The Issues Of The Heart

God is interested in the contents of our hearts. Our outward actions may be right, but God sees our inward motives…….

The issues of life flow out of our hearts through our mouths, actions and attitudes. Whatever is in our hearts in abundance has a profound way of impacting our circumstances as well as other things around us. It seems like the prophecies of our life can be found in the substance of what is in our hearts. The nature of our hearts is a combination of what is in our spirits and souls. Our conscious acceptance or rejection of mentalities, ideas and orientations all go a long way to determine many things in our lives. Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else guard your heart for it affects everything you do.” Another translation says, “out of it proceeds the issues of life.”
Death and life lie in the power of the tongue and the tongue speaks out of the abundance of the heart, therefore the heart is the carrier of the issues of life and death. The man Jeroboam is a classic example of one who missed out on God’s will for His life due to many circumstances surrounding his life. The chief issue that affected him were the issues of his heart. In 1 Kings 11:28 – 39, we read of the qualities of the man and God’s Word to him. We need to take time to read the wonderful covenant words spoken by God to this man in verses 37 – 39. It is interesting to note that God gave conditions for the fulfilment of the prophecy.

Food for thought:1. The issues of the heart need constant examination.
2. When we have rebellion or revenge in our hearts, we are open to Satan’s onslaught to destroy whatever we have of God in us.
3. We easily tend to take our focus from God when we feel threatened. We tend to use natural means to fulfil spiritual purposes.
4. When our activities weaken our intimacy with God then we end up doing whatever is in our hearts that will be cunningly devised by us to achieve selfish ends.
5. Allowing God’s methods can be unpopular, slow and seem foolish sometimes but He sees the hearts and knows how to do His things. All He wants is that we trust Him absolutely.
6. The issues of greed, selfishness and seeking fame for ourselves are so embedded in us that it takes God to show us the wickedness in our hearts.