Give Me a New Heart
The Issues of the Heart
Of the several mountaintop verses of the Bible, Proverbs 4:23 is certainly one of the powerful yet hidden gems in the Bible. “Keep your Heart with all diligence for out of it springs the issues of life”. In fact, this may be one of the most important verses in the Bible that provides the critical ability to exchange your life for a new one.
The human body replaces every cell over a 7-10 year period. With this in mind, is it possible for anyone to actually change as a person? Not just physically, but internally. Without addressing aberrant behavior, I believe that anyone can change for the better, but it does take time to relearn all that we have included in our thoughts and behaviors.
The Heart is the starting point per the verse above. Even Romans 10:9 tells us that salvation requires that we confess faith in Jesus Christ with our mouths and believe in our hearts in the power of the resurrection to be saved. So, the Heart is seen as the entry point for the primary life-changing event of the born-again experience.
Where doe True Change Start?
With that said, how do we continue in this life-changing process? Romans 10:17 adds the next step after the decision to trust Christ as savior. We are then instructed that the Heart is nourished by truth. And the ultimate in truth is the Bible. So, we need not just to read but study and consider the Scriptures as it were food for the body.
Truth, regardless of its source, is transformative. Truth however is rare in a world of confused, biased, and corrupt people who use lies, half-truths, misrepresentations, deceit, and manipulation to their own advantage. But every faithful truth starts with God. Millions of truths that are seen in nature are stable and reliable because authored or created them.
Why does the sun always rise in the east and set in the west? Why do opposite magnetic poles attract and similar poles repel each other? Why does wood float on water? How can there be rain without evaporation? These are self-evident and reliable truths that we can readily trust, and they are intended for our good.
Change We Change the Direction of our Lives?
To realign your life, we need to develop a robust and better Belief System. That Belief System is referred to as the Tables of the Heart which is a compost of all the things you have adopted as your core beliefs.
If your Belief System is corrupted with lies, mistruths, biases, and misconceptions, the Heart is corrupted and even deceptive in its logic. That person is going the wrong way and hazards can be anticipated.
The newing of the Heart will not be a singular moment of realization that you are on the wrong path, but the determination to rebuild your Belief System which is going to require the tearing out of the lies and infusing of the truth.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.“ Psalms 51:10
Fix the Heart and the Body will Follow
You need not understand everything but the light of understanding will increase as you spend time in the Bible and let the Word settle into your Heart. Here are some simple ways to start the renewing process:
Read the Bible daily, even if it’s just one chapter. Start with the New Testament which is most relevant to Christians. Look for verses that stand out for you and maybe start a journal of your thoughts about what you read.
By attending a church where the Bible is faithfully taught, you will gain insights from those who have already progressed in their journey and deepen your understanding each week.
Memorize important Scripture verses. There are several apps that make this easy and provide a daily verse as a reminder to “Hide God’s Word in your Heart”
Like any commitment to a better life, change will happen if you continue in your commitment. The Bible is a powerful tool that has far more truth that we will ever completely understand. But it is transforming and will change your life.
