Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,
Isaiah 26:8-9
we wait for you;
your name and renown
are the desire of our hearts.
My soul yearns for you in the night;
in the morning my spirit longs for you.
When your judgments come upon the earth,
the people of the world learn righteousness.
The scripture tells us to keep our hearts with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. It also tells us that our hearts are deceitful above all things, and desperately sick. I’m reminded that the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of our hearts.
In the Bible, we see at least seven “hearts” to avoid and seven “hearts” to seek!
DOUBLE HEART: Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak (Psalm 12:2)
STUBBORN HEART: So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices (Psalm 81:12)
DISLOYAL HEART: They would not be like their ancestors— a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him (Psalm 78:8)
HARD HEART: Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity (Proverbs 28:14)
PROUD HEART: Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin (Proverbs 21:4)
COLD HEART: Because of people breaking the laws and sin being everywhere, the love in the hearts of many people will become cold (Matthew 24:12)
UNBELIEVING HEART: Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God (Hebrews 3:12)
TRUSTING, JOYFUL HEART: The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him (Psalm 28:7)
SINGING HEART: So now my heart will sing to you and not be silent; O Lord my God, I will always give thanks to you (Psalm 30:12)
PURE, CLEAN HEART: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51: 10)
STEADFAST HEART: My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music (Psalm 57:7)
UPRIGHT HEART: The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; all the upright in heart will glory in him (Psalm 64:10)
STRENGTHENED HEART: My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:26)
UNDIVIDED HEART: Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name (Psalm 86:11)
As we trust in God’s unfailing love,
our hearts will rejoice in this great gift of salvation.
Take Thou my heart, I would be Thine alone;
Charles H. Gabriel 1906
Take Thou my heart and make it all Thine own;
Purge me from sin, O Lord, I now implore,
Wash me and keep me Thine forevermore.
