The Heart is deceitful?

"The heart is deceitful above ALL things AND beyond cure, who can understand it?" Jer 17:9

I came across this verse several weeks ago when I was reading about righteousness and the imagery of trees in the Bible.  I love how God says things in such a way that they become alive, real and relevant to our hearts right now.  When I read the above verse I agreed with the question, who can understand  it, and this bothered me more.

I heard a recent sermon "For those to Good for Jesus".  I have met people like that and always struggle with how to show them we all need Jesus.  At some point of the sermon Jeremiah 17:9 came to mind along with Luke 10:27 "Jesus said ' Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself."   What does our heart have to do with what we think of ourselves and others?  Should we not trust our heart?  Isn't that where God lives?  If I don't trust my heart than how will I know what is right and what is wrong?  It doesn't help that at this same time one of our teenagers is struggling with this very thing and trying to personalize their faith in the process.  It is horrifying to watch someone else struggle with heart issues, knowing that my help isn't what they seek.

The deceitful heart is only mentioned one other time in the Bible, Hosea 10:3.  After comparing Hosea and Jeremiah I found that in each instance either corporately or individually a human was put on the throne of their hearts.  This was evident in self-confidence, government power, wealth, and/or military power.  The hearts of many people loved the comforts and instant gratification the flesh had awarded them.  These same hearts soon found death, destruction, pain, desolation, anger, hurt on every level of the human experience.  Who can understand our heart?  God and Satan.  They war for our hearts.  Satan has a head start because we are born with sin and deceit in our hearts.  The easy or wide path is to remain on the ride of worldly pleasure that comes easy and with little pain but costs our entire life and is fleeting in its pleasure.

Our heart is also where love pours out.  God is Love.  He too is in our hearts but we have to choose who we will allow our hearts to serve.  God or Satan.  God will not stay where Satan lives.  He despises sin, evil, hate.  We can not understand our hearts. So to have confidence in our ability to balance sin and love is selfishness at its peak!  I have seen ultimate selfishness and it does not bring the confident one joy, peace, or any other fruits of the spirit because God will bow out and let you try and run your heart.  This gives Satan free reign to use your heart to reach others and cause them to love themselves.

How do we cure our heart?  We don't. There is no cure. Healing is possible only if you are willing to look to the Creator of your heart (Psalm 139) and accept His self less mercy and amazing grace.  When you find healing your heart will overflow with the Truth found in unfailing love your Creator gives. You can receive this unfailing love by believing the Truth found in His Word - God Confidence not Self Confidence.

Lord, help me to love you unfailingly with all my heart, all my soul, all my strength and all my mind.  Be King of my heart every moment of my days. In You may my confidence rest. Amen.