Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom

What Do You Have In Your Heart? (Audio Only)

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2017-09-21

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver examines 1 Chronicles 29:17-20, contrasting the natural depravity of the human heart (Genesis 6:5) with the grace-filled heart prepared by God. He emphasizes that God tries the heart and takes pleasure in uprightness, and that our actions inevitably reveal what is in our hearts. The message calls believers to seek God to prepare their hearts, turn from evil, and walk in obedience that pleases Him.

[John Weaver] 1 Chronicles 29, and we're going to read verses 17-20. The title of the message is, What Do You Have in Your Heart? Look in 1 Chronicles 29, and let's begin reading with verse 17. David is praying, and he says this, I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me in the uprightness of mine heart, I have willingly offered all these things. And now have I seen with joy Thy people which are present here to offer willingly unto Thee. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people, and prepare their heart unto Thee. And give unto Solomon, my son, a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, and thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace for which I have made provision.' And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the Lord your God. And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord and the King."

[John Weaver] There have been numerous commercials in times past on TV, and the commercials sometimes are very interesting. But the commercials were produced by a leading credit card company. And they always ended with this question, what do you have in your wallet? And of course, most people, of course, are interested in what they do have in their wallet. But the more important question, I think, based upon the scriptures, what do you have in your heart? Our hearts are the most important part of our beings. I've preached many messages over the years, and I have been asked, in fact, I was asked again this past week, if I were to pick one message which I have preached out of the last 52 years of preaching, what message would I say would be one of the most important for Christians? And my answer would be the message which I titled, Keeping the Heart, from Proverbs 4, verse 23. I've preached that message all over this country. I think it's absolutely fundamental. I think it's necessary.

[John Weaver] Not only that, I hugely preach that message to myself every day. Proverbs 4, verse 23 says, Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. So it's not my intent today to re-preach that message. However, I would encourage you, if you've not heard it, to listen to it. And if it's been a long time since you've heard it, listen to it again. In fact, you probably should listen to it several times in order to make sure that the principles are down in your mind and in your heart. I also preached a number of messages on heart preparation.

[John Weaver] I believe those are important as well. But the truth is today we have to understand that everything basically begins in our hearts.

[John Weaver] Now, without me going into a lot of detail and showing a lot of Scriptures like I do in the message, Keeping the Heart, let me just make a statement. According to the Scripture, your heart is basically your mind. It is your understanding. The word heart is used sometimes to convey our affections, that is true. But when you look in the Scripture, usually it refers to the mind and the understanding. For instance, when you look at 1 Chronicles 29, verses 17 through 20, you're going to find the word heart occurring several times. Each time that word heart occurs, it refers, once again, to the mind and to the understanding. One of the leading Hebrew words is the word leb, and it's translated in our Bibles over and over as mind and understanding as well.

[John Weaver] Now, in reference then to our lives, the Bible teaches us in Proverbs 23 and verse 7, As the man thinketh in his heart, so is he. So the passage there is just simply telling us that everything basically flows out of the heart. The heart is the fountain from which everything pours. Our actions, our conduct, our behavior, everything just flows right out of the heart.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to hold 1 Chronicles 29, but let me show you how this truth is enunciated also in the New Testament. Luke chapter 6. Luke chapter 6, look in verse 45 if you would. Look what our Lord says, Luke 6 verse 45, a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil. For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. So obviously our Lord is teaching that a good man is going to bring out good things because good things are in his heart. An evil man is going to bring forth evil things, because evil things are in his heart. And then he makes this statement, for of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. So inevitably, invariably, whatever is in your heart is ultimately going to come out. So if you'll look back at Matthew 15, our Lord is talking to His disciples.

[John Weaver] In fact, they ask Him a question. And He answers that question very clearly in Matthew 15, beginning there in verse 15. answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable." In other words, teach us exactly what you're trying to say. And Jesus said, Are you also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man.

[John Weaver] Now watch carefully, for out of the heart Proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but eat with unwashing hands, defileth not a man."

[John Weaver] Now, there are two statements here to which you and I should pay very close attention. First of all, our Lord said, but those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart. What He is saying is what I've already said. is the fountain out of which everything pours. That's it. Everything comes from the heart. The second one is this. He said, watch if you will please, in verse 19, for out of the heart proceed, what's the very first thing he says? Evil thoughts.

[John Weaver] And then he adds murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Let me put it to you like this. You cannot commit an evil act without first having an evil thought. Everything begins with a thought. And so our Lord says, out of the heart, which would be the mind, because that's what is thinking, or the understanding, that is what is performing. So He said it's out of the heart these evil thoughts come to pass. So actually what our Lord is doing is establishing the fact once again that our behavior, our actions, our conduct, happens to be a result of whatever is in our heart.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back to 1 Chronicles 29. I'm going to be explaining especially verses 17 and 18, but I want you to understand the context in which verses 17 and 18 occur. The context of 1 Chronicles 29 is where David and the people have made preparation to build the temple. I hope you also remember the fact that a lot of the money that came from the building of the temple came from the heathen. When I say that I mean David conquered them and out of the spoils of battle they dedicated to maintain the house of the Lord. So if you look in 1 Chronicles chapter 26 and verse 27 you will see that very clearly stated. 1 Chronicles 26 and verse 27, out of the spoils won in battle did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord. So a lot of the boot, booty, a lot of the loot that they acquired in battle was just simply set aside to build the temple.

[John Weaver] Now the interesting thing is this, that I made a statement, oh, and several messages passed. Most people have no idea how wealthy David really was. In fact, how wealthy a lot of the Israelites really were. So I want to just show you just how wealthy David was particularly. So if you look at 1 Chronicles 29, beginning there with verse 2, look what David says. David says, Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things to be made of gold, and the silver for the things of silver.

[John Weaver] the brass for the things of brass, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, onyx stones and stones to be set, glistering stones and of diverse colors, and all manner of precious stones and marble stones in abundance. Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of my own proper good gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, even 3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, which was the finest gold, by the way, 3,000 talents, he said, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers."

[John Weaver] and who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord." So David, over and above everything that he conquered in battle, gave this tremendous amount to the house of God.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to note, beginning in verse 6, the chief rulers and princes and the people also gave very willingly and very graciously. In verse 6 he says, then the chief of the fathers and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work offered willingly, and gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents, and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasurer of the house of the Lord, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite. Then the people rejoiced for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord. And David the king also rejoiced with great joy." So here you have David now giving a tremendous amount of money personally. And then the princes, of course, they join in and give as well. Then when you look in verses 10-16, what you have is David giving praise and worship to God for all that has been given to the house of God.

[John Weaver] He is also at this particular point offering a prayer as well. And I want you to note what he says in verse 16. Look at this carefully. He says, O LORD our God, all this store, that is all that gold, silver, precious stones, iron, whatever, all this store that we have prepared to build thee in house for thine holy name, cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.

[John Weaver] In other words, what David is saying We really haven't given you anything, because everything we have you gave us. And we're just simply giving back to you. So our text now comes then in this prayer and praise and worship that David is giving.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look at verse 18. I'm going to come back to verse 17. In fact, I will be explaining verse 18 as well momentarily. But in verse 18 he says, O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, Keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee."

[John Weaver] Now one of the things that caught my eye as I was reading through 1 Chronicles recently was this verse, verse 18. And he said, David is praying and he says, Keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people. And when I read that, my mind could not help but go to another verse of Scripture. I want you to hold 1 Chronicles 29 and look back in your Bibles to Genesis 6 and verse 5. Genesis 6 and verse 5.

[John Weaver] Here you're going to see that same phrase again, only in a different context. Look in Genesis 6 and verse 5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Isn't that amazing? Now you have God seeing every imagination of the thoughts of the heart of man in Genesis 6, 5, that it's evil. And when you get to 1 Chronicles 29, verse 18, David is saying, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people.

[John Weaver] So let me just try to give you little comparison and contrast. Genesis 6 and verse 5 is what man is by nature. 1 Chronicles 29 verse 18 is what man is by grace. Genesis 6 verse 5 is the work of man. 1 Chronicles 29 verse 18 is the work of God. Genesis 6 verse 5 is the work of man's depravity. 1 Chronicles 29 and verse 18 is the product of God's saving grace.

[John Weaver] So the question then that I have to ask in light of this is what is in your heart? So notice if you would, comparing these two passages, you're only going to have depravity or grace. So the question is very legitimate, what do you have in your heart?

[John Weaver] Now stop and think about this. If a person has his heart filled with depravity and darkness, then his actions, his conduct, and his behavior, all are going to be contrary to God, contrary to His law, and wicked and wrong. If, on the other hand, grace fills the heart of man, then his actions, his conduct, his behavior is going to be one of obedience, and one of submission to God, and one in trying to honor and glorify God. So the question has to be asked, what is in your heart? And the answer comes back this, your life is really and truly going to evidence what is in your heart.

[John Weaver] Now, look what he asks. Look in verse 18 again. He says, O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee. So we could ask this question, what was David's prayer request of God to keep in the hearts of His people. Well, we could say that basically it would be all of the good dispositions that God had worked in them. We could say it was their willingness to sacrifice. It was their willingness to cooperate and to work together. And David understood all of this was basically from God's grace. And so David is asking God to fix in them what you and I would call a holy temper, or a holy disposition, or a holy attitude. In other words, God, they've done this now, they've acted like this now, so Lord, continue to have this in their heart where they will continue to act like this.

[John Weaver] Now notice what else he said. He said, O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people. That's one thing. And now he asks, and prepare their heart unto thee." Thus David recognized that the great spirit of giving and graciousness and cooperation was a result of God preparing their heart.

[John Weaver] Now let me give you a scripture, Proverbs 16, verse 1. The Bible says, the preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue are from the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to deal with the first half of that verse. The preparation of the heart in man are from the Lord. So here's what we must understand. If our hearts are ever prepared to pray, God prepared them. If our hearts are ever prepared to study, God prepared them. If our hearts are ever prepared to witness, God prepared them. If a sinner is ever prepared in his heart to come savingly to Jesus Christ, God prepared his heart. See, in John 6 and verse 37, our Lord said it like this, All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me, and he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out. But in John 6, verse 44, just a few verses down, he says this, No man can come unto me, except the Father who hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day. So, sinners may come, but they only come because of God's preparing their heart, because He says no man can, and can is a term of ability, no man can come except the Father who sent Me draw him.

[John Weaver] So it's just that simple. Now, Scripture reveals to us that although the ability is God's in preparing our hearts, the responsibility is ours to seek Him to prepare our hearts. So let me give you a contrast. I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles 12 and verse 14. 2 Chronicles 12 and verse 14. We're going to read about Rehoboam. Now, Rehoboam was the son of Solomon and the grandson of David. One author said, and I like what he said, Solomon only had one son, and he was a fool." Well, that's true. Solomon and all of his wives only had one son, and that was Rehoboam, and he turned out to be a fool. And here's why. In 2 Chronicles 12, verse 14, the Bible says this, and he, well, go back to verse 13, so King Rehoboam, so we're talking about Rehoboam, now skip down to verse 14, and he did evil. Why? because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord." So why did Rehoboam do evil? He prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.

[John Weaver] Now, it's true, God must prepare our hearts. But we have a duty and an obligation and a responsibility to seek Him to prepare our hearts.

[John Weaver] Now, look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles 27 and verse 6. That was King Rehoboam. Now we have King Jotham. Notice, if you would, 2 Chronicles 27 and verse 6. The Bible says, So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God. Well, you can't prepare your ways unless your heart is prepared. So Rehoboam did not prepare his heart. Jotham did, and consequently he prepared his ways as well. So here are two men, one prepared his heart, one did not prepare his heart.

[John Weaver] Let me give you just a couple of illustrations. Ezra. You can read about Ezra in the book of Ezra. Ezra was a scribe, and he understood his responsibility quite well. Because in Ezra 7 and verse 10 the Scripture says, For Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, to do it, and to teach it in Israel, and to teach the statutes and judgments. So Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of God, and then to teach the law of God. So obviously, he did have that duty and that responsibility. Now, let me just tell you that our part, and I'm using that phrase very generally, our duty, I should say, our responsibility in seeking God to prepare our heart is to rid ourselves anything that is contrary to God.

[John Weaver] For instance, in 1 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 3, the Israelites were fearful because of the Philistines. And Samuel spake to the house of Israel and he said this, If you do return to the Lord with all of your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Astaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts for before the Lord and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hands of the Philistines." So now he said, if you're really going to turn to the Lord, what should you do? Put away your strange gods. Put away Ashtaroth, the false god, and serve Him only.

[John Weaver] In other words, you have a duty, you have an obligation, you have a responsibility to obey Him. Do it. That's what he said. The ability is God's. The responsibility is ours. I want you to look in your Bibles to Luke chapter 12 very quickly. Whole 1 Chronicles 29. We're coming right back there. But look in Luke chapter 12. And you see our Lord said basically the same exact thing in Luke 12 and verse 47.

[John Weaver] He's making an application to the parable that he's teaching. And he says in verse 47, Luke 12, And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. So here's a servant that knew his Lord's will, but he did not prepare himself to do that will. In other words, he ignored the will of his master. Our part in preparation is to seek God first and foremost to prepare our heart, and then turn from all of that that is contrary to God. It's kind of like the man who says, well, I'm going to live a life of sobriety from here forward. Well, if he's going to live a life of sobriety from here forward, he better stay away from the bars and the liquor stores. In other words, he has to prepare himself to live a life of sobriety. And so that's exactly what the Scripture is teaching us. We must be prepared to do this. So we have the responsibility to seek the Lord, prepare our hearts, but we also have the responsibility to turn from everything that is contrary to God.

[John Weaver] Now, go back to verse 18 of 1 Chronicles 29. Watch this if you would. He says, O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, Keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their hearts unto thee." Now, David said, Lord, there are some things that you need to keep in the hearts of your people, and people need to keep in their hearts. You must prepare their heart, that is true. But let me ask you this, what is it David is requesting God to keep in the hearts of His people. He says, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people. This what?

