The heart is the pump. The motor that keeps everything in motion. The heart is at the center. The headquarters of the body.
There are all kinds of heart issues. Physically, emotionally and spiritually. Recently my dad had open heart surgery. His arteries were blocked keeping the blood from flowing in and out of the heart. The blockage caused pain and discomfort. In order to fix the blockage doctors had to remove parts of arteries and veins from other parts of his body. His heart is being renewed. Made fresh again.
While driving home after a week of watching my dad endure the pain of open heart surgery God reminded me that heart surgery is not only for our physical hearts. Our spiritual hearts can have blockages. Pride. Bitterness. Resentment. Hardness. Anger. All of these can block our spiritual heart. They can keep God’s Word, God’s Love from flowing freely in and out of our hearts. God’s Word and Love are not able to renew the heart. To revive and refresh it. To fill it with Truth. Blockages can damage our hearts and relationships with God and others.
How can we fix a spiritually blocked heart? Where do we go? What doctor can fix a spiritually dying hurt?
It starts with God’s Word. Not just a sunday service or grandma quoting scripture. It is you and God. Sitting, resting, listening. It’s a discipline to keep our hearts healthy. It is a daily decision. Heart surgery patients are instructed to change their diets. To pay attention to what they are intaking. To avoid certain foods. Every meal is a decision. Likewise, spiritually to stay healthy we must make decisions every day that will protect our hearts. We must go to His Word regularly and ask Him, the great Physician to heal our hearts. To make new.
Ezekiel 36:26 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. NLT
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. NIV
As a young adult I wrestled with a spiritually blocked heart. God’s love did not flow in and out of my heart. My veins and arteries contained pride and bitterness. My relationship with God was fading and my relationships with others restrained. I knew I was slipping but I didn’t know how to stop it. I didn’t know where to go or what to do. By the grace of God people entered my life. People that spoke truth. People that loved without condition. People that prayed for my blocked heart. The process was painful. It was uncomfortable and ugly at times.
God is a powerful surgeon. He can take our spiritually dying hearts and make them new. He can open the arteries wide again. He can change us from deep within. No condition is too difficult for our God. No amount of heart surgery intimidates our God. He’s got it. He’s got you!
Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! ESV
