The amazing true function of the heart in our lives has been increasingly featured in the media . The word ” heart” is often mentioned in the bible in different contexts.
Out-side of the Bible we read of the practice of primitive tribes tearing out the heart of their captives, or sacrificial victims. Sometimes they ate the heart for courage while it was still beating. It has un-spoken primeval powers!
3 years ago there was a British television program featuring the message that after the ” heart transplant” the patients with the new heart did new, un – characteristic activities in their life which they used to avoid when they were normal before their new heart.
There was three examples given , at least ; two I remember . The first man enjoyed mountain climbing which he was never interested in previous to his operation. The second was a “rough” person who wrote poetry to his mother and others, which he was never the least interested in or capable of , prior to his new heart.
But the amazing thing was that both these interests and abilities were ” inherited ” from their new ” heart donors.” These ” transplanted ” activities were the personality traits that the donors had been known for in their life.
The program concluded with this message, paraphrased ,” Doctors feel certainthere is a link or means of communication between the heart and the mind”.
Now I have just finished a book by Dr. Caroline Leaf – ” Switch On Your Brain” (Baker Books) which confirms this statement of a heart/ brain link. She writes on the subject of ” neuroplasticity “.
Dr. Leaf says in Chapter 12 ” Your heart is not just a pump; it helps with your decision – making and choices. It acts like a checking station for all the emotions generated by the flow of chemicals from your thoughts.”
Further on the Doctor writes ” your heart is in constant communication with your brain and the rest of your body, checking the accuracy and integrity of your thought – life.”
She concludes here ” because when you listen to your heart it secretes the ANF -a hormone produced by the heart that regulates blood pressure and can give you a feeling of peace.”
Dr Leaf is a Christian and applies many Bible verses that were shining the truth of humanity when they were written – almost 2000 yrs to almost 3500 years ago! But ” un- washed humanity ” chose to hide or abolish the “truth ” -” The Word of God” ( see previous articles ****) and live and die in darkness and superstition.
A wonderful example here is in Ch. 15 in the ” action” step of her program where the ” truth ” of the exercise is necessary to believe before the purpose can be achieved. Rom 10:9 ” confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord , and believe in your heart` becomes the main principle here.”
Bible verses with scientific truth are Prov. 23:7, ” as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” 1 Cor. 2:16 ” you have the mind of Christ”, ( a former Blog) and another – 2 Tim.1:7, ” you are wired for love, and fear is a learned, not a natural response.” Gen. 1:27 ” you are made in the image of God”. We are “wonderfully” created- Amen?
There has been research done in this field for approximately the last 30 years, with many texts written, which proves there is “truth or fact ” in the subject.
The heart of the bible is un – believably rich in subject matter . One source ( 1) below, says it has been mentioned over 946 times in the Bible and is used in various ways. (1) The physical pump Pr. 14:30,1 Sam 25:37. ( 2) Soul affections Dt. 19:6;Ps. 4:7, etc( 3) the conscience 1 Sam 24:5 (4) Human nature Jer17:9(5)The Mind Ex.35;5,Dt:29:4, Rom.10:6.
Another source (2) below, also says ” the heart and the intellect are closely connected; the heart being the seat of intelligence: ” ..for this people’s heart has grown callous…otherwise they might….under-stand with their hearts and turn back.” Matt. 13: 15.(HCSB)
Later it reads ” Closely related to the mind are acts of the will; from a conscious or even deliberate decision . Thus ” each person should do as he has decided in his heart”2 Cor.9:7. The conscious decision is made in the heart. Rom. 6: 17.
Also here Prov.4:20 ff ” My son …listen closely to my words,…keep them with-in your heart For they are life…and health to a man’s whole body.”Here God is admitting that the heart looks just like another organ of the body, but He is revealing the Truth – in these words written about 2700 years ago ! – which we are only now discovering. This is of the inter- connectivity of the heart to the whole body as discovered above .
