HOW ABOUT YOUR HEART?
SEPTEMBER 12, 2024
TEXT: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
(Read Jeremiah 17:1-11)
The heart is the core of our being, guiding our daily choices and decisions. It’s the battlefield where vanity, falsehood, and hypocrisy reside, often deceiving us and leading us astray.
In Jeremiah 17, God reveals the spiritual affliction of the children of Israel, exposing the internal condition of their hearts and highlighting the need for a heart transformation.
FOUR HEART CONDITIONS
1. Divided and Hardened Heart (vs 1-4): A heart torn between loving God and indulging in sin and idolatry, leading to spiritual numbness and rebellion. This condition makes it challenging to repent and turn back to God.
2. The Departed Heart(vs 5-6): A heart that has completely rejected God’s guidance and correction, trusting in something else and bringing a self-inflicted curse upon oneself.
3. The Devoted Heart (vs 7-8): A heart characterized by unwavering trust in the Lord, hope anchored in Him, and a confident expectation of His promises. This heart is like a tree planted by a river, nourished and fruitful.
4. The Deceitful Heart (vs 9-11): A heart that is dishonest, insincere, and corrupt, prone to hiding one’s true intentions and motivations. This heart deceives both oneself and others, leading to sinful thoughts, words, and actions.
A NEW HEART
To align ourselves with God, our heart must undergo a purging process, eradicating depravity and embracing God’s image. This transformation enables us to foster the advancement of God’s interests, subdue the interests of the world and flesh, and cultivate a love for holiness.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A NEW HEART
What is the first thing we need to be Christians? A new heart. What is the sacrifice God asks us to bring to Him? A broken and a contrite heart. What is genuine obedience? To obey from the heart. Where ought Christ to dwell? In our heart by faith. What is the chief request that wisdom makes to everyone? “My son, give me your heart.”
SEARCHLIGHT:It is only as the desire of the heart is fixed upon God, seeking Him wholeheartedly, giving its love and finding its joy in Him, that we can draw nigh to God.
PRAYER: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)
BIBLE READING: Isaiah 50-52 & Rev 14
PST. MICHAEL OMOLE
Website: https://goyebibleministry.org/606-2/
