The House of My Heart

As a recovering HGTV junkie, I have heard this phrase more times than I could ever enumerate: "the kitchen is the heart of the home." I understand what they're trying to say. It's the place where it all comes together. Where fellowship happens. Where busy ships cross paths en route from one activity to the other. Most importantly, the place where the coffee is brewed each morning.

Well, I mean, that's important to me. But, I digress.

This morning, though, God dropped a few scriptures in my heart, and this thought: What about the 'home' of my heart? What is the condition of the space that is my heart, the central seat of my emotions and devotion? Is my heart ready for prime-time?

Ezekiel was charged with prophesying to a rebellious, self-centered Israel. Israel was just about to be carried off by Babylon's army into 70 years of captivity, but they had a boatload of false prophets satisfying their itching ears with promises of 'peace' and 'safety' and 'prosperity.'

Ezekiel wasn't interested in playing their game. He had no problem laying the smack down.

Ezekiel 14:1-3, 6-8 NKJV

Now some of the ELDERS OF ISRAEL came to me and sat before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, these men have set up their IDOLS IN THEIR HEARTS, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them? +++

⁶ “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. ⁷ For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the Lord will answer him by Myself. ⁸ I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

This lead me on a stream-of-consciousness scripture journey, as various "heart" passages popped into my head. Ready? Here we go:

Proverbs 4:23 NKJV

3 Keep your heart with all diligence,

For out of it spring the issues of life.

Luke 6:45-46 NKJV

45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART his mouth speaks.

46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?

Luke 6:19-21 NKJV

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, there YOUR HEART WILL BE also.

Proverbs 14:14 NKJV

The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from ABOVE.

Proverbs 27:19 NKJV

As in water face reflects face, So a man’s HEART REVEALS the man.

Proverbs 21:20 NKJV

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.

We can chime out "God knows my heart" like that's a good thing--but the reality is, God KNOWS my heart. He knows everything that is there. EVERY. SINGLE. THING.

He knows my jealousy.

He knows my dissatisfaction.

He knows my anger, and selfishness, and petulant attitude.

He knows the REAL ME.

Far from comforting me or making me feel justified--that fact draws me to throw myself on His great mercy.

God KNOWS my heart.

There's no smug flip of the hair or turning on my heel that accompanies that statement, dismissing any criticism or concerns. Only a realization that, Lord, have mercy--I NEED HIM.

1 John 3:18-22 NKJV

18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, GOD IS GREATER THAN OUR HEART, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, WE HAVE CONFIDENCE TOWARD GOD. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, BECAUSE we keep His commandments and do those things that are PLEASING in His sight. 

My confidence is not in ME. It's all in Him, and the vastness of His larger-than-humanly-comprehensible heart.

I'm so glad to know His heart eclipses the condition of my own. And I welcome Him in to clean the house of my heart of any idols anytime He sees fit.  

For that truly is the heart of the matter.