Anatomy of the Heart

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n November, I paid my semi-annual visit to the cardiologist.  It is always a good thing to have a look under the hood just to make sure the fuel pump is working properly and is in top notch condition.  On both accounts, I passed the test.  The pump is going strong and all indications are that no changes need to be made in its daily maintenance.

While waiting for the doctor, I read a book and, as I always do, I looked over the examination room with a fine-tooth comb.  I had been in this room several times over the last 21 years but I hadn’t actually been assigned this room in quite some time.

The room was not markedly different from the others.  The same carpet was on the floor, the same wallpaper decorated the space, and the cabinets and the examination table were in the same location as the other rooms.  However, some of the wall decorations were different and in this particular room something caught my eye.

On the wall, right in front of me hung a huge framed poster entitled Anatomy of the Heart.  It came as no shock that I would find this in a cardiologist office and I had seen the same poster in one of the other rooms but that poster made me stop and think for more than a few minutes.

The detail was striking.  Every inch of the organ was displayed, marked, and named.  No part was left uncovered.  Instead, it had been thoroughly examined, studied, labeled, and displayed for everyone to see and learn from.

The words of Jeremiah 17:9-10 immediately came to mind, “The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be."

You want to talk about looking under the hood?  God leaves nothing uncovered, does He?  The heart in scripture, always describes the very essence of who we are.  The heart is the seat of all emotion and motives and is the seat of all that we do, think, and say.  At first wash, this appears to be a very negative passage.  God describes in accurate detail the condition of the human heart and He is exactly right.  Our hearts are deceitful and dark.  We need look no further than the front page of the daily newspaper to see this truth.

However, God does not leave us there.  God locates the dark areas of our lives, reveals them, and then deals with them.  He brings to our attention anything that keeps us from being what He wants us to be and He makes sure we are aware of our failures.  But He also provides a solution to every heart problem we have.  Our Father is the ultimate cardiologist, examining every nook and cranny of our hearts to make sure they are cleaned and running in top-notch condition.

When was the last time you paid a visit to the Heavenly Cardiologist?  Don’t you think it’s time you did?  Let Him examine your heart and repair it.  Only He knows where to look and only He knows how to repair it.  Won’t you make an appointment today?