“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23).
Jesus stated, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matt. 12:35). Again, in another place, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matt. 15:19). It is no wonder that the exhortation from Solomon is to guard the heart. Consider three kinds of hearts and their consequences.
1. Stubborn. There are three Hebrew words for “stubborn” in the Old Testament. One means “to be stubborn, rebellious” (Brown, Driver, Briggs, pp. 710-711). It is written of the Israelite fathers, “And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God” (Ps. 78:8). A second word means “to push, press, thus arrogance, presumption” (BDB, p. 823). Samuel used this word where he said to Saul, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1 Sam. 15:23). The third word means “hard, severe, stubborn” (BDB, p. 904). It is written of those in the days of the judges, “And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way” (Judges 2:19). Nothing good comes from this disposition.
2. Secular. The sensual, carnal, worldly heart focuses upon the things of this life. Even if such a heart sees a value in the word of God in the heart, Jesus said, “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection” (Luke 8:14). To be a friend of God and a friend of the world at the same time is to be conflicted. James wrote, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). John warned, “Love not the world, neither the things of the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:15-16). Here is another example of a heart that needs to be purified to be productive toward God.
3. Spiritual. Paul wrote to the Roman brethren, “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:5-6). The revelation of the Spirit, which is the inspired written word of God (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16-17), is the light to the path (cf. Ps. 119:105) which keeps one from sin (cf. Ps. 119:11) and greatly comforts (cf. Ps. 119:50). The value of this kind of heart is greatly magnified in Psalm 119. “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart” (Ps. 119:1-2). Here is the disposition to have.
Jimmy Clark