitoring our response will determine what takes root there. As we remove the thorns of resentment, weeds of lust, and roots of bitterness, we can replace them with the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (-note, -note). (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

Are you tending the garden of your heart? — Dennis FisherThink not alone of outward form; Its beauty will depart; But cultivate the Spirit’s fruits That grow within the heart. —D. De Haan

God wants you to water the seed He’s planted in your heart.The Cost Of Neglect - I read about a Detroit man who couldn't find his house. He had gone to the right address but all he found was an empty lot. Completely baffled, he asked the Detroit Free Press to help him figure out what was going on. A newspaper reporter learned that not only was the house gone, but the deed to the empty lot was in someone else's name.

What had happened? For one thing, a few years had passed since the homeowner had left the city without providing a forwarding address. In addition, he had failed to make arrangements for someone to keep the property in repair. So the house was torn down because a city ordinance called for the removal of neighborhood eyesores.

The homeowner's neglect illustrates the practical truth of . Neglect leads to loss. This principle also applies to our daily walk with God. If we neglect our times of prayer and fellowship with the Lord, our relationship with Him will deteriorate and we will no longer experience His favor. We would never want that to happen, but we allow it when we become preoccupied with anything that comes between us and Christ.

We need to establish priorities that honor God. Then we'll avoid the loss that comes from neglect. — Mart De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)Unless we're occupied with Jesus And seek to do His will each day, We're sure to know the loss and sorrow That comes when we neglect His way. —Anon.

If you shirk today's tasks, you increase tomorrow's burdens.Hostile Heart - Beware the hostile heart. That's the warning of Dr. Redford Williams from Duke University's Behavioral Medicine Research Center. He has been saying for years that having a hostile personality can kill us--most often by heart disease but also by injuries and accidents. Anger speeds the heart rate, raises blood pressure, and disrupts the coronary arteries.

Some indicators of a hostile heart are impatience with delays, mistrust of co-workers, annoyance with the habits of family members or friends, and a persistent need to have the last word in arguments or to get even when wronged.

In , a wise father urged his son to listen closely to his words. He said, "They are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life" (, ).

Our wise heavenly Father issues the same call to us about His life-giving words recorded for us in the Bible. The transformation of a hostile heart begins as we listen to God, meditate on His Word, and allow Him to alter our behavior and speech. It's a prescription I need to follow today. How about you? — David C. McCasland (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)I want my heart to be in tune with God, In every stage of life may it ring true; I want my thoughts and words to honor Him, To lift Him up in everything I do. --Hess