Matthew 15:17-20 (Jesus speaking)
“Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But whatever [word] comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defiles and dishonors the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts and plans, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slanders (verbal abuse, irreverent speech, blaspheming). These are the things which defile and dishonor the man; but eating with [ceremonially] unwashed hands does not defile the man.”
The Word gives us directions about what WE need to do about our heart, and I suspect none of us gives our heart much thought. Spiritually, we see the need throughout scripture. There are so many scriptures to turn to in order to understand the significance of the heart. I’m going to share the ones that have brought meaning to my life without attempting to tell you which ones are the most important.
Matthew 6:21. 5:8 / Proverbs 3:5, 23:26, / Psalms 51:10.73:26,37:4.9:1.26:2,
24:4, 19:14. 119:1/ Philippians 4:7/ John 14:27 / Mark 6:52
Both Old and New Testaments, and these are only a few. But it should tell us the importance of our heart and how we should protect it.
“Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” [Proverbs 4:23]
The Message Bible says: “Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts.” And this also demonstrates how important it is to read the same scriptures in a variety of translations and versions as they will increase our understanding.
Who does the being vigilant, watching, guarding? WE do. We can’t ask our neighbor, our spouse, our parents, it is always OUR responsibility. Partially, I think, because only we are with ourselves 24x7x365. But mostly because it is something that we control, we decide – we do our feeding.
If I had to sum up this appeal to you, the reason that I have titled this: it’s ALL about our Heart can be summed up in the Message Bible’s Proverbs 3: 5-12
“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give Him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child He loves that God corrects;”