[John Weaver] It's not just this spirit of willingness to sacrifice, or this spirit of cooperation, certainly that would be included. But there's something more specific. If you'll look in verse 17, Here's what David said,"'I know, O also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things, and now I have seen with joy Thy people which are present here to offer willingly unto Thee.'" Now, there are two things that he tells us that we must keep in our The first one is that thou tries the heart. That is, that God tries the heart. The word tries is the Hebrew word bachan, which means to examine, to try, to prove, to scrutinize, and to test. Did you know that God not only scrutinizes our hearts, but He will test our hearts?

[John Weaver] He examines our hearts in order that He may reveal it to us and to others as well. God doesn't need the knowledge for Himself because He's omniscient. He knows everything, but we do not. You remember the Bible says in Genesis 22 and verse 1, Now it came to pass that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham. And Abraham said, Here am I. It came to pass that God did tempt Abraham. The word tempt there literally is to test or to try. God was not tempting Abraham to sin. He was testing him. He was examining him.

[John Weaver] If you will hold I Chronicles, but look in your Bibles to I Peter chapter 1. Let me give you a very general illustration of the fact that yes, oftentimes our faith is tested and tried. Look, if you would, in 1 Peter 1, beginning there with verse 6. 1 Peter 1, verse 6. He says, Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations, or manifold trials, or manifold tests. Verse 7, That the trial of your faith, or the testing of your faith, precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto the praise and honor and glory of the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love, and whom though now you see him not yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." So he talks again here about the trial and about the testing of our faith.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this, as you read through the Bible, You're going to find that God often tests us and tries us, and the examination is so thorough, we do not necessarily understand when we just simply glance at the Bible. Let me just show you several verses, because there is, there are a number of verses where you will find a little word Reins, R-E-I-N-S. And each time you see it, it is usually in the context of being scrutinized or examined. For instance, whole 1 Chronicles 29, but go in your Bibles to Psalm 7, Psalm 7, Psalm 7, and look if you would please at verse 9, one of my favorite verses. I especially love the first part of it, Psalm 7, verse 9.

[John Weaver] He says, Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just. And then he says this, For the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. Wow! Now, are the reins different from the heart? Why would He say He trieth the hearts and the reins? Look in Psalm 26 and verse 2. Psalm 26, verse 2. David is praying again, and he asks the Lord, Examine me, O Lord, and prove me. Try my reins and my heart. So what is he talking about when he says, Try my reins and my heart? Look in Psalm 73 and verse 21. Psalm 73, verse 21. Asap says it like this, Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. Wow. Turn right over to Psalm 139 and look at verse 13. Psalm 139, verse 13. Tremendous psalm. We'll come back to it later. But look what David says. Psalm 139, verse 13. He says to the Lord, For thou hast possessed my reins, thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. Wow.

[John Weaver] Turn to Jeremiah chapter 17. Jeremiah 17. I just want you to see just a smattering of these verses, because every time you read the Bible and you see the word reigns, you should know exactly what he's talking about. In Jeremiah 17, in verse 10, here's a very clear passage. The Lord is speaking, and He says this, I, the Lord, search the heart, I try the reigns, to give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." So God says, I search the heart, and I try the reins.

[John Weaver] Now this word is not only used in the Old Testament, it is also used in the New Testament. And let me just quote it. In Revelation 2 in verse 23, God said, And I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and the heart. And I will give to every one of you according to your basically the same thing that he said in Jeremiah 17 and verse 10. So what does it mean when it says that God tries the reins and the heart? All of the Old Testament verses, of course, in Hebrew, is the Hebrew word, keliah, which literally means kidneys or reins. God searcheth the kidneys." Now, when it's translated as rains in the Bible, all that would mean is this, that God is searching the innermost recesses of the heart. It means that there is nothing escaping His knowledge or His notice. When you get to the New Testament, the Greek word is nephros, which, of course, refers then to kidneys or loins, or the inmost feelings or thoughts.

[John Weaver] I took Greek for three years, and one of my favorite words in the Greek language was the word splognidzomai. Well, I had several favorite words. The word for wife is goonie. Sometimes I'd call her my goonie. But splognizomai, splognizomai, listen to Olga. Splognizomai refers to your bowels. It's talking about loving with all of your heart. Actually, it's loving with all of your bowels, because the ancients would talk about this being the inside of man, the bowels. I'd tell Alice sometimes, I love you with all my bowels. And she'd say, well, that's not as romantic as I love you with all my heart, you know. But it's the same principle. And so it's the same thing with the word range. God searched at the range of the heart. He's not just searching the heart generally speaking. It's not the organ per se. It is the mind.

[John Weaver] It is the understanding and all the recesses that are found there. So here is what David is saying. This is the first truth that should never, ever leave your mind. This is the first truth that should be established in your understanding, is that God will scrutinize, God will examine every area of your thought, every motive, every desire, every intent. And you will answer and give an account to Him and the day of judgment. In fact, in Romans 2 and verse 16, Paul said, in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. Wow! God will judge the secrets of men. The Bible says in Proverbs 17 and verse 3, the finding pot is for silver, and the furnish for gold, but the Lord trieth the hearts. So the Lord tests the heart. The Lord examines. The Lord scrutinizes the heart. So He tells us then, this is the one thing that should always remain in our mind, that God is examining our thoughts. You know, the interesting thing is, there's a passage, I think it's in the book of Ezekiel, where God said, I know your thoughts, every one of them.

[John Weaver] before they come into your mind. Wow. So God knows what you're going to be thinking before you ever think it. So there's actually nothing that can be hidden from the Lord. He is omniscient. That is, He is all-knowing. Everything is revealed to Him.

[John Weaver] Now, if you'll look back in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 29 and verse 17, Here's the second thing that David is praying for in verse 18 that will be maintained in your understanding, in your mind, in your heart. He says in verse 17, I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart, I have willingly offered all these things, and now have I seen with joy Thy people, which are present here to offer willingly unto thee." The second thing that we must keep in our mind is that God has pleasure and uprightness.

[John Weaver] So let me ask you a question. Obviously, we are a pleasure-oriented people. We normally do that which pleases us. But has it ever entered into your mind that there are some things that please the Lord? And have you ever consciously asked the Lord, Father, help me to do that today that is pleasing in thy sight? And have you ever set your heart, or set your mind, or set your understanding to do that which you knew was pleasing unto Him?

[John Weaver] Now, the word pleasure, when he said in verse 17, thou hast pleasure in uprightness. The word pleasure here is the Hebrew word ratzah, which literally means that which is acceptable, that which is pleasing, that which is delightful, that which is enjoyable, that which is favorable, and that which is approvable. God has pleasure in that which favors Him and that which He approves, that which is delightful to Him.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you. I want you to turn to two passages, both of them in Colossians. The first one, Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1. I want you to see, first of all, the prayer that the Apostle Paul is making for these Colossian Christians. Look in Colossians 1 and verse 10. He said in verse 9, we cease not to pray for you. And then he's telling them some of the things that he prays and asks for them.

[John Weaver] Verse 10, that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. That's just one. But notice, if you would, that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." In other words, we're praying, says the Apostle Paul, that you might walk in such a way that delights and pleases our Heavenly Father. That you would walk in such a way that is acceptable and favorable unto Him.

[John Weaver] Now, the question would be, how do we do that? Well, look in Colossians 3 and verse 20. Here's a very interesting passage. Most of the time we quote it. Colossians 3, verse 20. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Wow. This is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Now, wait a minute. The Lord hath pleasure and uprightness. The word for uprightness is yoshur, which means that which is straight, that which is upright, that which is right, and that which is due. So let me ask you a question. What is God's right? What is God's due? I can show you scriptures in the Bible where the Bible says, give unto God the glory that is due unto His holy name. there are things that we owe God. It is the fact that it is His due. Now, look back at verse 20 of Colossians 3. Children, obey your parents and the Lord, for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord.

[John Weaver] So let me put it to you like this. If God looks at earthly parents and at earthly children. And he says to these children, I want you to obey your earthly parents. And as long as you obey your earthly parents, that is well-pleasing in my eyes. That is my delight. That is favorable unto me. That is acceptable unto me. I want it. That is my due from you as children, that you obey your parents. Now, wait a minute. God is so well-pleased if our physical children obey their physical parents. How much more is He well-pleased if His spiritual children obey their Heavenly Father? You follow me? If God can be well-pleased with children obeying their earthly parents, then obviously God is well pleased when we obey Him as His children.

[John Weaver] Now, go back to Colossians chapter 1. Look in Colossians chapter 1. He says, verse 10, that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. How do you walk worthy of the Lord? Then he explains being fruitful in every good work. How are you fruitful in every good work? And the answer is by being obedient. And then he adds this, and increasing in the knowledge of God. How do you increase in the knowledge of God? And the answer is by being obedient. So our Lord is telling us very plainly that it is obedience that pleases Him.

[John Weaver] I cannot please Him without walking worthily. I cannot please Him without obedience. I cannot please Him without studying and increasing in the knowledge of God.

[John Weaver] Now, go back in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 29, and look at verse 17. Watch this again. This is astounding. 1 Chronicles 29, verse 17, David said, I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, that's one truth, and hast pleasure in uprightness, that's the second truth. Now look what he says. Remember now, he's just given all of this money to the temple, the building of the temple, and he says this. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart, that is, in the straightness of my heart, I have willingly offered all these things. And now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee." So David is actually saying, here are two things that we need to remember, that God tries the heart, and God has pleasure and uprightness, And then he said, as for me, in other words, God, you're the sovereign God of heaven and earth. You are the omniscient God. As for me, under the scrutiny of your eye, under the examination that you give, as for me, I've given all of this in uprightness.

[John Weaver] That is, I've done this for your pleasure, for your honor, for your glory. Now, I want to tell you something, folks. That is a tremendous, tremendous undertaking. When you can ask God to search your heart, and you can truthfully say before the omniscient God of heaven and earth, I've done this in uprightness according to Your Word for Your honor and Your glory, you can search Now, I'm going to tell you why it's so important. I've preached for over 52 years.

[John Weaver] There have been times in my life that I genuinely thought I was serving the Lord. The Lord opened my eyes, and I was serving myself. Or I thought I would be doing something for God's honor and God's glory.

[John Weaver] Next thing I know, I understand I'm doing it out of the pride of my own heart or for the praise and recognition of man, and not for God at all. And I've got news for you. God can indeed slap us down and humble us. And when He opens our eyes and lets us see how miserable we really are, even as Christians, wow, it's an eye-opener. And so David is praying in verse 18, Lord, You keep these things in the hearts of Your people. You keep them mindful that You are the God that tries the heart, and that You have pleasure in uprightness.

[John Weaver] I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 139. I want to show you how thorough David is. Psalm 139, and look if you would please at verses 23 and 24. Psalm 139, verse 23, verse 24. Look what David asked. Search me, O God, I know my heart. Try me.

[John Weaver] test me, scrutinize me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." So David is asking God to search him, to test him, to try him, and reveal to him any wicked way in him so that he might turn from it and repent. And then God would lead him in the way of everlasting. I often tell people there are two prayer requests that you need to pray, and you need to pray them one after the other. The first one is, Lord, show me myself. If God only showed us ourselves, our pride, our arrogance, our sin, our rebellion, our wickedness, our disobedience, even as believers.

[John Weaver] If He really showed us that, it would slap us down to the ground so quickly it would make your head swim. We cannot, what does the Bible say in Jeremiah 17, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. We don't know our hearts. Not the way God does. But the second one we see is this, Lord, show me Thyself. Because once God shows us ourselves, and then if God reveals Himself, we know that all the answers to our problems are in Him. We see His holiness, His purity, His grace, His mercy, His goodness, His kindness, His love. So we pray, Lord, show us ourselves, but we also pray, Lord, show us And you know what David said in Psalm 51 and verse 6? You remember, that's the passage where David was confessing his sin. He said this, Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. God desires truth in the inward parts. So we need to be truthful with God and accurate with God because God already knows.

[John Weaver] I tell people, I get tickled many times. People say, you know, sometimes I just get so aggravated, sometimes I get so angry, sometimes I get so mad, and I just don't even want to pray. And I said, you know what you should do? What? Well, you should go ahead and pray and tell God about your frustration and your anger, because He already knows it. And just be honest with Him and ask Him to help you deal with it. It's just that simple.

[John Weaver] Let me show you a passage. I want you to look in Isaiah 33, Isaiah 33, and then I want to make some application. Look if you would, Isaiah 33, and let's begin with verse 14. Isaiah 33, verse 14. Look at what he says. The sinners in Zion are afraid. Fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites." Then he asks these questions. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? Wow.

[John Weaver] And then he begins to talk about the obedient life. He says, He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from the holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil, he shall dwell on high. His place of defense shall be the munitions of the rocks. Bread shall be given him, his water shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king and his beauty.

[John Weaver] They shall behold the land that is far off." When you examine verse 15, That verse just simply deals with straight-out obedience in every area of life. God says, you want your munitions to be sure, you want your bread to be sure, you want your water to be sure, you want to behold the King and all of His beauty? Obedience is the answer. Now, let me make just a couple of applications.

[John Weaver] The first one is this. It is indeed a great satisfaction and comfort to a godly man to know that God examines the heart and the reins, and that God knows the motives and the desires and the intents of the heart. How can I say that? Well, there have been times in my life when I've really wanted to help people. Times in my life, I've really tried to do certain things for the benefit of others. And guess what?

[John Weaver] It blew up in my face. It turned out wrong. I did not intend for it to turn out wrong. I did not desire it to turn out wrong. I did not want it to turn out wrong. But it did. It was something beyond my control and out of my hands. And all I can do is sit back and say, Lord, you do know my heart. You do know my intent. You do know my motives and my desire. You know everything.

