Deceitful Heart

Bible verse and the Spirit of Prophecy insight

Proverbs 28:26

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

No man can of himself understand his errors. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9. The lips may express a poverty of soul that the heart does not acknowledge. While speaking to God of poverty of spirit, the heart may be swelling with the conceit of its own superior humility and exalted righteousness. In one way only can a true knowledge of self be obtained. We must behold Christ. It is ignorance of Him that makes men so uplifted in their own righteousness. When we contemplate His purity and excellence, we shall see our own weakness and poverty and defects as they really are. We shall see ourselves lost and hopeless, clad in garments of self-righteousness, like every other sinner. We shall see that if we are ever saved, it will not be through our own goodness, but through God’s infinite grace.

Ellen G. White – Christ’s Object Lessons p.159.1

Present day application

I remember a few years ago, a man from the street randomly walked into my local church. During the putlock, I have overheard him say in a conversation: “in spiritual matters, I just follow wherever my heart leads me”. Even though I was still an immature Christian myself back then, I have already had it ingrained in me to not trust my heart when it comes to doctrinal issues. I really wanted to tell him this, but I did not know how to do it without belittling his reasoning. I have never seen him in church again…

When I have first read Proverbs 28:26, it felt almost like a slap in the face. The world has taught me exactly the opposite – all my life I have been hearing the words “listen to your heart” or “follow where your heart leads you”. It took me some time to understand why trusting my heart is not what a Christian should be doing. The lessons were painful, but in retrospection, I am glad that I went through them.

As a fallen race, it is our tendency to trust our own hearts. If we do not get what we want, and in the way we want it, we are restless. Like those little children who eventually learn that their parents were right, we also (hopefully) learn that our heavenly Father is right. The ‘worldly’ happiness which we often pursue never lasts. Let us allow the Lord to mould us instead. He is the potter; we are the clay.

Trust His hands and be blessed!