I found myself thinking about my heart today and how Scripture seems to talk about it a lot, perhaps it is because it is our center of hidden emotional-intellectual-moral activity within. So how important is what is going on in our hearts and what does God have to say about it?
Psalm 24:4-5 "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation."
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:30-31 "The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip."
Psalm 44:20-21 "If we has forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart."
Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."
Psalm 66:18 "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened."
Psalm 81:11-12 "But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels."
Psalm 101:2-5 "I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. Whoever slanders his neighbour secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure."
Psalm 119:11 "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
Psalm 119:36 "Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!"
Psalm 119:80 "May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame!"
Psalm 139:23 "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!"
Psalm 141:4 "Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!"
Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."
Proverbs 4:23 "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life."
Proverbs 11:20 "Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight."
Proverbs 12:20 "Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy."
Proverbs 12:25 "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad."
Proverbs 13:12 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life."
Proverbs 14:10 "The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy."
Proverbs 15:28 "The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things."
Proverbs 16:9 "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."
Proverbs 17:3 "The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts."
Proverbs 19:3 "When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD."
Proverbs 20:9 "Who can say, 'I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin'?"
Proverbs 21:2 "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart."
Proverbs 27:19 "As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man."
I have limited the content of this post to focus on Psalms and Proverbs though matters regarding the heart are found throughout the whole of God's Word. A lot of these verses are simply truth statements while others are prayers. It is a lot to take in and consider, especially because we are commanded first and foremost to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). God knows what is going on in our hearts and He will disclose the purpose of the heart when He comes (1 Corinthians 4:5) so let us be eager to align our hearts with His and cry out to Him in prayer to help us to do so as it is both for His glory and our good. :)
Psalm 24:4-5 "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation."
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:30-31 "The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip."
Psalm 44:20-21 "If we has forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart."
Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."
Psalm 66:18 "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened."
Psalm 81:11-12 "But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels."
Psalm 101:2-5 "I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. Whoever slanders his neighbour secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure."
Psalm 119:11 "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
Psalm 119:36 "Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!"
Psalm 119:80 "May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame!"
Psalm 139:23 "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!"
Psalm 141:4 "Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!"
Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."
Proverbs 4:23 "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life."
Proverbs 11:20 "Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight."
Proverbs 12:20 "Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy."
Proverbs 12:25 "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad."
Proverbs 13:12 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life."
Proverbs 14:10 "The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy."
Proverbs 15:28 "The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things."
Proverbs 16:9 "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."
Proverbs 17:3 "The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts."
Proverbs 19:3 "When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD."
Proverbs 20:9 "Who can say, 'I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin'?"
Proverbs 21:2 "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart."
Proverbs 27:19 "As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man."
I have limited the content of this post to focus on Psalms and Proverbs though matters regarding the heart are found throughout the whole of God's Word. A lot of these verses are simply truth statements while others are prayers. It is a lot to take in and consider, especially because we are commanded first and foremost to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). God knows what is going on in our hearts and He will disclose the purpose of the heart when He comes (1 Corinthians 4:5) so let us be eager to align our hearts with His and cry out to Him in prayer to help us to do so as it is both for His glory and our good. :)
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