The things that proceed from the heart

The Bible has much to say about the heart of man. Throughout its pages we see the clear evidence of how God deals first with the things within our heart. It is the things that proceed from the heart that are the very core of who we are as individuals.

Matthew 15:19-20, For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

It is important for us to take a close look into this issue because there is much we can learn. People will try to pretend to be something they aren’t. No matter how we try to hid who we really are, God knows the very thoughts we have.

We look on the outward appearance of people and can easily be deceived. Each of us have dealt with people we thought we could trust but learned that their true intentions were to cause harm or get an advantage over us. If we could look into their heart we would see their betrayal. When God looks at us, He sees exactly who we are.

1 Samuel 16:7, But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

We can also see that the Lord will expose who we really are as well. The Lord will put us into situations that try our faith and allow who we really are to proceed from the heart. Persecution within the church will drive those who are unfaithful from it. We clearly see that throughout the history of the church as well in some parts of the world today. The nations of the world clearly show their rejection of God.

In the Book of Exodus we read about how Pharaoh continued to defy the Lord and refused to let Israel go. We read that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. What the Lord did was to expose who pharaoh really was because the Lord knew that pharaoh didn’t really want to let them leave.

The trials of our faith will expose who we really are. Our reaction to the conditions we have in life will either draw us closer to the Lord Jesus or will drive us from Him. God knows the depths of our lives and we are to draw close to Him. We must be honest with ourselves and with Him because He knows us better than we know ourselves.