[John Weaver] And that's the only consolation that you have. And I tell people the two hardest truths I ever learned in my life in the ministry, number one, you can't help everybody. And number two, sometimes those you can help are your own family and your own friends. And you try, but it doesn't work out. But God knows your heart, and God knows the motives. It's just like Peter. You remember Peter denied the Lord three times? When you get to John 21, three times our Lord asks Peter,"'Lovest thou me more than these?' Finally, the third time our Lord asked Peter the same question. Lovest thou me more than these?" Peter, being grieved, said, Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee. What was he doing?

[John Weaver] He was appealing to our Lord's omniscience. He said, Yes, Lord, I stumbled, I failed, I denied you three times, and yet, Lord, I know that was wicked and wrong and disobedient, but yet, Lord, you know that I love you. So he's falling back on the omniscience of God. You see, it was Peter's pride and arrogance who said, though all men forsake thee and deny thee, yet will not I. And our Lord said, really? Before the cock crows twice, you'll deny me three times. And Peter had to come back and say, Lord, I was wrong. You were right. But Lord, I love you. And you know that I love you.

[John Weaver] So, let me put it to you like this. This truth terrifies the wicked. When they stop and try to entertain the thought that God is going to hold them accountable, not just for their actions, not just for their conduct, not just for their behavior, but for their wrong motives, wrong desires, wrong intents, and He knows every one of them. So what is a comfort and consolation to the child of God is consternation and terror to the enemies of God, that we know that God tries the heart and that God has pleasure in uprightness. So here's the thing. If we desire to please God, Then we must learn to walk in uprightness. Wow. We must learn to consciously say, Lord, I know you're examining my heart. I know you're trying my heart. I know you're scrutinizing my heart. And Lord, to the best of my ability, the best of my knowledge, by your infinite grace and mercy, I want to please thee. I want to honor thee. I want to obey thee. I want to worship thee.

[John Weaver] I want grace. in my heart and not depravity. And you have to remember this, your actions will always reveal what is in your heart. Always. Always. So the question is not what is in your wallet, it's what is in your heart. Because out of the heart the mouth speaketh, and out of the heart are the issues of life. Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."

[John Weaver] Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You, Father, that You are indeed the God who tries our hearts, tests us, examines us, scrutinizes us. And we thank You, Father, that You have pleasure and uprightness, and we ask that You would help us to walk uprightly and to please Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] so so

What Do You Have In Your Heart?

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	KhH_4zp7iwg
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom
Genre	Sermon
Date	2017-09-21
Dictation Name
Book	Book 085: Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom — Chapter 12
Source Timed Segments	74

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Heart as the Fountain of Life

Weaver introduces the central question: 'What do you have in your heart?' He references Proverbs 4:23 and explains that the heart is the mind and understanding, from which all actions flow.

1 Chronicles 29, and we're going to read verses 17-20. The title of the message is, What Do You Have in Your Heart? Look in 1 Chronicles 29, and let's begin reading with verse 17. David is praying, and he says this,

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 29:17-20

"I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me in the uprightness of mine heart, I have willingly offered all these things. And now have I seen with joy Thy people which are present here to offer willingly unto Thee. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people, and prepare their heart unto Thee. And give unto Solomon, my son, a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, and thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace for which I have made provision."

And David said to all the congregation,

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 29:17-20

"Now bless the Lord your God."

And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord and the King.

There have been numerous commercials in times past on TV, and the commercials sometimes are very interesting. But the commercials were produced by a leading credit card company. And they always ended with this question, what do you have in your wallet? And of course, most people, of course, are interested in what they do have in their wallet. But the more important question, I think, based upon the scriptures, what do you have in your heart? Our hearts are the most important part of our beings. I've preached many messages over the years, and I have been asked, in fact, I was asked again this past week, if I were to pick one message which I have preached out of the last 52 years of preaching, what message would I say would be one of the most important for Christians? And my answer would be the message which I titled, Keeping the Heart, from Proverbs 4, verse 23. I've preached that message all over this country. I think it's absolutely fundamental. I think it's necessary.

Not only that, I hugely preach that message to myself every day. Proverbs 4, verse 23 says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 4:23

"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."

So it's not my intent today to re-preach that message. However, I would encourage you, if you've not heard it, to listen to it. And if it's been a long time since you've heard it, listen to it again. In fact, you probably should listen to it several times in order to make sure that the principles are down in your mind and in your heart. I also preached a number of messages on heart preparation. I believe those are important as well. But the truth is today we have to understand that everything basically begins in our hearts.

Now, without me going into a lot of detail and showing a lot of Scriptures like I do in the message, Keeping the Heart, let me just make a statement. According to the Scripture, your heart is basically your mind. It is your understanding. The word heart is used sometimes to convey our affections, that is true. But when you look in the Scripture, usually it refers to the mind and the understanding. For instance, when you look at 1 Chronicles 29, verses 17 through 20, you're going to find the word heart occurring several times. Each time that word heart occurs, it refers, once again, to the mind and to the understanding. One of the leading Hebrew words is the word leb, and it's translated in our Bibles over and over as mind and understanding as well.

Now, in reference then to our lives, the Bible teaches us in Proverbs 23 and verse 7,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 23:7

"As the man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

So the passage there is just simply telling us that everything basically flows out of the heart. The heart is the fountain from which everything pours. Our actions, our conduct, our behavior, everything just flows right out of the heart.

New Testament Confirmation: Out of the Heart Proceed Evil Thoughts

Using Luke 6:45 and Matthew 15:15-20, Weaver shows that Jesus taught that evil acts originate from evil thoughts in the heart, establishing the heart as the source of behavior.

Now, I want you to hold 1 Chronicles 29, but let me show you how this truth is enunciated also in the New Testament. Luke chapter 6. Luke chapter 6, look in verse 45 if you would. Look what our Lord says, Luke 6 verse 45,

Scripture Reading — Luke 6:45

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil. For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

So obviously our Lord is teaching that a good man is going to bring out good things because good things are in his heart. An evil man is going to bring forth evil things, because evil things are in his heart. And then he makes this statement,

Scripture Reading — Luke 6:45

"for of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

So inevitably, invariably, whatever is in your heart is ultimately going to come out. So if you'll look back at Matthew 15, our Lord is talking to His disciples.

In fact, they ask Him a question. And He answers that question very clearly in Matthew 15, beginning there in verse 15.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:15-20

"Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable."

In other words, teach us exactly what you're trying to say. And Jesus said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:15-20

"Are you also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man."

Now watch carefully, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man." Now, there are two statements here to which you and I should pay very close attention. First of all, our Lord said, "but those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart." What He is saying is what I've already said. It is the fountain out of which everything pours. That's it. Everything comes from the heart. The second one is this. He said, watch if you will please, in verse 19, "for out of the heart proceed," what's the very first thing he says? Evil thoughts.

And then he adds murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Let me put it to you like this. You cannot commit an evil act without first having an evil thought. Everything begins with a thought. And so our Lord says, out of the heart, which would be the mind, because that's what is thinking, or the understanding, that is what is performing. So He said it's out of the heart these evil thoughts come to pass. So actually what our Lord is doing is establishing the fact once again that our behavior, our actions, our conduct, happens to be a result of whatever is in our heart.

Context of 1 Chronicles 29: David's Offering and Prayer

Weaver describes the historical context: David and the people gave generously for the temple, and David acknowledged that all they gave came from God's hand.

Now, I want you to go back to 1 Chronicles 29. I'm going to be explaining especially verses 17 and 18, but I want you to understand the context in which verses 17 and 18 occur. The context of 1 Chronicles 29 is where David and the people have made preparation to build the temple. I hope you also remember the fact that a lot of the money that came from the building of the temple came from the heathen. When I say that I mean David conquered them and out of the spoils of battle they dedicated to maintain the house of the Lord. So if you look in 1 Chronicles chapter 26 and verse 27 you will see that very clearly stated. 1 Chronicles 26 and verse 27, "Out of the spoils won in battle did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord." So a lot of the booty, a lot of the loot that they acquired in battle was just simply set aside to build the temple.

Now the interesting thing is this, that I made a statement, oh, and several messages passed. Most people have no idea how wealthy David really was. In fact, how wealthy a lot of the Israelites really were. So I want to just show you just how wealthy David was particularly. So if you look at 1 Chronicles 29, beginning there with verse 2, look what David says. David says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 29:2-5

"Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things to be made of gold, and the silver for the things of silver." "The brass for the things of brass, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, onyx stones and stones to be set, glistering stones and of diverse colors, and all manner of precious stones and marble stones in abundance. Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of my own proper good gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, even 3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, which was the finest gold, by the way, 3,000 talents, he said, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers."

"And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord." So David, over and above everything that he conquered in battle, gave this tremendous amount to the house of God. Now I want you to note, beginning in verse 6, the chief rulers and princes and the people also gave very willingly and very graciously. In verse 6 he says, "Then the chief of the fathers and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work offered willingly, and gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents, and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasurer of the house of the Lord, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite. Then the people rejoiced for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord. And David the king also rejoiced with great joy." So here you have David now giving a tremendous amount of money personally. And then the princes, of course, they join in and give as well. Then when you look in verses 10-16, what you have is David giving praise and worship to God for all that has been given to the house of God.

He is also at this particular point offering a prayer as well. And I want you to note what he says in verse 16. Look at this carefully. He says, "O LORD our God, all this store, that is all that gold, silver, precious stones, iron, whatever, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name, cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own." In other words, what David is saying, we really haven't given you anything, because everything we have you gave us. And we're just simply giving back to you. So our text now comes then in this prayer and praise and worship that David is giving.

Now, I want you to look at verse 18. I'm going to come back to verse 17. In fact, I will be explaining verse 18 as well momentarily. But in verse 18 he says, "O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, Keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee."

Contrasting Genesis 6:5 and 1 Chronicles 29:18: Depravity vs. Grace

Weaver contrasts the evil imagination of man's heart by nature (Genesis 6:5) with the grace-filled heart that David prays God would maintain (1 Chronicles 29:18).

Now one of the things that caught my eye as I was reading through 1 Chronicles recently was this verse, verse 18. And he said, David is praying and he says,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 6:5

"Keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people."

And when I read that, my mind could not help but go to another verse of Scripture. I want you to hold 1 Chronicles 29 and look back in your Bibles to Genesis 6 and verse 5. Genesis 6 and verse 5. Here you're going to see that same phrase again, only in a different context. Look in Genesis 6 and verse 5.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 6:5

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

Isn't that amazing? Now you have God seeing every imagination of the thoughts of the heart of man in Genesis 6, 5, that it's evil. And when you get to 1 Chronicles 29, verse 18, David is saying,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 6:5

"keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people."

So let me just try to give you a little comparison and contrast. Genesis 6 and verse 5 is what man is by nature. 1 Chronicles 29 verse 18 is what man is by grace. Genesis 6 verse 5 is the work of man. 1 Chronicles 29 verse 18 is the work of God. Genesis 6 verse 5 is the work of man's depravity. 1 Chronicles 29 and verse 18 is the product of God's saving grace.

So the question then that I have to ask in light of this is what is in your heart? So notice if you would, comparing these two passages, you're only going to have depravity or grace. So the question is very legitimate, what do you have in your heart? Now stop and think about this. If a person has his heart filled with depravity and darkness, then his actions, his conduct, and his behavior, all are going to be contrary to God, contrary to His law, and wicked and wrong. If, on the other hand, grace fills the heart of man, then his actions, his conduct, his behavior is going to be one of obedience, and one of submission to God, and one in trying to honor and glorify God. So the question has to be asked, what is in your heart? And the answer comes back this, your life is really and truly going to evidence what is in your heart.

David's Prayer: Keep This in Their Hearts and Prepare Their Hearts

David asks God to keep a holy disposition in His people and to prepare their hearts. Weaver explains that God prepares hearts, but believers have a responsibility to seek Him and turn from evil.

Now, look what he asks. Look in verse 18 again. He says, "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee." So we could ask this question, what was David's prayer request of God to keep in the hearts of His people? Well, we could say that basically it would be all of the good dispositions that God had worked in them. We could say it was their willingness to sacrifice. It was their willingness to cooperate and to work together. And David understood all of this was basically from God's grace. And so David is asking God to fix in them what you and I would call a holy temper, or a holy disposition, or a holy attitude. In other words, God, they've done this now, they've acted like this now, so Lord, continue to have this in their heart where they will continue to act like this.

Now notice what else he said. He said, "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people." That's one thing. And now he asks, "and prepare their heart unto thee." Thus David recognized that the great spirit of giving and graciousness and cooperation was a result of God preparing their heart. Now let me give you a scripture, Proverbs 16, verse 1. The Bible says, "The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, are from the Lord."

Now, I want to deal with the first half of that verse. "The preparation of the heart in man are from the Lord." So here's what we must understand. If our hearts are ever prepared to pray, God prepared them. If our hearts are ever prepared to study, God prepared them. If our hearts are ever prepared to witness, God prepared them. If a sinner is ever prepared in his heart to come savingly to Jesus Christ, God prepared his heart. See, in John 6 and verse 37, our Lord said it like this, "All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me, and he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." But in John 6, verse 44, just a few verses down, he says this, "No man can come unto me, except the Father who hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day." So, sinners may come, but they only come because of God's preparing their heart, because He says no man can, and can is a term of ability, no man can come except the Father who sent Me draw him.

So it's just that simple. Now, Scripture reveals to us that although the ability is God's in preparing our hearts, the responsibility is ours to seek Him to prepare our hearts. So let me give you a contrast. I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles 12 and verse 14. 2 Chronicles 12 and verse 14. We're going to read about Rehoboam. Now, Rehoboam was the son of Solomon and the grandson of David. One author said, and I like what he said, "Solomon only had one son, and he was a fool." Well, that's true. Solomon and all of his wives only had one son, and that was Rehoboam, and he turned out to be a fool. And here's why. In 2 Chronicles 12, verse 14, the Bible says this, and he, well, go back to verse 13, "So King Rehoboam," so we're talking about Rehoboam, now skip down to verse 14, "and he did evil. Why? because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord." So why did Rehoboam do evil? He prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.

