The Heart

This morning in my study time I got thinking about the word heart and what it means. Yes we need it to live, as it pumps our blood throughout our body. But why does God talk about it so much. In the Bible heart is mentioned 826 times; hearts another 113 times. So then I went through my weird thinking process. In the 1828 Webster Dictionary I found: the first definition was the organ one, these interested me more:

2. The inner part of any thing; the middle part or interior; as the heart of a country, kingdom or empire; the heart of a town; the heart of a tree.

3. The chief part; the vital part; the vigorous or efficacious part.

4. The seat of the affections and passions, as of love, joy, grief, enmity, courage, pleasure &c.

Then in Jeremiah 17:9-10 it tell us the heart is more deceitful than all else and the Lord will search it.
Proverbs 17:3 says the Lord tries our hearts.
Deuteronomy 4:29 says if we seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Deuteronomy 11:16--Take heed that your heart not be deceived.
Proverbs 23:7--as he thinketh in his heart so is he.
Ezekiel 18:31--cast away from you all your transgressions,... and make a new heart and a new spirit.

So what I came up with for me is I need to take charge of my heart. I can't let it go where it wants to go because it will take the easy path and that isn't always the best. I need to have it seek after God. Let go of my weaknesses and trust God. Check my heart constantly and make sure it is in the right place. It is too easy for me to get into a pitty party as you have seen. So I will strengthen my heart, it is vital to my salvation.