The word “heart” in the Bible refers to “the center of things” or the “inner man” or “the governing center” of man. There is no suggestion in Scripture that the brain is the center of our consciousness, our wills, or our thoughts. In fact, some Biblical scholars believe that the “First great commandment probably means ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart’ - that is with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” In other words, what is in our hearts is what comes out in our lives.

Looked at from this point of view, the heart is essentially where our thoughts and desires and goals and values originate. So, we can say that for the Christian, life is “lived from the inside out.” Sooner or later, if it’s on the inside, it will surface on the outside. Then people will know who we are and what matters most to us. Indeed, seeing is believing.

The Psalmist gave us this truth when he wrote: “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Jesus added His wisdom to this very basic truth when He said, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart...For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”  

One of the most popular advertisements on TV is the one that asks, “What’s in your wallet?” But in the end, the answer to that question is not important. It’s “What’s in your heart” that matters most. If God’s Word is in our hearts, He will be obvious in our lives!

Prayer:  Help us, Father, to spend time in Your Word and with Your Word so others will see Your Word in us. Help us to maintain the integrity of our relationship and witness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11

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The word “heart” in the Bible refers to “the center of things” or the “inner man” or “the governing center” of man. There is no suggestion in Scripture that the brain is the center of our consciousness, our wills, or our thoughts. In fact, some Biblical scholars believe that the “First great commandment probably means ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart’ - that is with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” In other words, what is in our hearts is what comes out in our lives.

Looked at from this point of view, the heart is essentially where our thoughts and desires and goals and values originate. So, we can say that for the Christian, life is “lived from the inside out.” Sooner or later, if it’s on the inside, it will surface on the outside. Then people will know who we are and what matters most to us. Indeed, seeing is believing.

The Psalmist gave us this truth when he wrote: “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Jesus added His wisdom to this very basic truth when He said, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart...For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”  

One of the most popular advertisements on TV is the one that asks, “What’s in your wallet?” But in the end, the answer to that question is not important. It’s “What’s in your heart” that matters most. If God’s Word is in our hearts, He will be obvious in our lives!

Prayer:  Help us, Father, to spend time in Your Word and with Your Word so others will see Your Word in us. Help us to maintain the integrity of our relationship and witness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11

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A famous artist had an etching of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in his studio. It was one of his favorite works of art. Each morning when he began his day, he had to straighten it because it would be crooked.

One day he mentioned it to his housekeeper. In frustration she explained, “Each day I have to hang it crooked to make the tower hang straight.”

Many individuals do that with God's Word: they twist and turn its message to get it to say what they want it to say. But the Bible is clear when it claims to contain spiritual truth – truth that is absolute, consistent, irrefutable and unchanging.

The Bible is clear on this point. We do not determine God’s truth, we discover it. The Psalmist declared, “All your words are true, all your just laws will stand forever.” God’s Word is, in fact, an extension of His character – His truthfulness. And Jesus said, “I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” The beginning and end of truth are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

We cannot adjust the Bible to ourselves. We must accept the Bible as it is. The words of Paul sum it up: “It straightens us out and helps us do what is right.”

Prayer: Help us, Father, to accept Your Word as truth, and to love it and hide it in our hearts that we might not sin against You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (NIV)