Deuteronomy 10 & 11 - The Deceitful Heart and "Walking It Through"

LINK: Deuteronomy 10 & 11

BACKGROUND

Deuteronomy 10

The Israelites were to circumcise their hearts, fear the LORD, walk in all His ways, serve Him, and cling to Him because He is the great, awesome, and mighty God of all gods and Lord of all lords.

Deuteronomy 11

God would continue to bless His people if they loved Him by obeying Him. But if they disobeyed and forgot His commands, became deceived, and worshiped other gods, God's anger would be kindled against them.

REFLECTION  (From 2008)

Bible Study Tools: Cross-References

Beware that your hearts are not deceived, 

and that you do not turn away. 

(Deuteronomy 11:16)

This is the verse that stuck out to me tonight as I was meditating on Deuteronomy 11. I had to ask myself where my heart may be deceived, and Jeremiah 17:9 immediately came to mind. When meditating on a verse, I will often look it up in different translations:

New American Standard Bible (©1995): The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995): The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable. No one can understand how deceitful it is.

Bible in Basic English: The heart is a twisted thing, not to be searched out by man: who is able to have knowledge of it?

Then I like to read through cross-references:

Ecclesiastes 9:3: This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterward, they go to the dead.

Isaiah 1:5: Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your rebellion? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint.

Isaiah 1:6: From the sole of the foot even to the head there is nothing sound in it, only bruises, welts, and raw wounds, not pressed out or bandaged, nor softened with oil.

Isaiah 6:10: Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed.

Matthew 13:15: FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.

Mark 2:17: And hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Mark 7:21-22: For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.

Romans 1:21: For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Romans 7:11: For sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.

Ephesians 4:22: In reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit. 

(Cross-references from: NASB ©1995 through the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on https://biblehub.com/)

As a result of looking up these verses on a "deceitful heart," all of a sudden it hit me what God has been doing with me over the last couple of months. You see, I am what you might call a "heart" person. So, sometimes I "follow my heart," and it has gotten me into trouble! Why? Because my heart is deceitful!

I was well aware of that before, but even though I knew that about my heart, I was not picking up on the subtle things. So, God has been taking me down a path of really "walking things through" with Him when I have heart issues to deal with.

You see every time I have heart issues (hurt by another, frustrated with a situation, etc.) I get on my shoes, and I take a walk and "walk it through" with Him. Low and behold, two months (and 15 pounds) later, His kindness has led me to a deeper understanding of my sinful, idolatrous, and DECEITFUL heart! A heart that has "turned away" from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ and on to the approval of man (a false god and idol for modern times) and a whole host of other false gods that are "worthless things which do not profit or deliver" me, because they are useless (1 Samuel 12:20-21).

The bi-product of all of this is that I am reacting less to my circumstances and responding more to God's gentle whispers; seeing things from His perfect perspective and will for my life, not from my skewed and distorted perspective resulting from a deceitful heart! As I gain His perspective, I am "walking in His ways" rather than my own way. George has even noticed the difference. It is pretty exciting!


(In 2011, I can continue to see growth in this area! YIPEE! In 2014, I have less and less of a struggle in this area and now I am 30 pounds lighter!)


APPLICATION

"Walk it through" with the Lord next time you have something happen that "hits your heart" in the wrong way. Do not speak. Do not react. Do not be deceived! "Walk it through" with the Lord and see what He can do!!!!

PRAYER

Lord, may we "walk it through with You" on to "walking in Your way" and not allow our hearts to be deceived from pure and simple devotion to You. You make it all so very simple, really. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.