Topical Bible: The Heart: God: Understands the Thoughts of

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The concept of the heart in biblical literature often transcends the mere physical organ, symbolizing the center of human emotions, will, intellect, and moral consciousness. In the Scriptures, the heart is frequently depicted as the seat of thought and intention, and it is within this context that God's understanding of the heart is profoundly emphasized.

Divine Omniscience and the Heart

The Bible consistently affirms God's omniscience, particularly His ability to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. In 1 Samuel 16:7, the LORD instructs 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 divine ability to perceive beyond external appearances, directly into the inner workings of a person's heart.

Similarly, in Jeremiah 17:10, God declares, "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 engagement in understanding the heart's thoughts and intentions, linking divine judgment to the true nature of one's inner life.

Jesus and the Heart

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, also demonstrates this divine attribute. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus addresses the Pharisees, saying, "You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). Here, Jesus reveals His insight into the hearts of men, indicating that their words and actions are a reflection of their inner thoughts and intentions.

Moreover, in John 2:24-25, it is written, "But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew all men. He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man." This passage affirms Jesus' divine knowledge of human hearts, further illustrating the continuity of this attribute between the Father and the Son.

The Heart in the Psalms

The Psalms frequently reflect on God's understanding of the heart, often in the context of prayer and worship. Psalm 44:21 states, "Would not God have discovered, since He knows the secrets of the heart?" This rhetorical question emphasizes the belief that nothing is hidden from God, including the deepest secrets and thoughts of the heart.

In Psalm 139:1-2, David proclaims, "O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar." This intimate acknowledgment of God's comprehensive knowledge of the heart serves as both a comfort and a call to integrity for the believer.

Implications for Believers

The biblical teaching that God understands the thoughts of the heart carries significant implications for believers. It calls for a life of sincerity and authenticity, knowing that God is aware of one's true intentions and desires. Hebrews 4:12-13 reinforces this, stating, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight."

This understanding encourages believers to cultivate a heart aligned with God's will, seeking purity and righteousness in their innermost being. The awareness of God's intimate knowledge of the heart serves as a guiding principle for ethical and spiritual conduct, fostering a deeper relationship with the Creator who knows and understands His creation fully.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Chronicles 28:9
And you, Solomon my son, know you the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts: if you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off for ever.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 139:2
You know my sitting down and my rising up, you understand my thought afar off.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

A Description of Mystical Theology, which is no Other Thing than ...
... lose the scent and knowledge of our own heart in the ... God alone is he, who, by his
infinite wisdom, sees ... and windings of our hearts: he understands our thoughts ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter i a description of.htm

God's Exhaustive Knowledge of Man.
... is mysterious, then certainly that whereby God knows him is ... That cognition whereby
another person understands what takes ... in the corners of my heart, and sees ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/gods exhaustive knowledge of man.htm

God, the All-Seeing One
... God understands the separate doom of every man's spirit before the ... What is it that
God sees in man's heart? God sees in man's heart a great deal more than we ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/god the all-seeing one.htm

God, the All-Seeing One
... God understands the separate doom of every man's spirit before the ... What is it that
God sees in man's heart? God sees in man's heart a great deal more than we ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/god the all-seeing one.htm

The Twenty-Second Chapter: Thoughts on the Misery of Man
... the present becomes to him, because he understands better and ... they would care nothing
for the kingdom of God. How foolish and faithless of heart are those who ...
/.../kempis/the imitation of christ/the twenty-second chapter thoughts on.htm

The Holy Scripture.
... and the father's image in his heart makes the ... While the Bible always flashes thoughts
born of the ... so repels him, the child of God understands and recognizes it ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xii the holy scripture.htm

The Knowledge of God
... has reminiscentia, as well as intelligentia; he remembers as well as understands. ...
God judges the actions by the heart; if the heart be sincere, God will see ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/2 the knowledge of god.htm

What God Is
... apprehensive of the all-searching eye of God, who can ... much atheism is rooted in the
heart of the ... our down sitting and uprising, and understands our thoughts ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture x what god is.htm

Of Creation
... unto him the most eminent seat in the heart, and gather ... of a soul in the confidence
of the promises of God. When a soul by faith understands the world was made ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture xviii of creation.htm

Of the Beatific vision.
... we nor the angels can understand, as God understands, the peace ... make manifest the
thoughts of the heart, and then shall every one have praise of God." [1689]. ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 29 of the beatific vision.htm