The Heart's Direction
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The concept of the heart's direction is a significant theme throughout the Bible, reflecting the inner orientation and intentions of a person. In biblical terms, the heart is often seen as the center of one's being, encompassing emotions, will, intellect, and moral character. The direction of the heart is crucial in determining one's relationship with God and others.

Biblical Understanding of the Heart

In Scripture, the heart is more than just the seat of emotions; it is the core of a person's identity and decision-making. Proverbs 4:23 emphasizes the importance of guarding the heart: "Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life." This verse underscores the heart's role as the source of life and actions, indicating that the direction of the heart influences one's entire being.

The Heart's Inclination Toward God

A heart directed toward God is characterized by love, obedience, and faithfulness. Deuteronomy 6:5 commands, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." This commandment highlights the necessity of a wholehearted devotion to God, where the heart's direction is aligned with His will.

The Psalms frequently express a desire for a heart that seeks God. Psalm 51:10 is a plea for inner transformation: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." This request for a pure heart reflects the understanding that a heart aligned with God is essential for righteous living.

The Heart's Deviation from God

Conversely, the Bible warns of the dangers of a heart that turns away from God. Jeremiah 17:9 describes the deceitful nature of the heart: "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" This verse highlights the propensity of the human heart to stray from God's ways, necessitating divine intervention for true understanding and correction.

In the New Testament, Jesus addresses the issue of the heart's direction in Matthew 15:18-19 : "But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." Here, Jesus emphasizes that sinful actions originate from a heart not aligned with God.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The transformation of the heart's direction is a work of the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel 36:26-27 promises a new heart and spirit: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances." This prophetic promise points to the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit, enabling believers to have hearts directed toward God.

The Heart's Direction in Christian Living

For Christians, the heart's direction is integral to spiritual growth and maturity. Colossians 3:1-2 encourages believers to set their hearts on heavenly things: "Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." This exhortation calls for a heart focused on eternal values rather than temporal concerns.

The heart's direction is also evident in the practice of love and service. 1 John 3:18-19 instructs, "Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth. And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence." A heart directed by love manifests in tangible actions, affirming one's alignment with God's truth.

Conclusion

The heart's direction is a central theme in the Bible, reflecting one's inner orientation toward or away from God. Through the transformative work of the Holy Spirit, believers are called to cultivate hearts that seek God, love others, and pursue righteousness.
Subtopics

Character of the Renewed Heart: A Treasury of Good

Character of the Renewed Heart: Awed by the Word of God

Character of the Renewed Heart: Broken, Contrite

Character of the Renewed Heart: Circumcised

Character of the Renewed Heart: Clean

Character of the Renewed Heart: Confident in God

Character of the Renewed Heart: Desirous of God

Character of the Renewed Heart: Enlarged

Character of the Renewed Heart: Faithful to God

Character of the Renewed Heart: Filled With the Fear of God

Character of the Renewed Heart: Filled With the Law of God

Character of the Renewed Heart: Fixed on God

Character of the Renewed Heart: Honest and Good

Character of the Renewed Heart: Inclined to Obedience

Character of the Renewed Heart: Joyful in God

Character of the Renewed Heart: Meditative

Character of the Renewed Heart: Obedient

Character of the Renewed Heart: Perfect With God

Character of the Renewed Heart: Prayerful

Character of the Renewed Heart: Prepared to Seek God

Character of the Renewed Heart: Pure

Character of the Renewed Heart: Single and Sincere

Character of the Renewed Heart: Sympathising

Character of the Renewed Heart: Tender

Character of the Renewed Heart: Upright

Character of the Renewed Heart: Void of Fear

Character of the Renewed Heart: Wholly Devoted to God

Character of the Renewed Heart: Wise

Character of the Renewed Heart: Zealous

Character of the Unrenewed Heart of Little Worth

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: A Treasury of Evil

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Blind

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Carnal

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Covetous

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Darkened

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Deceitful

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Deceived

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Desperately Wicked

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Despiteful

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Divided

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Double

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Elated by Prosperity

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Elated by Sensual Indulgence

