The Heart of the Matter

All scripture references, unless otherwise noted, are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
I was reading in Ezekiel this morning in chapter 14 about the heart. I thought I would post an article about the heart of the matter. The Bible says in Proverbs 4:23,  "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Lately I have been telling the Lord Jesus that in my heart I am bending my knees unto Him (even when kneeling) . Recently I have included dancing in the Spirit, running the isles, etc. Reading in Ezekiel this morning (I have read Ezekiel many times) I connected the heart with my worship more than ever before. I must confess to you that I have felt like demonstrating in the dance, etc., but for various reasons (including my advanced age of 78 years) have not done so. In Ezekiel 14 the Lord remonstrates with Israel His concern of their heart worship. The Lord said that the elders who had come to the prophet for advice, "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?" (Ezekiel 14:3) Hold on, these men who were the elders of Israel had come to the right place. The problem was with their hearts. They were not  right  with God in their hearts. I wonder how many times we have went to God in prayer when our hearts were not right with God.

The Lord went on to say "Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;  That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols." (Ezekiel 14:4-5) God went on in the next verse to tell them to repent and turn from their iniquity and all of their abominations. Lest you think that God wasn't speaking to us Gentiles also, in Ezekiel 14:7-8 God said to the house of Israel and to the strangers (that's us) that dwelt among them that whoever would set up idolatry in his heart He would set His face against that man and make him a proverb and cut him off from amongst His people and they shall know that He is LORD.

There is a lot about the heart in the New Testament also. The Lord Jesus said amongst other things in Matthew 6:21,  "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." He wasn't speaking about the things of this life but laying up treasures in heaven. A very good reason to keep our hearts with all diligence. The Lord said many things about the heart. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5:28, "...whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." When these types of thoughts come into my heart I pray to God to keep me true.  In fact there is an old chorus that comes to mind, it is as follows:
     Keep me true Lord Jesus keep me true,
     Keep me true Lord Jesus keep me true,
     There's a race that I must run,
     There are victories to be won,
    Give me power every hour to be true.
I want to worship God in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24) and I can if I stay true in my heart. My greatest desire is to see the Lord Jesus in peace. There is a scripture in 1st John 3:2 that gives us this promise, "...we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Do you want to meet the Lord in peace? Then pay heed to the following verse in 1st John 3:3, "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."