Jeremiah 17:9-10
[9] “The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
[10] “I the LORD search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.”

First things first: what is the heart?

Human beings are created in the image of God: male and female. Without defending my statement here, analyzing Genesis 1-2 to see how the context of the original statement of this truth describes the image of God (Gen 1:26-27), one way of seeing what this image is to say that humans are fundamentally Creative; made for Community; make real, voluntary, and eternally significant Choices; and wear a Crown.

We are also at the same time dualistic and wholistic beings. In other words we have a spirit and a physical body. Both are essential to us though also able to be separated at death (until the Resurrection-when that unnatural state will be forever rectified).

Now, the Bible describes the human spirit as having different capacities: the heart, the mind, and the will. Again, I am unable to defend my assertions here: please allow it suffice that I note I am not making any novel statements here and that biblical Christians of many flavors will essentially agree with what I am saying here. The heart is the seat of the affections: it is ‘where’ we love and hate. It is that ‘part’ of us where we value as good or bad; approve or disapprove. The mind is that which holds before the heart that which is to be loved or hated. And the will is where the choice is made to do or value whatever it is our heart loves/hates.

And it is the seat of our affections, where we have our values from which our attitudes and actions flow, that is deceitful above all things and desperately sick.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Your ‘valu-er’, the part of you that assigns value to that which is around you is deceitful and sick. And to the extent that it is not redeemed it may be anywhere on the spectrum of fully demonized to well-ordered and godly. But your heart is above all not to be ‘followed’ blindly(!) but to be kept/guarded (Prov 4:23-27) and disciplined (Prov 22:15).

You will find with little reflection that you can see the lies that come forth from your heart and defile you. You value whatever filth (gossip, bitterness, porn, covetousness, comfort, etc.) and love it for whatever ‘feeling’ it gives you. But (for the believer!), when you come to your senses again you note how awful and what a lie it was that lead you to embrace that sin (James 1:12-15).

But the Lord sits above us and tests us. He looks at our hearts and minds and judges based on what he sees. And if he does not see Jesus, our situation is quite desperate indeed. He is not to be trifled with (Heb 12:25-29)!

Run to Jesus! Seek Jesus! Repent and trust Jesus! Continually! Forcefully! Violently (Matt 11:12)! Violently fight that deceitful and sick heart to allow God’s Word to dwell in you richly so that by God’s grace, by the working of his Spirit you will bathe yourself in Truth. Over and over again. Reject all lies ever where and see Truth. In this way you will live until you cross the Jordan and into the Promised Land!

Oh come quickly, Lord Jesus!!!

Praise Jesus!!!