Following our Heart

We’ve all heard it before, “Do what you think is right, go ahead and follow your heart” or “trust yourself” & “follow your instinct”

Advice given is sometimes advice taken and to someone who does not know better will take that upon themselves and live a life that they will find out later on how much destruction can come from following our heart, or trusting in ourselves.

Proverbs 3:5,6  tells us “

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

6  In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

If we follow our heart, we will be the captain of our soul and that is a scary thought.

As a ship without a captain is the same analogy of ourselves trying to steer through life without Jesus,
Or we may want to take a different direction in life that He is trying to steer us away from and we grab the wheel and this is what follows.

1 My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
2keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
3 bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call insight your intimate friend,
5 to keep you from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words.

6For at the window of my house
I have looked out through my lattice,
7 and I have seen among the simple,
I have perceived among the youths,
a young man lacking sense,
8passing along the street near her corner,
taking the road to her house
9in the twilight, in the evening,
at the time of night and darkness.

10And behold, the woman meets him,
dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.
11She is loud and wayward;
her feet do not stay at home;
12now in the street, now in the market,
and at every corner she lies in wait.
13She seizes him and kisses him,
and with bold face she says to him,
14“I had to offer sacrifices,
and today I have paid my vows;
15so now I have come out to meet you,
to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.
16I have spread my couch with coverings,
colored linens from Egyptian linen;
17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh,
aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For my husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey;
20 he took a bag of money with him;
at full moon he will come home.”

21 With much seductive speech she persuades him;
with her smooth talk she compels him.
22 All at once he follows her,
as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught fast
23 till an arrow pierces its liver;
as a bird rushes into a snare;
he does not know that it will cost him his life.

24 And now, O sons, listen to me,
and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;
do not stray into her paths,
26 for many a victim has she laid low,
and all her slain are a mighty throng.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
going down to the chambers of death.

Proverbs 7

What we desire at times does not change the heart of God just because we want it or thinking that we need it, whatever it may be.
Let God “instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”
Psalm 32:8