Do you have an undiagnosed heart condition?

Do you have an undiagnosed heart condition? ∙

The LORD does not see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. – 1 Samuel 16:7

Ezekiel 36:26-27

 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

Samantha Edwards, a former Miss North Dakota USA, passed away unexpectedly in the summer of 2016 due to an undiagnosed heart condition. Her autopsy showed that she had a genetic condition called right ventricular arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, which, if detected earlier, could have potentially saved her life. This begs the question: How can you determine if you have an undiagnosed heart condition that could be potentially harmful?

Numerous individuals on Earth are born with genetic or physical anomalies, deficiencies, or defects. However, regrettably, the entire human population has a deadly spiritual heart condition. The Father has identified it and prescribed a course of treatment that is available to anyone who chooses to take it.

When the Father looks at our hearts, what is His diagnosis?

Jeremiah 17:9-10

 9 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

 10 But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives.

“President Calvin Coolidge came home from church one Sunday, and his wife asked, ‘What did the preacher preach about?’ ‘Sin,’ the President said in his usual concise manner. ‘What did he say about it?’ Mrs. Coolidge further inquired, and the President replied, ‘He was against it’” (Wiersbe).

The Father is also “against” deadly spiritual heart irregularities. In light of the Father’s diagnosis, He desires to conduct a spiritual heart surgery. The human heart in its natural state is irreparably damaged, and the only viable option is a new heart – a transplant fashioned in the laboratories of heaven. The Father alone is capable of spiritual heart transplant surgery.

However, people themselves are often totally unaware of this fact. “The human heart is deceptive; we may think we know why we do something, but really we may be doing it for another reason. It is naturally sick, really totally depraved, and in need of healing. No one really understands his or her own heart, nor do we understand why our hearts behave as they do” (Constable).

REFLECT & PRAY

Do you have a heretofore undiagnosed heart condition? The Father knows your heart thoroughly. He is aware of all of its secrets and machinations.

Father thank You that You have given me a new heart. I desire to have a willful submission to Your guidance and direction.

INSIGHT

Born in the 18th century, William Carey was a sickly child. Humanly speaking, it was doubtful that he would be successful in life. His future could have looked better. But the Father had plans for him. He called him to become a pastor and missionary to India. He became an educator, translator, social reformer, and cultural anthropologist. He set the pattern for modern missionary work, which many Christian missionary organizations have followed ever since. 

David, the son of Jesse, appeared to be an ordinary young man. Being the youngest among his siblings, he mostly tended to sheep in the vicinity of his home in Bethlehem. However, something extraordinary occurred.  The Father sent the prophet Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel. All of his older brothers were rejected. This young, insignificant shepherd lad was the one. The Father saw David’s heart. David had a heart for God. The Father told Samuel to anoint David as king. And Samuel did so.

At that moment, the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on (1 Samuel 16:13). The insignificant shepherd had become the next king of Israel. Not only did he have a heart for God, but now he had a heart from God. And he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was supernaturally empowered to be king. “The ‘heart’ in Scripture refers to a person’s inward moral and spiritual life, including the emotions, will, and reason” (ESV notes).

A person’s exterior appearance does not indicate of who they are on the inside. Their outward appearance is purely superficial. The heart is the most essential part of any human. That is what matters most to the Father.

Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Pause momentarily and consider, “What does it mean to be a person after God’s heart?” This individual would be entirely in sync with the Father, with their primary motivation being to please Him. What mattered to the Father would matter to them.  What the Father disapproves of, they would also.

As children of the King, such individuals willingly submit themselves to the Father’s guidance and direction. “When He says, ‘Go to the right,’ you go to the right. When He says, ‘Stop that in your life,’ you stop it. When He says, ‘This is wrong, and I want you to change,’ you come to terms with it because you have a heart for God” (Swindoll).
 
All children of Adam and Eve struggle with spiritual heart conditions. Their hearts are by nature stony, stubborn, and willful. The Father’s treatment plan is spiritual heart surgery. He provides a new, transplanted heart that is tender and responsive to Him. The Father places His spirit within every child of the King. As a result, our prognosis is drastically altered (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

We have the privilege and ability to walk in the spirit.

Galatians 5:16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you will not be doing what your sinful nature craves.

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© Dr. H 2023