Topical Bible: The Heart: God: Tries

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In the biblical context, the heart is often seen as the center of human emotions, thoughts, and intentions. It is the seat of one's inner life and moral character. The Bible frequently speaks of God as one who tries or tests the heart, examining the innermost thoughts and intentions of individuals. This divine scrutiny is not merely for judgment but also for refining and purifying the believer's faith and character.

Scriptural References:

1. Jeremiah 17:10 : "I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve." This verse highlights God's active role in searching and examining the heart, emphasizing His omniscience and justice. The testing of the heart is linked to divine recompense, where God rewards individuals based on their true intentions and actions.

2. Proverbs 17:3 : "A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts." Here, the process of refining metals is used metaphorically to describe how God tests the heart. Just as impurities are removed from silver and gold through intense heat, God purifies the heart through trials and challenges, revealing and refining the true nature of a person's faith and character.

3. 1 Samuel 16:7 : "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.'" This passage underscores the distinction between human and divine perception. While humans often judge based on external appearances, God looks deeper, assessing the heart's true condition.

4. Psalm 139:23-24 : "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting." The psalmist invites God to examine his heart, demonstrating a desire for divine testing as a means of spiritual growth and alignment with God's will. This openness to God's scrutiny reflects a trust in His guidance and a commitment to righteousness.

5. Hebrews 4:12 : "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart." The Word of God is depicted as a tool for discerning the deepest thoughts and intentions, illustrating how God's truth penetrates the heart, revealing its true state.

Theological Implications:

The concept of God trying the heart is integral to understanding His relationship with humanity. It reflects His desire for genuine faith and moral integrity among His people. God's testing is not arbitrary but purposeful, aimed at revealing the true nature of one's faith and fostering spiritual maturity. This divine examination calls believers to live with sincerity and transparency before God, knowing that He sees beyond outward actions to the very core of their being.

The testing of the heart also serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and omniscience. Believers are encouraged to seek purity of heart, aligning their desires and intentions with God's will. Through trials and divine examination, the heart is refined, leading to a deeper relationship with God and a more profound understanding of His purposes.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Chronicles 29:17
I know also, my God, that you try the heart, and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy your people, which are present here, to offer willingly to you.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 12:3
But you, O LORD, know me: you have seen me, and tried my heart toward you: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

God, the All-Seeing One
... He has put our hearts into the furnace of his Omniscience; the furnace"his knowledge
"tries us as ... God knows the ingredients of the heart; he reduces the ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/god the all-seeing one.htm

God, the All-Seeing One
... He has put our hearts into the furnace of his Omniscience; the furnace"his
knowledge"tries us as ... God knows the ingredients of the heart; he reduces the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/god the all-seeing one.htm

The Knowledge of God Stifled or Corrupted, Ignorantly or ...
... Psalm 36:1); and, again, "He has said in his heart, God has forgotten ... to see how
superstition, with its false glosses, mocks God, while it tries to please ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 4 the knowledge of.htm

Letter xvii. --Conduct During Trials.
... to acquire the merit of this offering that God tries us by ... them, because all joy
that is not in God only serves ... often will you not have raised your heart to God ...
/.../abandonment to divine providence/letter xvii conduct during trials.htm

His Religious Experience. Tries to be a Methodist. Hopes to Become ...
... Tries to be a Methodist. ... on the ground that I was still clinging to the world and
my own righteousness; that I had not given my heart wholly to God, etc ...
/.../chapter iii his religious experience.htm

The Heart: a Gift for God
... beasts"you that are like a flying fish that tries to live ... this, nor that, nor the
other, strangers in God's country, and ... My son, give me thine heart." Do not ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/the heart a gift for.htm

What are Evidences of Backsliding in Heart.
... off from the form of service, and he tries to be dutiful, while he has no heart
in prayer ... are so spontaneous and delightful, where there is true love to God. ...
/.../finney/the backslider in heart/iii what are evidences of.htm

He Tries by Stronger and Weightier Arguments to Destroy that ...
... He tries by stronger and weightier arguments to destroy that ... Let us hear God Himself
speaking to His disciples ... gentle, as indeed He was, and humble in heart. ...
/.../cassian/the seven books of john cassian /chapter xx he tries by.htm

Impossible with Man, Possible with God
... do better and fails again, when a man tries much more ... lesson: With man it is impossible
to serve God and Christ ... has the joy of the Lord in his heart, he begins ...
/.../murray/absolute surrender/impossible with man possible with.htm

The Backslider in Heart.
... off from the form of service, and he tries to be dutiful, while he has no heart
in prayer ... are so spontaneous and delightful, where there is true love to God. ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture xxi the backslider in.htm