Now, it's true, God must prepare our hearts. But we have a duty and an obligation and a responsibility to seek Him to prepare our hearts. Now, look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles 27 and verse 6. That was King Rehoboam. Now we have King Jotham. Notice, if you would, 2 Chronicles 27 and verse 6. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 27:6

"So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God."

Well, you can't prepare your ways unless your heart is prepared. So Rehoboam did not prepare his heart. Jotham did, and consequently he prepared his ways as well. So here are two men, one prepared his heart, one did not prepare his heart.

Let me give you just a couple of illustrations. Ezra. You can read about Ezra in the book of Ezra. Ezra was a scribe, and he understood his responsibility quite well. Because in Ezra 7 and verse 10 the Scripture says,

Scripture Reading — Ezra 7:10

"For Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, to do it, and to teach it in Israel, and to teach the statutes and judgments."

So Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of God, and then to teach the law of God. So obviously, he did have that duty and that responsibility. Now, let me just tell you that our part, and I'm using that phrase very generally, our duty, I should say, our responsibility in seeking God to prepare our heart is to rid ourselves of anything that is contrary to God.

For instance, in 1 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 3, the Israelites were fearful because of the Philistines. And Samuel spake to the house of Israel and he said this,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 7:3

"If you do return to the Lord with all of your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hands of the Philistines."

So now he said, if you're really going to turn to the Lord, what should you do? Put away your strange gods. Put away Ashtaroth, the false god, and serve Him only. In other words, you have a duty, you have an obligation, you have a responsibility to obey Him. Do it. That's what he said. The ability is God's. The responsibility is ours. I want you to look in your Bibles to Luke chapter 12 very quickly. Hold 1 Chronicles 29. We're coming right back there. But look in Luke chapter 12. And you see our Lord said basically the same exact thing in Luke 12 and verse 47.

He's making an application to the parable that he's teaching. And he says in verse 47, Luke 12,

Scripture Reading — Luke 12:47

"And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes."

So here's a servant that knew his Lord's will, but he did not prepare himself to do that will. In other words, he ignored the will of his master. Our part in preparation is to seek God first and foremost to prepare our heart, and then turn from all of that that is contrary to God. It's kind of like the man who says, well, I'm going to live a life of sobriety from here forward. Well, if he's going to live a life of sobriety from here forward, he better stay away from the bars and the liquor stores. In other words, he has to prepare himself to live a life of sobriety. And so that's exactly what the Scripture is teaching us. We must be prepared to do this. So we have the responsibility to seek the Lord, prepare our hearts, but we also have the responsibility to turn from everything that is contrary to God.

Now, go back to verse 18 of 1 Chronicles 29. Watch this if you would. He says, "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, Keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their hearts unto thee." Now, David said, Lord, there are some things that you need to keep in the hearts of your people, and people need to keep in their hearts. You must prepare their heart, that is true. But let me ask you this, what is it David is requesting God to keep in the hearts of His people? He says, "keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people." This what?

First Truth to Keep: God Tries the Heart

Weaver expounds that God examines, tests, and scrutinizes the heart and reins (innermost thoughts and motives), and that this truth should always remain in our minds.

It's not just this spirit of willingness to sacrifice, or this spirit of cooperation, certainly that would be included. But there's something more specific. If you'll look in verse 17, Here's what David said, "I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things, and now I have seen with joy Thy people which are present here to offer willingly unto Thee." Now, there are two things that he tells us that we must keep in our hearts. The first one is that Thou triest the heart. That is, that God tries the heart. The word tries is the Hebrew word bachan, which means to examine, to try, to prove, to scrutinize, and to test. Did you know that God not only scrutinizes our hearts, but He will test our hearts?

He examines our hearts in order that He may reveal it to us and to others as well. God doesn't need the knowledge for Himself because He's omniscient. He knows everything, but we do not. You remember the Bible says in Genesis 22 and verse 1, "Now it came to pass that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham. And Abraham said, Here am I." It came to pass that God did tempt Abraham. The word tempt there literally is to test or to try. God was not tempting Abraham to sin. He was testing him. He was examining him.

If you will hold 1 Chronicles, but look in your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 1. Let me give you a very general illustration of the fact that yes, oftentimes our faith is tested and tried. Look, if you would, in 1 Peter 1, beginning there with verse 6. 1 Peter 1, verse 6. He says, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations," or manifold trials, or manifold tests. Verse 7, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto the praise and honor and glory of the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen ye love, and whom though now ye see him not yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." So he talks again here about the trial and about the testing of our faith.

Now, the interesting thing is this, as you read through the Bible, You're going to find that God often tests us and tries us, and the examination is so thorough, we do not necessarily understand when we just simply glance at the Bible. Let me just show you several verses, because there is, there are a number of verses where you will find a little word Reins, R-E-I-N-S. And each time you see it, it is usually in the context of being scrutinized or examined. For instance, hold 1 Chronicles 29, but go in your Bibles to Psalm 7, Psalm 7, Psalm 7, and look if you would please at verse 9, one of my favorite verses. I especially love the first part of it, Psalm 7, verse 9. He says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:9

"Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just."

And then he says this,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:9

"For the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins."

Wow! Now, are the reins different from the heart? Why would He say He trieth the hearts and the reins? Look in Psalm 26 and verse 2. Psalm 26, verse 2. David is praying again, and he asks the Lord, "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me. Try my reins and my heart." So what is he talking about when he says, "Try my reins and my heart"? Look in Psalm 73 and verse 21. Psalm 73, verse 21. Asaph says it like this, "Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins." Wow. Turn right over to Psalm 139 and look at verse 13. Psalm 139, verse 13. Tremendous psalm. We'll come back to it later. But look what David says. Psalm 139, verse 13. He says to the Lord, "For thou hast possessed my reins, thou hast covered me in my mother's womb." Wow.

Turn to Jeremiah chapter 17. Jeremiah 17. I just want you to see just a smattering of these verses, because every time you read the Bible and you see the word reins, you should know exactly what he's talking about. In Jeremiah 17, in verse 10, here's a very clear passage. The Lord is speaking, and He says this, "I, the Lord, search the heart, I try the reins, to give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." So God says, "I search the heart, and I try the reins."

Now this word is not only used in the Old Testament, it is also used in the New Testament. And let me just quote it. In Revelation 2 in verse 23, God said, "And I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and the heart. And I will give to every one of you according to your works." Basically the same thing that he said in Jeremiah 17 and verse 10. So what does it mean when it says that God tries the reins and the heart? All of the Old Testament verses, of course, in Hebrew, is the Hebrew word, keliah, which literally means kidneys or reins. "God searcheth the kidneys." Now, when it's translated as reins in the Bible, all that would mean is this, that God is searching the innermost recesses of the heart. It means that there is nothing escaping His knowledge or His notice. When you get to the New Testament, the Greek word is nephros, which, of course, refers then to kidneys or loins, or the inmost feelings or thoughts.

I took Greek for three years, and one of my favorite words in the Greek language was the word splagchnizomai. Well, I had several favorite words. The word for wife is gune. Sometimes I'd call her my gune. But splagchnizomai, splagchnizomai, listen to all of it. Splagchnizomai refers to your bowels. It's talking about loving with all of your heart. Actually, it's loving with all of your bowels, because the ancients would talk about this being the inside of man, the bowels. I'd tell Alice sometimes, I love you with all my bowels. And she'd say, well, that's not as romantic as I love you with all my heart, you know. But it's the same principle. And so it's the same thing with the word reins. God searcheth the reins of the heart. He's not just searching the heart generally speaking. It's not the organ per se. It is the mind.

It is the understanding and all the recesses that are found there. So here is what David is saying. This is the first truth that should never, ever leave your mind. This is the first truth that should be established in your understanding, is that God will scrutinize, God will examine every area of your thought, every motive, every desire, every intent. And you will answer and give an account to Him in the day of judgment. In fact, in Romans 2 and verse 16, Paul said, "in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." Wow! God will judge the secrets of men. The Bible says in Proverbs 17 and verse 3, "The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the Lord trieth the hearts." So the Lord tests the heart. The Lord examines. The Lord scrutinizes the heart. So He tells us then, this is the one thing that should always remain in our mind, that God is examining our thoughts. You know, the interesting thing is, there's a passage, I think it's in the book of Ezekiel, where God said, "I know your thoughts, every one of them."

before they come into your mind. Wow. So God knows what you're going to be thinking before you ever think it. So there's actually nothing that can be hidden from the Lord. He is omniscient. That is, He is all-knowing. Everything is revealed to Him.

Now, if you'll look back in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 29 and verse 17, Here's the second thing that David is praying for in verse 18 that will be maintained in your understanding, in your mind, in your heart. He says in verse 17, "I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart, I have willingly offered all these things, and now have I seen with joy Thy people, which are present here to offer willingly unto thee." The second thing that we must keep in our mind is that God has pleasure in uprightness.

Second Truth to Keep: God Has Pleasure in Uprightness

God delights in uprightness, which is straightness, rightness, and obedience. Weaver uses Colossians 1:10 and 3:20 to show that walking worthy and obeying parents pleases God, and by extension, obeying our Heavenly Father pleases Him.

So let me ask you a question. Obviously, we are a pleasure-oriented people. We normally do that which pleases us. But has it ever entered into your mind that there are some things that please the Lord? And have you ever consciously asked the Lord, Father, help me to do that today that is pleasing in thy sight? And have you ever set your heart, or set your mind, or set your understanding to do that which you knew was pleasing unto Him?

Now, the word pleasure, when he said in verse 17, "thou hast pleasure in uprightness." The word pleasure here is the Hebrew word ratzah, which literally means that which is acceptable, that which is pleasing, that which is delightful, that which is enjoyable, that which is favorable, and that which is approvable. God has pleasure in that which favors Him and that which He approves, that which is delightful to Him. Now, let me show you. I want you to turn to two passages, both of them in Colossians. The first one, Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1. I want you to see, first of all, the prayer that the Apostle Paul is making for these Colossian Christians. Look in Colossians 1 and verse 10. He said in verse 9, "we cease not to pray for you." And then he's telling them some of the things that he prays and asks for them.

Verse 10, "that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." That's just one. But notice, if you would, "that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." In other words, we're praying, says the Apostle Paul, that you might walk in such a way that delights and pleases our Heavenly Father. That you would walk in such a way that is acceptable and favorable unto Him. Now, the question would be, how do we do that? Well, look in Colossians 3 and verse 20. Here's a very interesting passage. Most of the time we quote it. Colossians 3, verse 20. "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord." Wow. This is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Now, wait a minute. The Lord hath pleasure in uprightness. The word for uprightness is yoshur, which means that which is straight, that which is upright, that which is right, and that which is due. So let me ask you a question. What is God's right? What is God's due? I can show you scriptures in the Bible where the Bible says, "give unto God the glory that is due unto His holy name." There are things that we owe God. It is the fact that it is His due. Now, look back at verse 20 of Colossians 3. "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord."

So let me put it to you like this. If God looks at earthly parents and at earthly children. And he says to these children, I want you to obey your earthly parents. And as long as you obey your earthly parents, that is well-pleasing in my eyes. That is my delight. That is favorable unto me. That is acceptable unto me. I want it. That is my due from you as children, that you obey your parents. Now, wait a minute. God is so well-pleased if our physical children obey their physical parents. How much more is He well-pleased if His spiritual children obey their Heavenly Father? You follow me? If God can be well-pleased with children obeying their earthly parents, then obviously God is well pleased when we obey Him as His children.

Now, go back to Colossians chapter 1. Look in Colossians chapter 1. He says, verse 10, "that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." How do you walk worthy of the Lord? Then he explains "being fruitful in every good work." How are you fruitful in every good work? And the answer is by being obedient. And then he adds this, "and increasing in the knowledge of God." How do you increase in the knowledge of God? And the answer is by being obedient. So our Lord is telling us very plainly that it is obedience that pleases Him.

I cannot please Him without walking worthily. I cannot please Him without obedience. I cannot please Him without studying and increasing in the knowledge of God.

David's Example and Prayer for Self-Examination

David claimed to have offered in uprightness under God's scrutiny. Weaver urges believers to pray Psalm 139:23-24, asking God to search and reveal any wicked way, and to be honest with God about their struggles.

Now, go back in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 29, and look at verse 17. Watch this again. This is astounding. 1 Chronicles 29, verse 17, David said, "I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart," that's one truth, "and hast pleasure in uprightness," that's the second truth. Now look what he says. Remember now, he's just given all of this money to the temple, the building of the temple, and he says this. "As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart, that is, in the straightness of my heart, I have willingly offered all these things. And now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee." So David is actually saying, here are two things that we need to remember, that God tries the heart, and God has pleasure in uprightness, And then he said, as for me, in other words, God, you're the sovereign God of heaven and earth. You are the omniscient God. As for me, under the scrutiny of your eye, under the examination that you give, as for me, I've given all of this in uprightness.

That is, I've done this for your pleasure, for your honor, for your glory. Now, I want to tell you something, folks. That is a tremendous, tremendous undertaking. When you can ask God to search your heart, and you can truthfully say before the omniscient God of heaven and earth, I've done this in uprightness according to Your Word for Your honor and Your glory, you can search me. Now, I'm going to tell you why it's so important. I've preached for over 52 years.

There have been times in my life that I genuinely thought I was serving the Lord. The Lord opened my eyes, and I was serving myself. Or I thought I would be doing something for God's honor and God's glory. Next thing I know, I understand I'm doing it out of the pride of my own heart or for the praise and recognition of man, and not for God at all. And I've got news for you. God can indeed slap us down and humble us. And when He opens our eyes and lets us see how miserable we really are, even as Christians, wow, it's an eye-opener. And so David is praying in verse 18, Lord, You keep these things in the hearts of Your people. You keep them mindful that You are the God that tries the heart, and that You have pleasure in uprightness.

