Overcoming the Deceitful Heart
Daily Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 16-18
Daily Focus Passage: Jeremiah 17
The heart will deceive us when we live without awareness, self-control, and surrender to the Lord. In Jeremiah 17, the prophet helps us understand this truth as the Lord explains the deceitful nature of humanity. When we trust our hearts alone and refuse to lean upon and follow the Lord, we set ourselves up for disobedience and failure. Jeremiah 17 teaches us about the condition of the heart, the deceitful nature of the heart, and the cure for the deceitful heart.
THE HEART CONDITION
We live with a heart that battles with the nature of the flesh. The fallen nature of humanity means that each of us dwells with a heart plagued by the result of the fall. Our hearts are sinful and turned against the ways of the Lord. The heart that exists distanced from the Lord justifies the acts of sinfulness because of the selfish nature of the heart. The heart seeks to serve the self. The heart does not consider the well-being of others naturally—instead, the heart works to build up the self and live for the self. The sinful, selfish nature of the heart leads one to live separated from the Lord and, as a result, deserving of God's wrath. We are born with a heart condition that seeks to elevate the self, disobey God, and remain separated from the Lord.
THE HEART OF DECEIT
The condition of the heart forms a heart of deceit. Deceit is the ability to fool someone or lead them to believe something untrue. Controlled by the flesh, the heart lies to us about our worth and goodness. The heart of deceit leads us to live out of our sinful heart condition. We find ourselves trapped in idolatry as we praise and adore people, things, and events that do not deserve it. We allow our priorities to become inverted and let the deceitful heart convince us they are okay. We enable the deceitful heart to form an unhealthy reliance upon the flesh and live any action that benefits us personally. The sinful heart condition leads to the action of a deceitful heart.
THE CURE FOR THE HEART
The Lord understood the grave heart condition of humanity and created the only cure. God alone is the physician who understands how to treat the sinful heart. The remedy needed was given to us by the Lord. This remedy is the gospel. The message of hope declares the cost and victory of Christ that occurred on the cross and in the resurrection. The remedy is extended to whoever will take hold of it and receive Jesus as one's Lord and Savior. No other cure works. No other cure exists. Jesus alone is the cure for the heart condition of sin and the victory over the heart's deceit.
