Tending the Heart
Lent, Day 18
Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,
we wait for you;
your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.
My soul yearns for you in the night;
in the morning my spirit longs for you.
When your judgments come upon the earth,
the people of the world learn righteousness. — Isaiah 26:8-9
I have moments when I realize my heart is drifting. Sometimes, it’s a small thing, like snapping impatiently at someone I love. Other times, it feels weightier when I realize I’m chasing after idols. But whether small or large, it always reveals the potential to wander—sometimes just weariness and distraction, but more often pride and a desire to be in control.
I can let my heart grow careless, assuming it will stay aligned with God simply by routine. But Scripture says otherwise: "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life" (Proverbs 4:23).
Our hearts are the source of our words, thoughts, and choices. They can become hard or cold, distracted or divided if left unattended. During this season of Lent, God invites us to return to Him with our whole hearts. He does not leave us to care for our hearts alone; instead, He provides us with grace upon grace.
In the Bible, we see at least seven “hearts” to avoid and seven “hearts” to seek!
Seven to Avoid
DOUBLE HEART: Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak (Psalm 12:2)
STUBBORN HEART: So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices (Psalm 81:12)
DISLOYAL HEART: They would not be like their ancestors— a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him (Psalm 78:8)
HARD HEART: Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity (Proverbs 28:14)
PROUD HEART: Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin (Proverbs 21:4)
COLD HEART: Because of people breaking the laws and sin being everywhere, the love in the hearts of many people will become cold (Matthew 24:12)
UNBELIEVING HEART: Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God (Hebrews 3:12)
Seven to Seek!
TRUSTING, JOYFUL HEART: The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him (Psalm 28:7)
SINGING HEART: So now my heart will sing to you and not be silent; O Lord my God, I will always give thanks to you (Psalm 30:12)
PURE, CLEAN HEART: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51: 10)
STEADFAST HEART: My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music (Psalm 57:7)
UPRIGHT HEART: The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; all the upright in heart will glory in him (Psalm 64:10)
STRENGTHENED HEART: My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:26)
UNDIVIDED HEART: Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name (Psalm 86:11)
As we trust in God’s unfailing love, our hearts will rejoice in this great gift of salvation.
We begin by slowing down and letting His Word seep in, not skimming pages but lingering — chewing on truth until it softens us. We pray like David, "Search me, O God, and know my heart" (Psalm 139:23).
We pay attention to what we consume — not just food but words, images, conversations — knowing that what enters shapes what flows out.
When we stumble, we practice confession quickly, trusting that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us" (1 John 1:9).
Gratitude keeps cynicism at bay, and praise lifts our gaze from self to God.
And though the tending of the heart is personal, it is not private. We need companions who remind us who we are and whose we are.
I walked past our butterfly garden the other day. Green shoots are growing - signs of life! In the same way, we watch our hearts — loosening what’s hard, watering with Scripture, pulling up weeds, and resting in the warmth of His presence.
Prayer
O Lord, You who searches the hearts and tests the minds,
Create in us clean hearts and renew right spirits within us.
Turn our hearts from hardness, pride, and wandering;
Make them soft, humble, and undivided.
Plant in us Your Word, water us with mercy,
And prune us with wisdom.
Guard our hearts from deceit and distraction,
Lead us in the everlasting way,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Always for Your glory and our good. Amen.