I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 139. I want to show you how thorough David is. Psalm 139, and look if you would please at verses 23 and 24. Psalm 139, verse 23, verse 24. Look what David asked. "Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 139:23-24

"test me, scrutinize me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

So David is asking God to search him, to test him, to try him, and reveal to him any wicked way in him so that he might turn from it and repent. And then God would lead him in the way of everlasting. I often tell people there are two prayer requests that you need to pray, and you need to pray them one after the other. The first one is, Lord, show me myself. If God only showed us ourselves, our pride, our arrogance, our sin, our rebellion, our wickedness, our disobedience, even as believers. If He really showed us that, it would slap us down to the ground so quickly it would make your head swim. We cannot, what does the Bible say in Jeremiah 17, "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." We don't know our hearts. Not the way God does. But the second one we see is this, Lord, show me Thyself. Because once God shows us ourselves, and then if God reveals Himself, we know that all the answers to our problems are in Him. We see His holiness, His purity, His grace, His mercy, His goodness, His kindness, His love. So we pray, Lord, show us ourselves, but we also pray, Lord, show us Thyself. And you know what David said in Psalm 51 and verse 6? You remember, that's the passage where David was confessing his sin. He said this, "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom." God desires truth in the inward parts. So we need to be truthful with God and accurate with God because God already knows.

I tell people, I get tickled many times. People say, you know, sometimes I just get so aggravated, sometimes I get so angry, sometimes I get so mad, and I just don't even want to pray. And I said, you know what you should do? What? Well, you should go ahead and pray and tell God about your frustration and your anger, because He already knows it. And just be honest with Him and ask Him to help you deal with it. It's just that simple.

Let me show you a passage. I want you to look in Isaiah 33, Isaiah 33, and then I want to make some application. Look if you would, Isaiah 33, and let's begin with verse 14. Isaiah 33, verse 14. Look at what he says. "The sinners in Zion are afraid. Fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites." Then he asks these questions. "Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Wow.

Application: Comfort for the Godly, Terror for the Wicked

The truth that God tries the heart comforts believers when their good intentions are misunderstood, but terrifies the wicked who must give account for every thought. Weaver concludes by urging a conscious desire to please God through uprightness.

And then he begins to talk about the obedient life. He says, "He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from the holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil, he shall dwell on high. His place of defense shall be the munitions of the rocks. Bread shall be given him, his water shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king and his beauty." "They shall behold the land that is far off." When you examine verse 15, That verse just simply deals with straight-out obedience in every area of life. God says, you want your munitions to be sure, you want your bread to be sure, you want your water to be sure, you want to behold the King and all of His beauty? Obedience is the answer. Now, let me make just a couple of applications.

The first one is this. It is indeed a great satisfaction and comfort to a godly man to know that God examines the heart and the reins, and that God knows the motives and the desires and the intents of the heart. How can I say that? Well, there have been times in my life when I've really wanted to help people. Times in my life, I've really tried to do certain things for the benefit of others. And guess what? It blew up in my face. It turned out wrong. I did not intend for it to turn out wrong. I did not desire it to turn out wrong. I did not want it to turn out wrong. But it did. It was something beyond my control and out of my hands. And all I can do is sit back and say, Lord, you do know my heart. You do know my intent. You do know my motives and my desire. You know everything.

And that's the only consolation that you have. And I tell people the two hardest truths I ever learned in my life in the ministry, number one, you can't help everybody. And number two, sometimes those you can help are your own family and your own friends. And you try, but it doesn't work out. But God knows your heart, and God knows the motives. It's just like Peter. You remember Peter denied the Lord three times? When you get to John 21, three times our Lord asks Peter, "Lovest thou me more than these?" Finally, the third time our Lord asked Peter the same question. "Lovest thou me more than these?" Peter, being grieved, said, "Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee." What was he doing?

He was appealing to our Lord's omniscience. He said, Yes, Lord, I stumbled, I failed, I denied you three times, and yet, Lord, I know that was wicked and wrong and disobedient, but yet, Lord, you know that I love you. So he's falling back on the omniscience of God. You see, it was Peter's pride and arrogance who said, "though all men forsake thee and deny thee, yet will not I." And our Lord said, "really? Before the cock crows twice, you'll deny me three times." And Peter had to come back and say, Lord, I was wrong. You were right. But Lord, I love you. And you know that I love you.

So, let me put it to you like this. This truth terrifies the wicked. When they stop and try to entertain the thought that God is going to hold them accountable, not just for their actions, not just for their conduct, not just for their behavior, but for their wrong motives, wrong desires, wrong intents, and He knows every one of them. So what is a comfort and consolation to the child of God is consternation and terror to the enemies of God, that we know that God tries the heart and that God has pleasure in uprightness. So here's the thing. If we desire to please God, Then we must learn to walk in uprightness. Wow. We must learn to consciously say, Lord, I know you're examining my heart. I know you're trying my heart. I know you're scrutinizing my heart. And Lord, to the best of my ability, the best of my knowledge, by your infinite grace and mercy, I want to please thee. I want to honor thee. I want to obey thee. I want to worship thee.

I want grace in my heart and not depravity. And you have to remember this, your actions will always reveal what is in your heart. Always. Always. So the question is not what is in your wallet, it's what is in your heart. Because out of the heart the mouth speaketh, and out of the heart are the issues of life. "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You, Father, that You are indeed the God who tries our hearts, tests us, examines us, scrutinizes us. And we thank You, Father, that You have pleasure in uprightness, and we ask that You would help us to walk uprightly and to please Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Heart as the Source of All Actions

Summary: The heart (mind/understanding) is the fountain from which all behavior flows; what is in the heart will inevitably come out in words and deeds.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'the heart is the fountain from which everything pours. Our actions, our conduct, our behavior, everything just flows right out of the heart.' He cites Proverbs 4:23, Luke 6:45, and Matthew 15:18-19.

Depravity vs. Grace in the Heart

Summary: By nature, man's heart is only evil continually (Genesis 6:5), but by grace, God can fill the heart with good dispositions and obedience (1 Chronicles 29:18).

Evidence: Weaver contrasts Genesis 6:5 ('every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually') with 1 Chronicles 29:18 ('keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people'), calling the former the work of man's depravity and the latter the product of God's saving grace.

God's Examination of the Heart

Summary: God tries, tests, and scrutinizes the heart and reins (innermost thoughts, motives, desires), and believers must live with this awareness.

Evidence: Weaver explains the Hebrew word 'bachan' (to examine, try, prove) and the concept of 'reins' (kidneys, innermost recesses) from passages like Psalm 7:9, Jeremiah 17:10, and Revelation 2:23. He says, 'God will scrutinize, God will examine every area of your thought, every motive, every desire, every intent.'

God's Pleasure in Uprightness

Summary: God delights in uprightness, which is straightness, rightness, and obedience. Believers should consciously seek to do what pleases Him.

Evidence: Weaver defines 'pleasure' (Hebrew 'ratzah') as acceptable, delightful, favorable. He cites Colossians 1:10 ('walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing') and Colossians 3:20 (children obeying parents is 'well-pleasing unto the Lord') to show that obedience pleases God.

Divine Preparation and Human Responsibility

Summary: God must prepare the heart, but believers have the responsibility to seek Him to prepare their hearts and to turn from everything contrary to God.

Evidence: Weaver cites Proverbs 16:1 ('The preparations of the heart in man... are from the Lord'), 2 Chronicles 12:14 (Rehoboam 'prepared not his heart to seek the Lord'), and 1 Samuel 7:3 (put away strange gods and prepare your hearts). He says, 'The ability is God's. The responsibility is ours.'

Self-Examination and Honesty Before God

Summary: Believers should pray for God to search and reveal their hearts, and be honest with Him about their struggles, knowing He already knows.

Evidence: Weaver references Psalm 139:23-24 ('Search me, O God, and know my heart') and Psalm 51:6 ('thou desirest truth in the inward parts'). He advises, 'go ahead and pray and tell God about your frustration and your anger, because He already knows it.'

Comfort for Believers, Terror for the Wicked

Summary: The truth that God knows the heart comforts believers when their good intentions are misunderstood, but terrifies the wicked who must give account for every thought.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'It is indeed a great satisfaction and comfort to a godly man to know that God examines the heart... This truth terrifies the wicked.' He illustrates with Peter's appeal to Christ's omniscience in John 21:17.

Key Arguments

The heart determines all behavior

Summary: Everything a person does flows from the heart; evil acts begin with evil thoughts, and good acts come from a good treasure in the heart.

Evidence: Weaver cites Matthew 15:19 ('out of the heart proceed evil thoughts') and Luke 6:45 ('a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good'). He states, 'You cannot commit an evil act without first having an evil thought.'

Man's natural heart is depraved; only grace can change it

Summary: Genesis 6:5 shows that by nature every imagination of man's heart is evil; 1 Chronicles 29:18 shows that God can keep a grace-filled imagination in His people.

Evidence: Weaver directly contrasts the two verses: 'Genesis 6 and verse 5 is what man is by nature. 1 Chronicles 29 verse 18 is what man is by grace.'

God tries the heart and reins

Summary: God's examination penetrates to the innermost recesses of the mind, motives, and desires, leaving nothing hidden.

Evidence: Weaver explains the Hebrew 'bachan' and the concept of 'reins' (kidneys) from Psalm 7:9, Jeremiah 17:10, and Revelation 2:23. He says, 'God is searching the innermost recesses of the heart... there is nothing escaping His knowledge or His notice.'

God takes pleasure in uprightness, which is obedience

Summary: Uprightness means straightness and rightness; God delights in it, and believers should consciously seek to please Him through obedience.

Evidence: Weaver defines 'uprightness' (yoshur) and 'pleasure' (ratzah), then uses Colossians 3:20 to argue that if children obeying parents pleases God, how much more does His spiritual children obeying Him please Him.

God prepares the heart, but we must seek Him and turn from evil

Summary: While God is the one who prepares hearts, believers have a duty to seek Him, put away idols, and prepare themselves to do His will.

Evidence: Weaver cites Proverbs 16:1, 2 Chronicles 12:14, Ezra 7:10, and 1 Samuel 7:3. He says, 'The ability is God's. The responsibility is ours.'

Honest self-examination is necessary

Summary: Believers should pray for God to reveal any wicked way in them and be truthful with Him, because He already knows their hearts.

Evidence: Weaver references Psalm 139:23-24 and Psalm 51:6, and advises telling God about frustrations and anger because 'He already knows it.'

God's omniscience comforts the godly and terrifies the wicked

Summary: Knowing God sees the heart brings consolation when good intentions are misunderstood, but it brings terror to those who must account for evil thoughts.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'This truth terrifies the wicked... what is a comfort and consolation to the child of God is consternation and terror to the enemies of God.' He uses Peter's appeal in John 21:17 as an example.

Scripture References

1 Chronicles 29:17-20

Context: The primary text of the sermon; David's prayer acknowledging God tries the heart and has pleasure in uprightness, and asking God to keep this in the hearts of His people.

Proverbs 4:23

Context: Weaver references this as the foundational verse for his message 'Keeping the Heart,' emphasizing the need to guard the heart diligently.

Proverbs 23:7

Context: Cited to show that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he; the heart determines the person.

Luke 6:45

Context: Jesus teaches that a good man brings forth good from the treasure of his heart, and an evil man brings forth evil; the mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart.

Matthew 15:15-20

Context: Jesus explains that what proceeds from the mouth comes from the heart, and lists evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, etc., as defiling a man.

1 Chronicles 26:27

Context: Shows that spoils won in battle were dedicated to maintain the house of the Lord, providing context for the wealth given for the temple.

1 Chronicles 29:2-5

Context: Details David's personal offering of gold, silver, and precious materials for the temple, demonstrating his willingness and uprightness.

1 Chronicles 29:6-9

Context: The chief rulers and people also gave willingly and with perfect heart, rejoicing in their offerings.

1 Chronicles 29:16

Context: David acknowledges that all the store they prepared came from God's hand and is His own.

Genesis 6:5

Context: Contrasted with 1 Chronicles 29:18; shows that by nature every imagination of man's heart is only evil continually.

Proverbs 16:1

Context: The preparations of the heart in man are from the Lord; used to show God's role in preparing hearts.

John 6:37, 44

Context: Jesus teaches that all the Father gives will come to Him, and no one can come unless the Father draws him; illustrates God's preparation of the sinner's heart.

2 Chronicles 12:14

Context: Rehoboam did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord; an example of human responsibility.

2 Chronicles 27:6

Context: Jotham became mighty because he prepared his ways before the Lord; contrast to Rehoboam.

Ezra 7:10

Context: Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, to do it, and to teach it; an example of human responsibility in heart preparation.

1 Samuel 7:3

Context: Samuel tells Israel to put away strange gods and prepare their hearts unto the Lord; shows the duty to turn from evil.

Luke 12:47

Context: The servant who knew his Lord's will but prepared not himself shall be beaten; illustrates the consequence of neglecting preparation.

Psalm 7:9

Context: The righteous God tries the hearts and reins; used to show God's thorough examination.

Psalm 139:23-24

Context: David's prayer for God to search him, try him, and see if there be any wicked way in him; a model for self-examination.

Colossians 1:10

Context: Paul prays that believers walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing; used to show that obedience pleases God.

Historical References

David's preparation for the temple

Context: David and the people of Israel gave vast amounts of gold, silver, and precious materials for the building of the temple, much of it from spoils of battle.

Rehoboam, son of Solomon

Context: Rehoboam did evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord; used as a negative example of neglecting heart preparation.

Jotham, king of Judah

Context: Jotham became mighty because he prepared his ways before the Lord; used as a positive example of heart preparation leading to right living.

Ezra the scribe

Context: Ezra prepared his heart to seek, do, and teach God's law; an example of human responsibility in spiritual preparation.

Peter's denial and restoration

Context: Peter denied Christ three times but later appealed to Christ's omniscience, saying 'Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee' (John 21).

Important Quotes

Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

Significance: Weaver identifies this as the foundational verse for understanding the heart's central role in life and the necessity of guarding it.

As the man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

Significance: This quote from Proverbs 23:7 encapsulates the message that a person's identity and actions are determined by the thoughts of the heart.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil. For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Significance: Jesus' teaching in Luke 6:45 that the heart's contents inevitably manifest in speech and behavior.

