Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in America for both men and women. It kills thousands of people each day. The Bible tells us there’s another heart disease that affects human beings wherever they live—spiritual heart disease. When the Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, spoke of the heart, he wasn’t thinking about the organ that is situated in the middle of our chests. Rather, he was thinking about the inner core of a person’s being: the intellectual, emotional and spiritual dimensions.

SCRIPTURES
Exodus 20:3; Jeremiah 17:1-2, 5-10; Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:26; Hebrews 4:13

VERSE
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick: who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

THOUGHT
Just as it was in Jeremiah’s time, people have spiritual heart problems today. They have forsaken God and chosen not to worship Him as He required in the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3) God gives our hearts a choice. Our hearts can choose to forsake Him and turn away from Him or they can choose to trust and follow Him. When our hearts choose to turn away from the One who gave us physical life we sin. Then we won’t experience abundant spiritual life here or in eternity. Sin chokes out life. But when our hearts are turned in obedience toward God, seeking a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ, we’ll experience the abundant life He has for us.

QUESTIONS
What are you doing to protect yourself from physical heart disease? Describe a time when your spiritual heart chose to turn away from God. How involved were your parents in the health of your spiritual heart? What could be the consequence if you don’t model a healthy spiritual heart before your children? What’s the danger of people thinking people are basically good but they just make bad decisions? How would you explain this phrase: “We’re not sinners because we sin, we sin because we’re sinners.” What are you doing to protect yourself from spiritual heart disease?

RESPONSE
Agree with God’s assessment of the human spiritual heart that it is deceitful and desperately sick. Acknowledge that God is talking about all hearts including yours. Offer up a prayer of thanksgiving to Him for the new heart He can give you.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, I am so grateful that you can heal my sin sick heart. I know that You alone know all about my spiritual heart condition. I ask You to give me a “heart transplant” and make my heart new today and forever. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.