Understanding The Compass of Your Heart

I was asked to speak recently at a Men’s event. As I sought direction from the Holy Spirit on what to share, I was looking for something new and fresh to stir the hearts of the men. After about two days of contemplation, it finally came to me. YAHWEH has already given us everything that pertains to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him.

 ²Grace and peace [that special sense of spiritual well-being] be multiplied to you in the [true, intimate] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. ³ For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:2-4 AMP)

The Truth has been published. The perfect and final sacrifice has been given for the redemption of men. As promised, YAHWEH has poured out His spirit liberally, in all the earth. We don’t need another Pentecost. The onus is clearly on us to receive, in humility, all that has been provided, and therein lies the rub. We must humble ourselves to receive the blessing of life and godliness. We have to lay down our trust in our own thoughts and feelings and accept GOD’s judgements on His creation. Much of what man understands is based on temporal things and priorities are ordered after the experiences interpreted through the five carnal senses of taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing. The basis for life is not dictated by physical experiences but on the eternal and spiritual principles of GOD. Until man humbles himself and accepts this truth, he will always treasure the temporal and sensual more than the eternal and spiritual. The result of man’s earthly affections are low values at a very high cost. YESHUA gave us a spiritual principle that unlocks the mystery of our hearts.

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21 KJV)

How can you love and trust a spiritual GOD if you heart is fastened to the carnal things of this life? There has been many a frustrated person, feeling like their heart is just wicked, because they can’t seem to do what is right or follow the commands of GOD, though they profess their intent is good. The heart is not at fault though. The heart is merely doing what it is supposed to do, that is seek what its owner treasures. The problem is that the owners of these misguided hearts have not humbly accepted the truth of YAHWEH, that the knowledge and wisdom in Him are the most valuable things in the universe.

¹³Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
¹⁴ For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

(Proverbs 3:13-15 NKJV)

⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.

(Psalms 19:9-11 NKJV)

So, since men have rejected the wisdom in those verses of scripture, they fill their hearts with the things of this world.

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. (1 John 2:15-17 NKJV)

Proverbs 4:23 tells us to keep our hearts with all diligence for out of our hearts spring the issues of life. Today the saying goes, garbage in garbage out. When we treasure the knowledge of GOD and determine only to allow His truth into our hearts, we find our nature changes and we become oriented toward wholesome things as our life starts to reciprocate the true riches of life. This shift in our focus is a choice we have to humbly make.

The fear of the Lord is recognizing the supremacy of GOD over our own reasoning and feelings. The fear of the Lord is accepting we can’t write our own manual for this life we have been given, only YAHWEH can, because He is the giver of life and the source of it. Only His words constitute truth. Before men come to the knowledge of truth, they slowly languish in their own imaginations and vain thoughts. The space between our ears can be like the darkness of outer space without stars. Many are lost in this void. That is why we have to treasure the beacon of truth. The light of GOD’s word. His words are like the constellations of heaven, helping us navigate the darkness.

People are willing to suffer for what they treasure or value. People suffer with high blood pressure, diabetes, achy knees, sleep apnea and a host of other illnesses because they treasure delicious food more than good health. If you study it, you will see that the leading cause to all those illnesses is obesity. I am not saying everyone with those sicknesses are just greedy. I am calling attention to the fact that the leading cause of those illnesses is excess body fat from consuming more food than your body needs, or too much of the wrong foods. In many ways, food has become an idol to this generation, it has become a source of comfort and medication in the place of the Holy Spirit. Just like many other vices sought out instead of seeking the Comforter which Christ sent to us. People who learn to truly value their health will suffer through restraining their appetite and change their sedentary lifestyle to eat better and exercise more.

There are those that say they trust GOD and love Him but can’t manage to give a focused hour out of the twenty-four in each day getting to know Him better. We learn about GOD through prayer, meditation, studying scripture, service, or exposing ourselves to the five ministries given to edify the Church (Pastors, Teachers, Apostles, Prophets, Evangelist). It is easy to get swept up in the hustle and bustle of seeking a living in this world that you forget to drink from the fountain of life. The life of the body is the spirit. Man does not live by bread alone but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of GOD.

GOD has provided everything we need. We have no excuses. Christ the Savior has come and brought us life and liberty. Consider that in light of the words of the Savior, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-21 NKJV) You can give yourself every excuse to stay in your current predicament, but understand your heart is not deceiving you, your values are leading both your heart and your life.

You can’t fake this. If you have disordinate affections for this world, confess it, cry to the Lord for help, and He will bring about the circumstances needed to free you. If you already know better, then make up your mind to suffer for righteousness. The process of salvation is not easy on the flesh. The more carnal we are the harder the way of life seems, but if we set our minds to seek the things of the spirit, we will eventually start to reap the rewards and will come to realize living spiritually after the truth of GOD is very worthwhile.

¹Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh [and died for us], arm yourselves [like warriors] with the same purpose [being willing to suffer for doing what is right and pleasing God], because whoever has suffered in the flesh [being like-minded with Christ] is done with [intentional] sin [having stopped pleasing the world], ² so that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living for human appetites and desires, but [lives] for the will and purpose of God. ³ For the time already past is [more than] enough for doing what the [unsaved] Gentiles like to do—living [unrestrained as you have done] in a course of [shameless] sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries. ⁴ In [connection with] all this, they [the unbelievers] are resentful and surprised that you do not [think like them, value their values and] run [hand in hand] with them into the same excesses of dissipation and immoral freedom, and they criticize and abuse and ridicule you and make fun of your values. (1 Peter 4:1-4 AMP)

Your heart will always be occupied by the things you value. Don’t ask yourself, “How did I get here?” …when you see where your heart has led you. Examine your values and see what you need to change and get in alignment with truth. Your destination will change when you have a change of heart based on new values. Sin is not stronger than our love for GOD. Anyone that says different has been compromised. Christ said, “They that love me keeps my commandments.” They that love Him also loves those whom He loves. We can fool ourselves, but we can’t fool GOD. Plan out your soul salvation in the fear of the Lord. To whom much is given, much will be required. We have more than any people who have walked this earth has ever had, let us humble ourselves and surrender everything in abandon unto GOD and enjoy the riches. The riches of heaven are abundant life, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.