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

Significance: From Matthew 15:19, this quote establishes that all sinful acts originate from evil thoughts in the heart.

I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness.

Significance: David's declaration in 1 Chronicles 29:17 that forms the core of the sermon: God examines the heart and delights in uprightness.

O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee.

Significance: David's prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:18 for God to maintain a grace-filled disposition in His people and to prepare their hearts.

The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, are from the Lord.

Significance: Proverbs 16:1 is used to teach that while God prepares hearts, humans have a responsibility to seek that preparation.

Discussion Questions

What does it mean that the heart is the 'fountain from which everything pours'? How have you seen this principle play out in your own life?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that all actions, conduct, and behavior flow from the heart, citing Proverbs 4:23 and Luke 6:45.

How does the contrast between Genesis 6:5 and 1 Chronicles 29:18 help you understand the difference between a depraved heart and a grace-filled heart?

Context: Weaver contrasts the natural evil imagination of man's heart with the grace-worked imagination that David prays for.

In what ways does the truth that God tries the heart and reins bring you comfort? In what ways does it challenge you?

Context: Weaver explains that God examines motives, desires, and intents, which comforts believers but terrifies the wicked.

What does it mean to 'prepare your heart to seek the Lord'? What practical steps can you take to do this?

Context: Weaver discusses the human responsibility to seek God for heart preparation, using examples like Ezra and the command to put away idols.

How can we cultivate a conscious desire to please God in our daily lives, knowing that He has pleasure in uprightness?

Context: Weaver urges believers to consciously ask God to help them do what pleases Him, based on Colossians 1:10 and 3:20.

Why is it important to pray 'Lord, show me myself' and 'Lord, show me Thyself'? How might these prayers change your spiritual walk?

Context: Weaver recommends these two prayer requests as essential for seeing our own sin and God's holiness, leading to repentance and growth.

How does Peter's appeal to Christ's omniscience in John 21 model the way we should respond when we fail?

Context: Weaver uses Peter's 'Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee' as an example of finding consolation in God's knowledge of our hearts.

Applications

Guard your heart diligently

Summary: Recognize that everything in life flows from the heart, so make it a priority to guard what you allow into your mind and affections.

Evidence: Weaver references Proverbs 4:23 and states, 'the heart is the fountain from which everything pours.' He encourages listening to his message 'Keeping the Heart' multiple times.

Live with the awareness that God examines your heart

Summary: Consciously remember that God scrutinizes every thought, motive, and desire, and let that awareness shape your choices.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'This is the first truth that should never, ever leave your mind... God will scrutinize, God will examine every area of your thought, every motive, every desire, every intent.'

Seek to please God through obedience

Summary: Make it your aim to walk in uprightness and obedience, knowing that this delights God.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'If we desire to please God, then we must learn to walk in uprightness... Lord, to the best of my ability... I want to please thee. I want to honor thee. I want to obey thee.'

Pray for God to search and reveal your heart

Summary: Regularly pray Psalm 139:23-24, asking God to show you any wicked way in you and to lead you in the way everlasting.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'There are two prayer requests that you need to pray... Lord, show me myself... Lord, show me Thyself.' He cites David's prayer in Psalm 139.

Be honest with God about your struggles

Summary: Instead of avoiding prayer when you feel angry or frustrated, go to God and tell Him honestly, because He already knows and can help you deal with it.

Evidence: Weaver advises, 'go ahead and pray and tell God about your frustration and your anger, because He already knows it. And just be honest with Him and ask Him to help you deal with it.'

Take responsibility to prepare your heart

Summary: While God prepares hearts, you must actively seek Him, put away idols, and turn from everything contrary to God.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The ability is God's. The responsibility is ours.' He cites 1 Samuel 7:3 and the example of Ezra preparing his heart.

Find comfort in God's omniscience when misunderstood

Summary: When your good intentions are misinterpreted or your efforts fail, rest in the fact that God knows your heart and motives.

Evidence: Weaver shares personal experience: 'all I can do is sit back and say, Lord, you do know my heart. You do know my intent. You do know my motives and my desire.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:53:41Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T12:12:49Z

Clean Transcript

What Do You Have In Your Heart?

