Topical Bible: The Heart: should be Prepared to God

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Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of the heart in biblical literature often transcends the mere physical organ, representing the center of human emotion, will, and intellect. In the Scriptures, the heart is frequently depicted as the seat of moral and spiritual life, and its preparation for God is a recurring theme that underscores the necessity of aligning one's inner being with divine purposes.

Biblical Foundation

The call for the heart to be prepared for God is rooted in the understanding that a heart aligned with God is essential for true worship and obedience. In 1 Samuel 7:3, the prophet Samuel exhorts the Israelites, saying, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines" . This passage highlights the necessity of a heart wholly devoted to God, free from idolatry and distractions.

Similarly, in 2 Chronicles 19:3, Jehoshaphat is commended for having "set your heart to seek God" . This setting of the heart is an intentional act of devotion and commitment, indicating that preparation involves a deliberate turning towards God and His ways.

Spiritual Preparation

The preparation of the heart involves several key aspects:

1. Repentance and Cleansing: A prepared heart is one that has undergone repentance, turning away from sin and seeking God's forgiveness. Psalm 51:10 expresses this desire for a pure heart: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" . This plea for cleansing is foundational to preparing the heart for God's presence.

2. Seeking God: A heart prepared for God is characterized by an earnest pursuit of Him. Psalm 119:2 states, "Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart" . This seeking is not passive but involves active engagement with God's Word and His will.

3. Obedience and Commitment: Preparation of the heart also entails a commitment to obey God's commands. Deuteronomy 6:5 commands, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" . This comprehensive love and obedience are indicative of a heart fully prepared for God.

4. Trust and Faith: Trusting in God is a crucial element of heart preparation. Proverbs 3:5 advises, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" . Such trust reflects a heart that is reliant on God's wisdom and guidance.

Challenges and Encouragements

The preparation of the heart is not without its challenges. The human heart is described in Jeremiah 17:9 as "deceitful above all things and beyond cure" , indicating the inherent difficulty in aligning it with God's will. However, the Scriptures also provide encouragement, as seen in Ezekiel 36:26, where God promises, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you" . This divine intervention assures believers that God Himself aids in the transformation and preparation of the heart.

Conclusion

While the preparation of the heart is a personal responsibility, it is ultimately a work of God within the believer. Through repentance, seeking, obedience, and trust, the heart can be made ready to serve and honor God, reflecting His glory in the life of the believer.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Samuel 7:3
And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, If you do return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts to the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Great Voices from Heaven
... It was fitting that the road for such a coming should be prepared. ... Christ must come
to the heart before the heart can be prepared for His coming. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/great voices from heaven.htm

Psalm x.
... lest their punishment be too burdensome to Him, or lest He should be disturbed ... the
heart, of which it is sung in another Psalm, "My heart is prepared, O God ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm x.htm

A Knowledge of God
... We should then enjoy a rest of soul to which many ... nor ear heard, neither have entered
into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 10 a knowledge of.htm

How the Apostle Maintains that Christ is the Power of God and the ...
... into the heart of man, what God hath prepared for them ... any man see, or the ear hear,
or the heart imagine this; viz., that the Lord of glory should be born ...
/.../cassian/the seven books of john cassian /chapter x how the apostle.htm

How, While the Whole Heart is Employed in Sacred Love, yet one May ...
... measure of glory which the divine Providence has prepared for him ... the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, shall be ... in love, in this mortal life there should be many ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter iii how while the.htm

The Holy Spirit.
... manifestation of God should come. He would be "sent from the Father;" the Savior
would "shed him forth;" he should be the possession of every heart prepared by ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the holy spirit.htm

Preface to the First Edition.
... eye hath seen nor ear heard, nor heart of man conceived the happiness prepared for
God's ... Should the worshipper of mammon, on perusing these pages, pause in ...
/.../boudreaux/the happiness of heaven/preface to the first edition.htm

Of Certain Other Means by which we May Apply Our Works More ...
... He lifted up his heart to God, and reflected ... of Divine Providence, this scourge was
prepared and determined for his ... that in this their scourge he should take a ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter ix of certain other.htm

How we are to Conform Ourselves to that Divine Will, which is ...
... desires with a true desire that we should do what ... The conformity then of our heart
to the signified will of ... while the Gospel is read, as being prepared to obey ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter iii how we are.htm

The First Chapter: the Great Reverence with which we Should ...
... with trumpeting and jubilation to the place prepared for it ... life-giving Godhead no
unbecoming thought should arise and no creature possess my heart, for I ...
/.../kempis/the imitation of christ/the first chapter the great.htm