Further in Prov. 4:23ff ” Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the well- spring of life.… for out of it come perversity… and corrupt talk.” Being the well-spring of life the heart is also where ” good choices or bad choices ” are made, which then lead to “blessings or curses ” in your life”- Deut. 11:26, 30;19.
Among many more wonderful examples that are given , there is also stated “the heart is also the seat of affection of love.
*** This shows that our western “romantic” culture – where it is ( or “was” ) expected that the female is something special , to be cared for ( as portrayed in love – songs , romantic novels, or in ” good manners” ) – is a continuation of the biblical spiritual truth written in the OT Times,and carried on into the NT Times of today. “not on hearts of stone but hearts of flesh.”
When compared to other religions and cultures like Buddhism,Hinduism or Islam where the female is subservient and/or despised the difference is astounding. Attitudes of judgement and condemnation. There is nothing like peace , freedom , joy! and especially Love!- (which incorporates all three! ) ” And God is love…” 1 John 4:17
But the heart is the throne or fountain of “love of God”, as in you shall love God with all your heart”. Mk12:30. It is also the seat of affliction” You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason with your neighbour…” Lev. 19:17. ( there heart , brain and reason are connected together).
Also on the negative side depravity is said to issue from the heart: ” the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick, who can under- stand it?” Jer 17:9. In other words, defilement comes from with- in, not from out- side- ” the mouth is the over-flow of the heart.”Mth.12:34.
Because the heart is the root of the problem, this is the place where God does His work in the individual.For instance “the word of the law is written on their hearts and conscience is the proof of this.” Rom 2:15. “ The heart is the field where the seed (truth of the word) is sown”.Math. 13:19.
In addition to being the place where the natural laws of God are written, the heart is the place of renewal.Before Saul became king God gave him a new heart, 1 Sam.10:9.
Paul said a person must believe in the heart ( not his head) to be saved. ” With the heart he believes, resulting in righteousness.” Rom 10:10.
The heart is the dwelling place of God. Two persons of the trinity are said to reside in the heart of the believer, “the spirit has been poured into our heartsas a deposit of things to come” 2 Cor.1:22.
Eph 3:17 expresses the desire that ” the Messiah may dwell in your heartthrough faith.”
“The love of God has been poured out in our heart through the Holy Spirit whom He has freely given to us “. Rom. 5:5.
This source confirms the fact, the heart is connected with thinking “as a person ponders in his heart, so is he”. Prov. 23:7. ” These are all functions of the mind but in biblical language they are connected with the heart. “
God, through His scriptures , was signalling this wisdom to us ,His own children, through- out all these generations. It is only “in His time “, in our time , He has graciously revealed this seemingly impossible spiritual and mental connection to amaze us and propel us further into His revelation of Truth.
As Dr. Leaf concludes in her biography, ” a large part of her research has been to link scientific principles with scripture, showing how science is catching up with (God and) the Bible.”
“Create in me a clean heart O Lord , and re-new a right Spirit with-in me”!Dr. Leaf concludes that our brains were created to be “re-newed” by our own will power , with help from God’s Word of Truth.
When we are “born again ” we spiritually get a new ” heart transplant ” from our donor” with Spiritual hands”, who is no other than Jesus Christ,who is the “first-born among many “.
We then are transformed into his likeness – the old has gone, the new has come!– just like the two examples first mentioned above . We gradually take on His New Resurrection Life with His abundant personality traits of peace, joy, love and ” liberty’ in the Lord”. We are no longer ” dead in our sins”, but “really’ alive ” in” Christ” – until final perfection when we are raised to be with Him – attempted description in a former blog “Perfection “.
Praise the Lord, for His ways are Perfect ! They always have been and always will be! Amen!
1) Dakes Annotated Reference Bible. – Bookmark Publishing,Texas
2)Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. – 2003 Holman Bible Publishers,Tenn.
great Mate .