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

1 Chronicles 29, and we're going to read verses 17-20. The title of the message is, What Do You Have in Your Heart? Look in 1 Chronicles 29, and let's begin reading with verse 17. David is praying, and he says this, "I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me in the uprightness of mine heart, I have willingly offered all these things. And now have I seen with joy Thy people which are present here to offer willingly unto Thee. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people, and prepare their heart unto Thee. And give unto Solomon, my son, a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, and thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace for which I have made provision." And David said to all the congregation, "Now bless the Lord your God." And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord and the King.
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There have been numerous commercials in times past on TV, and the commercials sometimes are very interesting. But the commercials were produced by a leading credit card company. And they always ended with this question, what do you have in your wallet? And of course, most people, of course, are interested in what they do have in their wallet. But the more important question, I think, based upon the scriptures, what do you have in your heart? Our hearts are the most important part of our beings. I've preached many messages over the years, and I have been asked, in fact, I was asked again this past week, if I were to pick one message which I have preached out of the last 52 years of preaching, what message would I say would be one of the most important for Christians? And my answer would be the message which I titled, Keeping the Heart, from Proverbs 4, verse 23. I've preached that message all over this country. I think it's absolutely fundamental. I think it's necessary.
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Not only that, I hugely preach that message to myself every day. Proverbs 4, verse 23 says, "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." So it's not my intent today to re-preach that message. However, I would encourage you, if you've not heard it, to listen to it. And if it's been a long time since you've heard it, listen to it again. In fact, you probably should listen to it several times in order to make sure that the principles are down in your mind and in your heart. I also preached a number of messages on heart preparation.
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I believe those are important as well. But the truth is today we have to understand that everything basically begins in our hearts.
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Now, without me going into a lot of detail and showing a lot of Scriptures like I do in the message, Keeping the Heart, let me just make a statement. According to the Scripture, your heart is basically your mind. It is your understanding. The word heart is used sometimes to convey our affections, that is true. But when you look in the Scripture, usually it refers to the mind and the understanding. For instance, when you look at 1 Chronicles 29, verses 17 through 20, you're going to find the word heart occurring several times. Each time that word heart occurs, it refers, once again, to the mind and to the understanding. One of the leading Hebrew words is the word leb, and it's translated in our Bibles over and over as mind and understanding as well.
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Now, in reference then to our lives, the Bible teaches us in Proverbs 23 and verse 7, "As the man thinketh in his heart, so is he." So the passage there is just simply telling us that everything basically flows out of the heart. The heart is the fountain from which everything pours. Our actions, our conduct, our behavior, everything just flows right out of the heart.
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Now, I want you to hold 1 Chronicles 29, but let me show you how this truth is enunciated also in the New Testament. Luke chapter 6. Luke chapter 6, look in verse 45 if you would. Look what our Lord says, Luke 6 verse 45, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil. For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." So obviously our Lord is teaching that a good man is going to bring out good things because good things are in his heart. An evil man is going to bring forth evil things, because evil things are in his heart. And then he makes this statement, "for of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." So inevitably, invariably, whatever is in your heart is ultimately going to come out. So if you'll look back at Matthew 15, our Lord is talking to His disciples.
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In fact, they ask Him a question. And He answers that question very clearly in Matthew 15, beginning there in verse 15. "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable." In other words, teach us exactly what you're trying to say. And Jesus said, "Are you also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man."
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Now watch carefully, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."
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Now, there are two statements here to which you and I should pay very close attention. First of all, our Lord said, "but those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart." What He is saying is what I've already said. It is the fountain out of which everything pours. That's it. Everything comes from the heart. The second one is this. He said, watch if you will please, in verse 19, "for out of the heart proceed," what's the very first thing he says? Evil thoughts.
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And then he adds murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Let me put it to you like this. You cannot commit an evil act without first having an evil thought. Everything begins with a thought. And so our Lord says, out of the heart, which would be the mind, because that's what is thinking, or the understanding, that is what is performing. So He said it's out of the heart these evil thoughts come to pass. So actually what our Lord is doing is establishing the fact once again that our behavior, our actions, our conduct, happens to be a result of whatever is in our heart.
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Now, I want you to go back to 1 Chronicles 29. I'm going to be explaining especially verses 17 and 18, but I want you to understand the context in which verses 17 and 18 occur. The context of 1 Chronicles 29 is where David and the people have made preparation to build the temple. I hope you also remember the fact that a lot of the money that came from the building of the temple came from the heathen. When I say that I mean David conquered them and out of the spoils of battle they dedicated to maintain the house of the Lord. So if you look in 1 Chronicles chapter 26 and verse 27 you will see that very clearly stated. 1 Chronicles 26 and verse 27, "Out of the spoils won in battle did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord." So a lot of the booty, a lot of the loot that they acquired in battle was just simply set aside to build the temple.
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Now the interesting thing is this, that I made a statement, oh, and several messages passed. Most people have no idea how wealthy David really was. In fact, how wealthy a lot of the Israelites really were. So I want to just show you just how wealthy David was particularly. So if you look at 1 Chronicles 29, beginning there with verse 2, look what David says. David says, "Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things to be made of gold, and the silver for the things of silver."
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"The brass for the things of brass, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, onyx stones and stones to be set, glistering stones and of diverse colors, and all manner of precious stones and marble stones in abundance. Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of my own proper good gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, even 3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, which was the finest gold, by the way, 3,000 talents, he said, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers."
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"And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord." So David, over and above everything that he conquered in battle, gave this tremendous amount to the house of God.
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Now I want you to note, beginning in verse 6, the chief rulers and princes and the people also gave very willingly and very graciously. In verse 6 he says, "Then the chief of the fathers and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work offered willingly, and gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents, and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasurer of the house of the Lord, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite. Then the people rejoiced for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord. And David the king also rejoiced with great joy." So here you have David now giving a tremendous amount of money personally. And then the princes, of course, they join in and give as well. Then when you look in verses 10-16, what you have is David giving praise and worship to God for all that has been given to the house of God.
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He is also at this particular point offering a prayer as well. And I want you to note what he says in verse 16. Look at this carefully. He says, "O LORD our God, all this store, that is all that gold, silver, precious stones, iron, whatever, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name, cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own."
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In other words, what David is saying, we really haven't given you anything, because everything we have you gave us. And we're just simply giving back to you. So our text now comes then in this prayer and praise and worship that David is giving.
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Now, I want you to look at verse 18. I'm going to come back to verse 17. In fact, I will be explaining verse 18 as well momentarily. But in verse 18 he says, "O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, Keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee."
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Now one of the things that caught my eye as I was reading through 1 Chronicles recently was this verse, verse 18. And he said, David is praying and he says, "Keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people." And when I read that, my mind could not help but go to another verse of Scripture. I want you to hold 1 Chronicles 29 and look back in your Bibles to Genesis 6 and verse 5. Genesis 6 and verse 5.
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Here you're going to see that same phrase again, only in a different context. Look in Genesis 6 and verse 5. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Isn't that amazing? Now you have God seeing every imagination of the thoughts of the heart of man in Genesis 6, 5, that it's evil. And when you get to 1 Chronicles 29, verse 18, David is saying, "keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people."
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So let me just try to give you a little comparison and contrast. Genesis 6 and verse 5 is what man is by nature. 1 Chronicles 29 verse 18 is what man is by grace. Genesis 6 verse 5 is the work of man. 1 Chronicles 29 verse 18 is the work of God. Genesis 6 verse 5 is the work of man's depravity. 1 Chronicles 29 and verse 18 is the product of God's saving grace.
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So the question then that I have to ask in light of this is what is in your heart? So notice if you would, comparing these two passages, you're only going to have depravity or grace. So the question is very legitimate, what do you have in your heart?
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Now stop and think about this. If a person has his heart filled with depravity and darkness, then his actions, his conduct, and his behavior, all are going to be contrary to God, contrary to His law, and wicked and wrong. If, on the other hand, grace fills the heart of man, then his actions, his conduct, his behavior is going to be one of obedience, and one of submission to God, and one in trying to honor and glorify God. So the question has to be asked, what is in your heart? And the answer comes back this, your life is really and truly going to evidence what is in your heart.
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Now, look what he asks. Look in verse 18 again. He says, "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee." So we could ask this question, what was David's prayer request of God to keep in the hearts of His people? Well, we could say that basically it would be all of the good dispositions that God had worked in them. We could say it was their willingness to sacrifice. It was their willingness to cooperate and to work together. And David understood all of this was basically from God's grace. And so David is asking God to fix in them what you and I would call a holy temper, or a holy disposition, or a holy attitude. In other words, God, they've done this now, they've acted like this now, so Lord, continue to have this in their heart where they will continue to act like this.
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Now notice what else he said. He said, "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people." That's one thing. And now he asks, "and prepare their heart unto thee." Thus David recognized that the great spirit of giving and graciousness and cooperation was a result of God preparing their heart.
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Now let me give you a scripture, Proverbs 16, verse 1. The Bible says, "The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, are from the Lord."
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Now, I want to deal with the first half of that verse. "The preparation of the heart in man are from the Lord." So here's what we must understand. If our hearts are ever prepared to pray, God prepared them. If our hearts are ever prepared to study, God prepared them. If our hearts are ever prepared to witness, God prepared them. If a sinner is ever prepared in his heart to come savingly to Jesus Christ, God prepared his heart. See, in John 6 and verse 37, our Lord said it like this, "All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me, and he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." But in John 6, verse 44, just a few verses down, he says this, "No man can come unto me, except the Father who hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day." So, sinners may come, but they only come because of God's preparing their heart, because He says no man can, and can is a term of ability, no man can come except the Father who sent Me draw him.
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So it's just that simple. Now, Scripture reveals to us that although the ability is God's in preparing our hearts, the responsibility is ours to seek Him to prepare our hearts. So let me give you a contrast. I want you to look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles 12 and verse 14. 2 Chronicles 12 and verse 14. We're going to read about Rehoboam. Now, Rehoboam was the son of Solomon and the grandson of David. One author said, and I like what he said, "Solomon only had one son, and he was a fool." Well, that's true. Solomon and all of his wives only had one son, and that was Rehoboam, and he turned out to be a fool. And here's why. In 2 Chronicles 12, verse 14, the Bible says this, and he, well, go back to verse 13, "So King Rehoboam," so we're talking about Rehoboam, now skip down to verse 14, "and he did evil. Why? because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord." So why did Rehoboam do evil? He prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.
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Now, it's true, God must prepare our hearts. But we have a duty and an obligation and a responsibility to seek Him to prepare our hearts.
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Now, look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles 27 and verse 6. That was King Rehoboam. Now we have King Jotham. Notice, if you would, 2 Chronicles 27 and verse 6. The Bible says, "So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God." Well, you can't prepare your ways unless your heart is prepared. So Rehoboam did not prepare his heart. Jotham did, and consequently he prepared his ways as well. So here are two men, one prepared his heart, one did not prepare his heart.
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Let me give you just a couple of illustrations. Ezra. You can read about Ezra in the book of Ezra. Ezra was a scribe, and he understood his responsibility quite well. Because in Ezra 7 and verse 10 the Scripture says, "For Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, to do it, and to teach it in Israel, and to teach the statutes and judgments." So Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of God, and then to teach the law of God. So obviously, he did have that duty and that responsibility. Now, let me just tell you that our part, and I'm using that phrase very generally, our duty, I should say, our responsibility in seeking God to prepare our heart is to rid ourselves of anything that is contrary to God.
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For instance, in 1 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 3, the Israelites were fearful because of the Philistines. And Samuel spake to the house of Israel and he said this, "If you do return to the Lord with all of your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hands of the Philistines." So now he said, if you're really going to turn to the Lord, what should you do? Put away your strange gods. Put away Ashtaroth, the false god, and serve Him only.
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In other words, you have a duty, you have an obligation, you have a responsibility to obey Him. Do it. That's what he said. The ability is God's. The responsibility is ours. I want you to look in your Bibles to Luke chapter 12 very quickly. Hold 1 Chronicles 29. We're coming right back there. But look in Luke chapter 12. And you see our Lord said basically the same exact thing in Luke 12 and verse 47.
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He's making an application to the parable that he's teaching. And he says in verse 47, Luke 12, "And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes." So here's a servant that knew his Lord's will, but he did not prepare himself to do that will. In other words, he ignored the will of his master. Our part in preparation is to seek God first and foremost to prepare our heart, and then turn from all of that that is contrary to God. It's kind of like the man who says, well, I'm going to live a life of sobriety from here forward. Well, if he's going to live a life of sobriety from here forward, he better stay away from the bars and the liquor stores. In other words, he has to prepare himself to live a life of sobriety. And so that's exactly what the Scripture is teaching us. We must be prepared to do this. So we have the responsibility to seek the Lord, prepare our hearts, but we also have the responsibility to turn from everything that is contrary to God.
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Now, go back to verse 18 of 1 Chronicles 29. Watch this if you would. He says, "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, Keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their hearts unto thee." Now, David said, Lord, there are some things that you need to keep in the hearts of your people, and people need to keep in their hearts. You must prepare their heart, that is true. But let me ask you this, what is it David is requesting God to keep in the hearts of His people? He says, "keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people." This what?
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It's not just this spirit of willingness to sacrifice, or this spirit of cooperation, certainly that would be included. But there's something more specific. If you'll look in verse 17, Here's what David said, "I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things, and now I have seen with joy Thy people which are present here to offer willingly unto Thee." Now, there are two things that he tells us that we must keep in our hearts. The first one is that Thou triest the heart. That is, that God tries the heart. The word tries is the Hebrew word bachan, which means to examine, to try, to prove, to scrutinize, and to test. Did you know that God not only scrutinizes our hearts, but He will test our hearts?
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He examines our hearts in order that He may reveal it to us and to others as well. God doesn't need the knowledge for Himself because He's omniscient. He knows everything, but we do not. You remember the Bible says in Genesis 22 and verse 1, "Now it came to pass that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham. And Abraham said, Here am I." It came to pass that God did tempt Abraham. The word tempt there literally is to test or to try. God was not tempting Abraham to sin. He was testing him. He was examining him.
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If you will hold 1 Chronicles, but look in your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 1. Let me give you a very general illustration of the fact that yes, oftentimes our faith is tested and tried. Look, if you would, in 1 Peter 1, beginning there with verse 6. 1 Peter 1, verse 6. He says, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations," or manifold trials, or manifold tests. Verse 7, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto the praise and honor and glory of the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen ye love, and whom though now ye see him not yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." So he talks again here about the trial and about the testing of our faith.
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Now, the interesting thing is this, as you read through the Bible, You're going to find that God often tests us and tries us, and the examination is so thorough, we do not necessarily understand when we just simply glance at the Bible. Let me just show you several verses, because there is, there are a number of verses where you will find a little word Reins, R-E-I-N-S. And each time you see it, it is usually in the context of being scrutinized or examined. For instance, hold 1 Chronicles 29, but go in your Bibles to Psalm 7, Psalm 7, Psalm 7, and look if you would please at verse 9, one of my favorite verses. I especially love the first part of it, Psalm 7, verse 9.
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He says, "Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just." And then he says this, "For the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins." Wow! Now, are the reins different from the heart? Why would He say He trieth the hearts and the reins? Look in Psalm 26 and verse 2. Psalm 26, verse 2. David is praying again, and he asks the Lord, "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me. Try my reins and my heart." So what is he talking about when he says, "Try my reins and my heart"? Look in Psalm 73 and verse 21. Psalm 73, verse 21. Asaph says it like this, "Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins." Wow. Turn right over to Psalm 139 and look at verse 13. Psalm 139, verse 13. Tremendous psalm. We'll come back to it later. But look what David says. Psalm 139, verse 13. He says to the Lord, "For thou hast possessed my reins, thou hast covered me in my mother's womb." Wow.
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Turn to Jeremiah chapter 17. Jeremiah 17. I just want you to see just a smattering of these verses, because every time you read the Bible and you see the word reins, you should know exactly what he's talking about. In Jeremiah 17, in verse 10, here's a very clear passage. The Lord is speaking, and He says this, "I, the Lord, search the heart, I try the reins, to give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." So God says, "I search the heart, and I try the reins."
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Now this word is not only used in the Old Testament, it is also used in the New Testament. And let me just quote it. In Revelation 2 in verse 23, God said, "And I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and the heart. And I will give to every one of you according to your works." Basically the same thing that he said in Jeremiah 17 and verse 10. So what does it mean when it says that God tries the reins and the heart? All of the Old Testament verses, of course, in Hebrew, is the Hebrew word, keliah, which literally means kidneys or reins. "God searcheth the kidneys." Now, when it's translated as reins in the Bible, all that would mean is this, that God is searching the innermost recesses of the heart. It means that there is nothing escaping His knowledge or His notice. When you get to the New Testament, the Greek word is nephros, which, of course, refers then to kidneys or loins, or the inmost feelings or thoughts.
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I took Greek for three years, and one of my favorite words in the Greek language was the word splagchnizomai. Well, I had several favorite words. The word for wife is gune. Sometimes I'd call her my gune. But splagchnizomai, splagchnizomai, listen to all of it. Splagchnizomai refers to your bowels. It's talking about loving with all of your heart. Actually, it's loving with all of your bowels, because the ancients would talk about this being the inside of man, the bowels. I'd tell Alice sometimes, I love you with all my bowels. And she'd say, well, that's not as romantic as I love you with all my heart, you know. But it's the same principle. And so it's the same thing with the word reins. God searcheth the reins of the heart. He's not just searching the heart generally speaking. It's not the organ per se. It is the mind.
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It is the understanding and all the recesses that are found there. So here is what David is saying. This is the first truth that should never, ever leave your mind. This is the first truth that should be established in your understanding, is that God will scrutinize, God will examine every area of your thought, every motive, every desire, every intent. And you will answer and give an account to Him in the day of judgment. In fact, in Romans 2 and verse 16, Paul said, "in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." Wow! God will judge the secrets of men. The Bible says in Proverbs 17 and verse 3, "The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the Lord trieth the hearts." So the Lord tests the heart. The Lord examines. The Lord scrutinizes the heart. So He tells us then, this is the one thing that should always remain in our mind, that God is examining our thoughts. You know, the interesting thing is, there's a passage, I think it's in the book of Ezekiel, where God said, "I know your thoughts, every one of them."
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before they come into your mind. Wow. So God knows what you're going to be thinking before you ever think it. So there's actually nothing that can be hidden from the Lord. He is omniscient. That is, He is all-knowing. Everything is revealed to Him.
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Now, if you'll look back in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 29 and verse 17, Here's the second thing that David is praying for in verse 18 that will be maintained in your understanding, in your mind, in your heart. He says in verse 17, "I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart, I have willingly offered all these things, and now have I seen with joy Thy people, which are present here to offer willingly unto thee." The second thing that we must keep in our mind is that God has pleasure in uprightness.
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So let me ask you a question. Obviously, we are a pleasure-oriented people. We normally do that which pleases us. But has it ever entered into your mind that there are some things that please the Lord? And have you ever consciously asked the Lord, Father, help me to do that today that is pleasing in thy sight? And have you ever set your heart, or set your mind, or set your understanding to do that which you knew was pleasing unto Him?
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Now, the word pleasure, when he said in verse 17, "thou hast pleasure in uprightness." The word pleasure here is the Hebrew word ratzah, which literally means that which is acceptable, that which is pleasing, that which is delightful, that which is enjoyable, that which is favorable, and that which is approvable. God has pleasure in that which favors Him and that which He approves, that which is delightful to Him.
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Now, let me show you. I want you to turn to two passages, both of them in Colossians. The first one, Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1. I want you to see, first of all, the prayer that the Apostle Paul is making for these Colossian Christians. Look in Colossians 1 and verse 10. He said in verse 9, "we cease not to pray for you." And then he's telling them some of the things that he prays and asks for them.
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Verse 10, "that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." That's just one. But notice, if you would, "that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." In other words, we're praying, says the Apostle Paul, that you might walk in such a way that delights and pleases our Heavenly Father. That you would walk in such a way that is acceptable and favorable unto Him.
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Now, the question would be, how do we do that? Well, look in Colossians 3 and verse 20. Here's a very interesting passage. Most of the time we quote it. Colossians 3, verse 20. "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord." Wow. This is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Now, wait a minute. The Lord hath pleasure in uprightness. The word for uprightness is yoshur, which means that which is straight, that which is upright, that which is right, and that which is due. So let me ask you a question. What is God's right? What is God's due? I can show you scriptures in the Bible where the Bible says, "give unto God the glory that is due unto His holy name." There are things that we owe God. It is the fact that it is His due. Now, look back at verse 20 of Colossians 3. "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord."
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So let me put it to you like this. If God looks at earthly parents and at earthly children. And he says to these children, I want you to obey your earthly parents. And as long as you obey your earthly parents, that is well-pleasing in my eyes. That is my delight. That is favorable unto me. That is acceptable unto me. I want it. That is my due from you as children, that you obey your parents. Now, wait a minute. God is so well-pleased if our physical children obey their physical parents. How much more is He well-pleased if His spiritual children obey their Heavenly Father? You follow me? If God can be well-pleased with children obeying their earthly parents, then obviously God is well pleased when we obey Him as His children.
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Now, go back to Colossians chapter 1. Look in Colossians chapter 1. He says, verse 10, "that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." How do you walk worthy of the Lord? Then he explains "being fruitful in every good work." How are you fruitful in every good work? And the answer is by being obedient. And then he adds this, "and increasing in the knowledge of God." How do you increase in the knowledge of God? And the answer is by being obedient. So our Lord is telling us very plainly that it is obedience that pleases Him.
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I cannot please Him without walking worthily. I cannot please Him without obedience. I cannot please Him without studying and increasing in the knowledge of God.
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Now, go back in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles 29, and look at verse 17. Watch this again. This is astounding. 1 Chronicles 29, verse 17, David said, "I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart," that's one truth, "and hast pleasure in uprightness," that's the second truth. Now look what he says. Remember now, he's just given all of this money to the temple, the building of the temple, and he says this. "As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart, that is, in the straightness of my heart, I have willingly offered all these things. And now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee." So David is actually saying, here are two things that we need to remember, that God tries the heart, and God has pleasure in uprightness, And then he said, as for me, in other words, God, you're the sovereign God of heaven and earth. You are the omniscient God. As for me, under the scrutiny of your eye, under the examination that you give, as for me, I've given all of this in uprightness.
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That is, I've done this for your pleasure, for your honor, for your glory. Now, I want to tell you something, folks. That is a tremendous, tremendous undertaking. When you can ask God to search your heart, and you can truthfully say before the omniscient God of heaven and earth, I've done this in uprightness according to Your Word for Your honor and Your glory, you can search me. Now, I'm going to tell you why it's so important. I've preached for over 52 years.
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There have been times in my life that I genuinely thought I was serving the Lord. The Lord opened my eyes, and I was serving myself. Or I thought I would be doing something for God's honor and God's glory.
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Next thing I know, I understand I'm doing it out of the pride of my own heart or for the praise and recognition of man, and not for God at all. And I've got news for you. God can indeed slap us down and humble us. And when He opens our eyes and lets us see how miserable we really are, even as Christians, wow, it's an eye-opener. And so David is praying in verse 18, Lord, You keep these things in the hearts of Your people. You keep them mindful that You are the God that tries the heart, and that You have pleasure in uprightness.
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I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 139. I want to show you how thorough David is. Psalm 139, and look if you would please at verses 23 and 24. Psalm 139, verse 23, verse 24. Look what David asked. "Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me."
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"test me, scrutinize me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." So David is asking God to search him, to test him, to try him, and reveal to him any wicked way in him so that he might turn from it and repent. And then God would lead him in the way of everlasting. I often tell people there are two prayer requests that you need to pray, and you need to pray them one after the other. The first one is, Lord, show me myself. If God only showed us ourselves, our pride, our arrogance, our sin, our rebellion, our wickedness, our disobedience, even as believers.
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If He really showed us that, it would slap us down to the ground so quickly it would make your head swim. We cannot, what does the Bible say in Jeremiah 17, "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." We don't know our hearts. Not the way God does. But the second one we see is this, Lord, show me Thyself. Because once God shows us ourselves, and then if God reveals Himself, we know that all the answers to our problems are in Him. We see His holiness, His purity, His grace, His mercy, His goodness, His kindness, His love. So we pray, Lord, show us ourselves, but we also pray, Lord, show us Thyself. And you know what David said in Psalm 51 and verse 6? You remember, that's the passage where David was confessing his sin. He said this, "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom." God desires truth in the inward parts. So we need to be truthful with God and accurate with God because God already knows.
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I tell people, I get tickled many times. People say, you know, sometimes I just get so aggravated, sometimes I get so angry, sometimes I get so mad, and I just don't even want to pray. And I said, you know what you should do? What? Well, you should go ahead and pray and tell God about your frustration and your anger, because He already knows it. And just be honest with Him and ask Him to help you deal with it. It's just that simple.
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Let me show you a passage. I want you to look in Isaiah 33, Isaiah 33, and then I want to make some application. Look if you would, Isaiah 33, and let's begin with verse 14. Isaiah 33, verse 14. Look at what he says. "The sinners in Zion are afraid. Fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites." Then he asks these questions. "Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Wow.
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And then he begins to talk about the obedient life. He says, "He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from the holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil, he shall dwell on high. His place of defense shall be the munitions of the rocks. Bread shall be given him, his water shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king and his beauty."
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"They shall behold the land that is far off." When you examine verse 15, That verse just simply deals with straight-out obedience in every area of life. God says, you want your munitions to be sure, you want your bread to be sure, you want your water to be sure, you want to behold the King and all of His beauty? Obedience is the answer. Now, let me make just a couple of applications.
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The first one is this. It is indeed a great satisfaction and comfort to a godly man to know that God examines the heart and the reins, and that God knows the motives and the desires and the intents of the heart. How can I say that? Well, there have been times in my life when I've really wanted to help people. Times in my life, I've really tried to do certain things for the benefit of others. And guess what?
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It blew up in my face. It turned out wrong. I did not intend for it to turn out wrong. I did not desire it to turn out wrong. I did not want it to turn out wrong. But it did. It was something beyond my control and out of my hands. And all I can do is sit back and say, Lord, you do know my heart. You do know my intent. You do know my motives and my desire. You know everything.
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And that's the only consolation that you have. And I tell people the two hardest truths I ever learned in my life in the ministry, number one, you can't help everybody. And number two, sometimes those you can help are your own family and your own friends. And you try, but it doesn't work out. But God knows your heart, and God knows the motives. It's just like Peter. You remember Peter denied the Lord three times? When you get to John 21, three times our Lord asks Peter, "Lovest thou me more than these?" Finally, the third time our Lord asked Peter the same question. "Lovest thou me more than these?" Peter, being grieved, said, "Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee." What was he doing?
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He was appealing to our Lord's omniscience. He said, Yes, Lord, I stumbled, I failed, I denied you three times, and yet, Lord, I know that was wicked and wrong and disobedient, but yet, Lord, you know that I love you. So he's falling back on the omniscience of God. You see, it was Peter's pride and arrogance who said, "though all men forsake thee and deny thee, yet will not I." And our Lord said, "really? Before the cock crows twice, you'll deny me three times." And Peter had to come back and say, Lord, I was wrong. You were right. But Lord, I love you. And you know that I love you.
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So, let me put it to you like this. This truth terrifies the wicked. When they stop and try to entertain the thought that God is going to hold them accountable, not just for their actions, not just for their conduct, not just for their behavior, but for their wrong motives, wrong desires, wrong intents, and He knows every one of them. So what is a comfort and consolation to the child of God is consternation and terror to the enemies of God, that we know that God tries the heart and that God has pleasure in uprightness. So here's the thing. If we desire to please God, Then we must learn to walk in uprightness. Wow. We must learn to consciously say, Lord, I know you're examining my heart. I know you're trying my heart. I know you're scrutinizing my heart. And Lord, to the best of my ability, the best of my knowledge, by your infinite grace and mercy, I want to please thee. I want to honor thee. I want to obey thee. I want to worship thee.
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I want grace in my heart and not depravity. And you have to remember this, your actions will always reveal what is in your heart. Always. Always. So the question is not what is in your wallet, it's what is in your heart. Because out of the heart the mouth speaketh, and out of the heart are the issues of life. "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."
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Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We thank You, Father, that You are indeed the God who tries our hearts, tests us, examines us, scrutinizes us. And we thank You, Father, that You have pleasure in uprightness, and we ask that You would help us to walk uprightly and to please Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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so so
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:53:41Z

