Read Jeremiah 17 – 21
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Jeremiah 17:9-10 KJV
I have often heard it said that the safest thing we can do is to listen to our own heart. Many have been raised to believe this is the only sure truth, but it is a lie. Our society teaches a person’s can be trusted, we tell ourselves to be true to our own heart because it can be trusted, but the Bible says our heart cannot be trusted because it is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Too many have become casualties of their own heart. They followed their heart and ended up in sin. They believed they were being true to themselves, but instead were being deceived by their own heart. We fail to realize our hearts have been molded by sinful desires and choices. We think if there is anything we know it is our heart, but we don’t and can’t. Only the Lord, who searches the heart and tries the heart can know our hearts and change them if we surrender our hearts to Him.
Lord, too many times I have listened to my heart only to suffer the consequences of doing so. It seems to crave the very things You say are not good for me. Help me to be true to You and not my heart. Help me to listen to You and not my heart. Cleanse my heart and make it to be wholly devoted to You.
A question to ponder: Rather than being true to our heart the Bible teaches us to be true to God’s heart, what do we need to do to accomplish this?
