How Is Your Heart?

by R. Darke, Victoria, B.C. | Category: General | Mar 1977

In many Western countries heart attacks are still considered by doctors to be the number one killer of people. Without our knowing, our hearts can be diseased, failing, or otherwise unsound. On the other hand symptoms can indicate heart weakness, and a variety of medical tests will quickly reveal the extent of the problem. Advice or treatment is then outlined for the patient's benefit. Heart examination, therefore, can prove to be a good thing from a physical, and likewise a spiritual, standpoint.

The longest psalm in the Bible is the one hundred and nineteenth, and it consists of a wonderful variety of prayers by a sensitive, godly man. One of his requests is for a sound heart. "Let my heart be sound in Thy statutes", he cries (v.80, AV). He was asking for a heart that was clean, full of integrity, truth, sincerity, and entire: a spiritually-healthy heart indeed, and is in contrast to the "fat as grease" heart of the proud (v.70). From a spiritual viewpoint this psalmist would instruct us that to maintain a healthy heart we should avoid pride, mischief, and unbelief.

Our hearts are the seat of our affections, the very centre of things. The Hebrew word for heart is leb, meaning the centre of everything. Our

hearts must have spiritual protection; that is why the breastplate is mentioned as part of the whole armour of God (Eph. 6). The helmet of salvation is to protect the mind; the breastplate of righteousness is for the heart. In Israel an ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet and fine twined linen was made for the high priest. Made from the same five materials, which might speak of Christ in His divine glory, His heavenly character, His majesty, His humiliation, and His pure life, was the breastplate. On it were names of the children of Israel according to their tribes, which can teach us the importance of heart service to the Lord; while on the shoulder pieces of the ephod were their names according to birth, which indicates to us the truth of security in the strength of the Lord Jesus. The breastplate and the shoulder pieces were joined by golden chains, showing a precious divine link between salvation (shoulder pieces) and service (the breastplate). The two should be inseparable in the life of the disciple.

For Israel's benefit it is written: "And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgement upon his heart.

and Aaron shall bear the judgement of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually" (Exod. 28:29,30). For us it is encouraging to remember that

"On His heart our names are graven,

On His shoulders we are borne.

For His sake the Father loves us;

Praise becomes us in return".

Secure in Him and in His love, may our hearts respond with service, fruitful and affectionate.

David was commended by God for having it in his heart to build the divine dwelling-place. "Thou didst well that it was in thine heart", said the Lord (1 Kings 8:18). Solomon received largeness of heart, wisdom, and understanding exceeding much at the beginning of his glorious reign. At the end of his reign we have this sad commentary: "And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon ... I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant" (11:9-11).

Today, the Lord wants obedience from our hearts to that form, or pattern, or mould of teaching which He has revealed to us for our life in the house of God (Rom. 6:17). He does not want us to be carried away by the strange teachings and ideas of men, which are so prevalent today. He says, "for it is good that the heart be stablished by grace" (Heb. 13:9). What does stablished mean? Simply, to be solid, firm, sure, concerning God's place and plan for you in the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:16). It also means to set a steady pace for your feet in fellowship with others. This we can accomplish by being obedient to the truth; and being obedient involves listening attentively, and responding humbly. Can we be like the Israelite who was encouraged to look at the cord of blue which was to be attached to the border of his garment, and not go about "after your own heart and your own eyes", which could lead back to Egypt (Num. 15:37-41)? We have a spiritual cord of blue which identifies us as a heavenly people. If our hearts are set on the realization that our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20); that we are born from above (John 3:3); that we are living stones built up for a spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:5); and that our Saviour is on the throne of heaven (Heb. 12:2); it will discourage our eyes and hearts from wandering back into the world to spy out its pleasures (Num. 15:39 RV margin).

R. Darke, Victoria, B.C. | Mar 1977
General