Today’s Devotion
Topic: The Heart
Text: Psalm 11: 2
For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. Amen
The heart is a sensitive organ of the human body. It is responsible for maintaining the flow of blood through the entire circulatory system. The malfunctioning of the heart leads to the end of life.
According to Proverbs 4:23, the heart is the “wellspring of life”…it is the centre of the human spirit from which spring emotions, thoughts, motivations, courage and action. Jesus draws our attention to the sensitivity and importance of the heart when He says “…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”(Luke 6: 45)
The heart of man is capable of keeping evil or good. It can also be broken or harbour fear. Let’s break it down this way:
Evil hearts: Out of our hearts can spring forth evil thoughts and desires such as: murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, jealousy, pride and slander; if we have not allowed Jesus to give us a heart like His. The heart, for this matter, needs to be guarded against evil through regeneration in Christ, obedience to the Word and constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
Good hearts: The heart can also be the foundation to our righteousness if we fill it with the Word of God.
Fearful or troubled hearts: Sometimes, due to experiences of the past, the misinterpretations of present situations or the anticipation of trouble, many harbour fear in their hearts till there’s no more confidence in them to do anything meaningful. It is important to get fear out of your heart by believing the report of God and not man. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
And to those who have tried on their own to let fear out of their hearts, but to no avail, Prophet Isaiah encourages you aloud: “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution, He will come to save you.” (Is 35:4)
Broken hearts: Hearts and spirits do get broken when disappointed. Sometimes the hurt run so deep that no amount of words, medicine or therapy can help. Only a touch from our Saviour can restore such hearts. That is why to the brokenhearted, Jesus says: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted.” (Luke 4: 18)
Let us therefore learn to hand our hearts to the Lord in prayer. He is able to guard all that we entrust in His care to the end.
Kindly note that due to the vulnerability of the heart, the devil tries to overcome us by attacking our hearts. The Psalmist therefore prays for God’s protection against wicked people who set arrows to shoot at the upright in heart. To draw our hearts from God, the devil shoots troubles, anger, negative influences and false doctrines.
Begin to pray. Place your heart on the altar of God and ask Him to purge it with His holy fire till your heart is renewed. One that is free from sin and fear, one that is protected from the schemes of darkness, and one that can not be broken because it’s kept with God.
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