She was sitting on the floor with tears flowing. A quiet sob lingered in the air.
Months earlier, her grandfather, a potter, had created a delightful heart shaped work of art for her. It was beautiful. Her face lit up with joy when she saw it. It had a special place of honor in her room.
This particular day, she had friends visiting. One spotted the heart. He had no idea of the precious nature of her grandfather’s creation. With careless hands, he grabbed the heart from its resting place. It slipped, and crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.
When the news reached her grandfather, the compassionate and generous creator, he fashioned a new heart for his granddaughter!
The author of proverbs gives special consideration to the care of the heart. In the Bible, the heart is the core, central to every aspect of our lives. The heart is the seat of our concept of the mind, will, and emotions.
People who are seeking to care for their physical hearts watch what they eat, exercise and have regular checkups. It is not so different with our spiritual core. To guard our hearts, we must be cautious with what we consume. A healthy heart is filled with truth. God and his word are the source of truth. God’s Spirit is the spirit of truth. A healthy heart is examined regularly for roots of bitterness, anger and fear.
A heart can be broken when placed in the hands of those who do not value its precious nature. Thankfully God is the compassionate and generous creator, who can restore a broken heart. Maybe this is what the writer of the Psalms longed for in the request, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10
Prayer: Father God, you know my heart. Please reveal anything that is not healthy. Give me wisdom to guard my heart. I invite you to create a pure heart within me. Thank you for being a compassionate and generous creator, who can restore my heart. Amen
Thought for the Day: How’s your heart? Time for a check up?