February Hearts

 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV).

 

It’s the month for hearts! In just a few days we will be giving and receiving various cards and gifts to express our love for those special people in our lives. I’ve always liked the “handmade” cards that children often make for their parents and grandparents. This little project was always a favorite of the children’s classes in the churches I’ve pastored. I always admired the teachers for their patience and hard work with this project. After all, the combination of preschoolers and finger paint is at best challenging! Seeing the faces of the moms and dads after they received their Valentine’s treasures was always very rewarding.

 

Since ancient times our heart has been associated with our emotions, even though it isn’t actually the source of our feelings. The Bible often uses “heart” to refer to the central place of one’s being—where one’s whole mind, soul, and spirit operate. So, the heart was what guided a person to make sense of the world, and it was where one’s emotions flowed from.

 

Our reading today uses heart in that way: “trust in the Lord with all your heart” (v. 5). This means that you can put your trust in God with absolutely everything you’ve got—your emotions, your understanding, your strength, your intelligence, your whole personhood. In other words, “Trust in the Lord with your entire being.” Don’t let any piece of you fall away or fail to depend and rely on the God who created you.

 

Lean on the Lord, because he knows how to make your paths straight.