Don't Trust Your Heart

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, "Speak unto the children of Israel, and command them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a thread of blue: and it shall be unto for a fringe, that you may look on it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that you not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which lead you astray: that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy unto your God." Numbers 15:37-40 (Auths Trans)

Three times a day, Jewish men recite the words of the Shema: Hear, Oh Israel the LORD is our God; the LORD is One. This is the central prayer of Judaism and is made up of three paragraphs. The first is taken from Deuteronomy 6, the second from Deuteronomy 11 and the last is from the above portion found in Numbers 15.  This was the very first Hebrew text I learned, when I started learning Hebrew more than 20 years ago. I was always intrigued with the phrase: and that you not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which lead you astray... because this is completely contrary to what people often tell us.


All my life, I have been told by well meaning people, "Trust your heart." "Follow your heart" and other such phrases. But King Solomon said exactly opposite of this. He exhorted: He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso waketh wisely shall be delivered. Proverbs 28:26  The prophet Jeremiah tells us why we shouldn't trust our hearts: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9

But many will argue, "That is Old Testament. Jesus came into our hearts and we can trust our heart." However, Jesus Himself taught the same thing that the Old Testament writers declared. He said, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out o fthe evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words shalt thou be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Matthew 12: 34-37 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man. Matthew 15:18-20  These words echoed another proverb from King Solomon: Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23

Our mouth only reflects whats in our hearts. If we fill our hearts with evil, then that's whats going to come out.  The Apostle James, who was also the Lord's brother, stated: Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. James 3:10, 13 During the sermon on the mountain, Jesus said concerning our speech: But let your Yes be Yes; and your No be No; for whatsoever is more than these comes of evil. Matthew 5:37  The Apostle Paul exhorted the Ephesians: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers.  Ephesians 4:29  And in writing to the Corithians, the Apostle Paul, used a quotation from a Greek poet named Menander, from his play called Thais: Be not deceived; evil communication corrupts good manners. 1 Corinthians 15:33

Instead, we must surrender our hearts to the Lord and allow Him to lead us by His Spirit. This is what is means to Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your might.