We Need a “Healthy Heart”

“The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14)

We are told in the Bible that God is always looking at the heart of man. When we speak of coming to know Christ, we say that we open our hearts to Him – we give Him our heart. (Rom. 10:9)

By definition, the heart is the seat of life or strength; it means mind, soul, spirit, or one’s entire emotional nature and understanding. It is the center or inner part of a person or thing.

Many of us might find that after walking with the Lord for a long time, our Christian life can become so complicated. We just have to go back to the “heart” of the matter.

Daily occurrences, an array of things can affect the condition of our hearts.

Today, we often hear of “heart health”; i.e. eating right, lowering cholesterol, daily exercise, etc.

In the Scripture reading, God was talking about David’s heart – a man who had a heart after God’s own.

Later, we read in 1 Samuel 16:5-7 that God does not choose the obvious one to serve and know Him, but that He looks upon the heart of a man.

David spent hours alone with God out in the fields while he was tending to his father’s livestock. When we read the Psalms, we see the intimacy that David had with his God.

David had “the eyes of his heart” enlightened by constantly looking to God in every situation.

1 Samuel 24:1-6 His heart troubled him when he touched God’s anointed one (Saul).

2 Samuel 24:10 His heart condemned him of pride and self-reliance when he numbered Israel.

His heart was tender and open to God, therefore God could deal with him, as well as bless him.

David was not a perfect man by any means: He was valiant and fought the giants and the battles of the Lord; he ruled over the kingdom for many years. However, he sinned with Bathsheba and killed Uriah. His child died as a result of his sin. He had many wives, and ones son raped a half-sister. David’s son took the kingdom away from his father for some time and there was definitely discord in the family.

2 Samuel 23:1-4 David’s last words were to praise his God and to proclaim, “Though my house is not so, I have a perpetual covenant with my God.”

God’s word was sealed upon his heart!

According to Scripture, our heart can become: as fat as grease, stiff, dull, hardened, turned away, etc.

What is your “heart health” today? We can let the Word of God melt our hearts tenderize them and prepare them for what God will speak and do in our lives.

“I delight to do Your will, oh my God, and Your law is within my heart.” (Psalms 40:8)