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Ensnaring

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Far from God

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Foolish

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Fretful Against the Lord

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Froward

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Full of Evil

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Full of Evil Imaginations

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Full of Vain Thoughts

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Fully Set to do Evil

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Hard

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Hateful to God

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Haughty

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Idolatrous

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Impenitent

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Influenced by the Devil

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Mad

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Mischievous

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Not Perfect With God

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Not Prepared to Seek God

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Often Judicially Hardened

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Often Judicially Stupefied

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Perverse

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Prone to Depart from God

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Prone to Error

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Proud

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Rebellious

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Stiff

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Stony

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Stout

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Studies Destruction

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Unbelieving

Character of the Unrenewed Heart: Uncircumcised

Heart

Heart: Change of Saul

Heart: Change of Saul of Tarsus

Heart: Change of Solomon

Heart: Hardened Hearts: King of Canaan

Heart: Hardened Hearts: Others

Heart: Hardened Hearts: Pharoah

Heart: Hardened Hearts: Sihon

Heart: Known to God

Heart: Renewed

Heart: Renewed: Be Joyful

Heart: Renewed: Clean

Heart: Renewed: Compassionate

Heart: Renewed: Devout

Heart: Renewed: Enlightened

Heart: Renewed: Faith

Heart: Renewed: Fear

Heart: Renewed: Fidelity

Heart: Renewed: Graciously Affected of God

Heart: Renewed: Holy

Heart: Renewed: It should Render to God Obedience

Heart: Renewed: It should Seek God

Heart: Renewed: Love

Heart: Renewed: Lowly

Heart: Renewed: Pure

Heart: Renewed: Regenerated

Heart: Renewed: Repentant

Heart: Renewed: Sincere

Heart: Renewed: Strengthened

Heart: Renewed: Tender

Heart: Renewed: Tested

Heart: Renewed: Trust

Heart: Renewed: Upright

Heart: Renewed: Wise

Heart: Renewed: Zeal

Heart: The Unregenerate is a Fountain of Evil

Heart: The Unregenerate is Covetous

Heart: The Unregenerate is Deceitful

Heart: The Unregenerate is Diabolical

Heart: The Unregenerate is Double (Duplicity)

Heart: The Unregenerate is Foolish

Heart: The Unregenerate is Full of Iniquity

Heart: The Unregenerate is Hard

Heart: The Unregenerate is Impenitent

Heart: The Unregenerate is Judicially Hardened

Heart: The Unregenerate is Malicious

Heart: The Unregenerate is Proud

Heart: The Unregenerate is Sensual

Heart: The Unregenerate is Subtle

Heart: The Unregenerate is Wayward

Heart: The Unregenerate is Worldly

Heart: The Unregenerate: Blind

Heart: The Unregenerate: Loves Evil

Heart: Unclassified Scriptures Descriptive of the Seat of the Affections

The Heart: Faith, the Means of Purifying

The Heart: God: Creates a New

The Heart: God: Enlightens

The Heart: God: Establishes

The Heart: God: Influences

The Heart: God: Knows

The Heart: God: Opens

The Heart: God: Ponders

The Heart: God: Prepares

The Heart: God: Searched

The Heart: God: Strengthens

The Heart: God: Tries

The Heart: God: Understands the Thoughts of

The Heart: Harden not Against the Poor

The Heart: Harden Not, Against God

The Heart: He That Trusts In, is a Fool

The Heart: Issues of Life are out of

The Heart: Know the Plague of

The Heart: No Man Can Cleanse

The Heart: Pray That It May Be: Cleansed

The Heart: Pray That It May Be: Directed Into the Love of God

The Heart: Pray That It May Be: Inclined to God's Testimonies

The Heart: Pray That It May Be: United to Fear God

The Heart: Regard not Iniquity In

The Heart: Renewal of, Promised Under the Gospel

The Heart: should be Applied to Wisdom

The Heart: should be Given to God

The Heart: should be Guided in the Right

The Heart: should be Kept With Diligence

The Heart: should be Perfect With God

The Heart: should be Prepared to God

The Heart: should be Purified

The Heart: should be Single

The Heart: should be Tender

The Heart: Take Heed Lest It to be Deceived

The Heart: The Pure In, Shall See God

The Heart: we should Believe With

The Heart: we should do the Will of God From

The Heart: we should Keep God's Statutes With All

The Heart: we should Love God With All

The Heart: we should Love One Another With a Pure

The Heart: we should Return to God With All

The Heart: we should Sanctify God In

The Heart: we should Serve God With All

The Heart: we should Trust in God With All

The Heart: we should Walk Before God With All

The Heart: when Broken and Contrite, not Despised by God

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The Heart's Deceptiveness
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