What Do You Have In Your Heart?

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver examines 1 Chronicles 29:17-20, contrasting the natural depravity of the human heart (Genesis 6:5) with the grace-filled heart prepared by God. He emphasizes that God tries the heart and takes pleasure in uprightness, and that our actions inevitably reveal what is in our hearts. The message calls believers to seek God to prepare their hearts, turn from evil, and walk in obedience that pleases Him.

Introduction: The Heart as the Fountain of Life

Weaver introduces the central question: 'What do you have in your heart?' He references Proverbs 4:23 and explains that the heart is the mind and understanding, from which all actions flow.

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 29:17-20

"I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me in the uprightness of mine heart, I have willingly offered all these things. And now have I seen with joy Thy people which are present here to offer willingly unto Thee. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people, and prepare their heart unto Thee. And give unto Solomon, my son, a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, and thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace for which I have made provision."

And David said to all the congregation,

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 29:17-20

"Now bless the Lord your God."

And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord and the King.

Not only that, I hugely preach that message to myself every day. Proverbs 4, verse 23 says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 4:23

"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."

Now, in reference then to our lives, the Bible teaches us in Proverbs 23 and verse 7,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 23:7

"As the man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

New Testament Confirmation: Out of the Heart Proceed Evil Thoughts

Using Luke 6:45 and Matthew 15:15-20, Weaver shows that Jesus taught that evil acts originate from evil thoughts in the heart, establishing the heart as the source of behavior.

Scripture Reading — Luke 6:45

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil. For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

Scripture Reading — Luke 6:45

"for of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

So inevitably, invariably, whatever is in your heart is ultimately going to come out. So if you'll look back at Matthew 15, our Lord is talking to His disciples.

In fact, they ask Him a question. And He answers that question very clearly in Matthew 15, beginning there in verse 15.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:15-20

"Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable."

In other words, teach us exactly what you're trying to say. And Jesus said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:15-20

"Are you also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man."

Context of 1 Chronicles 29: David's Offering and Prayer

Weaver describes the historical context: David and the people gave generously for the temple, and David acknowledged that all they gave came from God's hand.

Scripture Reading — 1 Chronicles 29:2-5

"Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things to be made of gold, and the silver for the things of silver." "The brass for the things of brass, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, onyx stones and stones to be set, glistering stones and of diverse colors, and all manner of precious stones and marble stones in abundance. Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of my own proper good gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, even 3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, which was the finest gold, by the way, 3,000 talents, he said, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers."

Contrasting Genesis 6:5 and 1 Chronicles 29:18: Depravity vs. Grace

Weaver contrasts the evil imagination of man's heart by nature (Genesis 6:5) with the grace-filled heart that David prays God would maintain (1 Chronicles 29:18).

Now one of the things that caught my eye as I was reading through 1 Chronicles recently was this verse, verse 18. And he said, David is praying and he says,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 6:5

"Keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people."

Scripture Reading — Genesis 6:5

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

Isn't that amazing? Now you have God seeing every imagination of the thoughts of the heart of man in Genesis 6, 5, that it's evil. And when you get to 1 Chronicles 29, verse 18, David is saying,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 6:5

"keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people."

David's Prayer: Keep This in Their Hearts and Prepare Their Hearts

David asks God to keep a holy disposition in His people and to prepare their hearts. Weaver explains that God prepares hearts, but believers have a responsibility to seek Him and turn from evil.

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 27:6

"So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God."

Scripture Reading — Ezra 7:10

"For Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, to do it, and to teach it in Israel, and to teach the statutes and judgments."

For instance, in 1 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 3, the Israelites were fearful because of the Philistines. And Samuel spake to the house of Israel and he said this,

Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 7:3

"If you do return to the Lord with all of your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hands of the Philistines."

He's making an application to the parable that he's teaching. And he says in verse 47, Luke 12,

Scripture Reading — Luke 12:47

"And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes."

First Truth to Keep: God Tries the Heart

Weaver expounds that God examines, tests, and scrutinizes the heart and reins (innermost thoughts and motives), and that this truth should always remain in our minds.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:9

"Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just."

And then he says this,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:9

"For the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins."

Second Truth to Keep: God Has Pleasure in Uprightness

I cannot please Him without walking worthily. I cannot please Him without obedience. I cannot please Him without studying and increasing in the knowledge of God.

David's Example and Prayer for Self-Examination

Scripture Reading — Psalm 139:23-24

"test me, scrutinize me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Application: Comfort for the Godly, Terror for the Wicked

What Do You Have In Your Heart?

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	KhH_4zp7iwg
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom
Genre	Sermon
Date	2017-09-21
Dictation Name
Book	Book 085: Proverbs-Related Topical Wisdom — Chapter 12
Source Timed Segments	74

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Heart as the Fountain of Life: Weaver introduces the central question: 'What do you have in your heart?' He references Proverbs 4:23 and explains that the heart is the mind and understanding, from which all actions flow.
New Testament Confirmation: Out of the Heart Proceed Evil Thoughts: Using Luke 6:45 and Matthew 15:15-20, Weaver shows that Jesus taught that evil acts originate from evil thoughts in the heart, establishing the heart as the source of behavior.
Context of 1 Chronicles 29: David's Offering and Prayer: Weaver describes the historical context: David and the people gave generously for the temple, and David acknowledged that all they gave came from God's hand.
Contrasting Genesis 6:5 and 1 Chronicles 29:18: Depravity vs. Grace: Weaver contrasts the evil imagination of man's heart by nature (Genesis 6:5) with the grace-filled heart that David prays God would maintain (1 Chronicles 29:18).
David's Prayer: Keep This in Their Hearts and Prepare Their Hearts: David asks God to keep a holy disposition in His people and to prepare their hearts. Weaver explains that God prepares hearts, but believers have a responsibility to seek Him and turn from evil.
First Truth to Keep: God Tries the Heart: Weaver expounds that God examines, tests, and scrutinizes the heart and reins (innermost thoughts and motives), and that this truth should always remain in our minds.
Second Truth to Keep: God Has Pleasure in Uprightness: God delights in uprightness, which is straightness, rightness, and obedience. Weaver uses Colossians 1:10 and 3:20 to show that walking worthy and obeying parents pleases God, and by extension, obeying our Heavenly Father pleases Him.
David's Example and Prayer for Self-Examination: David claimed to have offered in uprightness under God's scrutiny. Weaver urges believers to pray Psalm 139:23-24, asking God to search and reveal any wicked way, and to be honest with God about their struggles.
Application: Comfort for the Godly, Terror for the Wicked: The truth that God tries the heart comforts believers when their good intentions are misunderstood, but terrifies the wicked who must give account for every thought. Weaver concludes by urging a conscious desire to please God through uprightness.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

The heart determines all behavior

Everything a person does flows from the heart; evil acts begin with evil thoughts, and good acts come from a good treasure in the heart.

Weaver cites Matthew 15:19 ('out of the heart proceed evil thoughts') and Luke 6:45 ('a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good'). He states, 'You cannot commit an evil act without first having an evil thought.'

Man's natural heart is depraved; only grace can change it

Genesis 6:5 shows that by nature every imagination of man's heart is evil; 1 Chronicles 29:18 shows that God can keep a grace-filled imagination in His people.

Weaver directly contrasts the two verses: 'Genesis 6 and verse 5 is what man is by nature. 1 Chronicles 29 verse 18 is what man is by grace.'

God tries the heart and reins

God's examination penetrates to the innermost recesses of the mind, motives, and desires, leaving nothing hidden.

Weaver explains the Hebrew 'bachan' and the concept of 'reins' (kidneys) from Psalm 7:9, Jeremiah 17:10, and Revelation 2:23. He says, 'God is searching the innermost recesses of the heart... there is nothing escaping His knowledge or His notice.'

God takes pleasure in uprightness, which is obedience

Uprightness means straightness and rightness; God delights in it, and believers should consciously seek to please Him through obedience.

Weaver defines 'uprightness' (yoshur) and 'pleasure' (ratzah), then uses Colossians 3:20 to argue that if children obeying parents pleases God, how much more does His spiritual children obeying Him please Him.

God prepares the heart, but we must seek Him and turn from evil

While God is the one who prepares hearts, believers have a duty to seek Him, put away idols, and prepare themselves to do His will.

Weaver cites Proverbs 16:1, 2 Chronicles 12:14, Ezra 7:10, and 1 Samuel 7:3. He says, 'The ability is God's. The responsibility is ours.'

Honest self-examination is necessary

Believers should pray for God to reveal any wicked way in them and be truthful with Him, because He already knows their hearts.

Weaver references Psalm 139:23-24 and Psalm 51:6, and advises telling God about frustrations and anger because 'He already knows it.'

God's omniscience comforts the godly and terrifies the wicked

Knowing God sees the heart brings consolation when good intentions are misunderstood, but it brings terror to those who must account for evil thoughts.

Weaver says, 'This truth terrifies the wicked... what is a comfort and consolation to the child of God is consternation and terror to the enemies of God.' He uses Peter's appeal in John 21:17 as an example.

Scripture References

1 Chronicles 29:17-20: The primary text of the sermon; David's prayer acknowledging God tries the heart and has pleasure in uprightness, and asking God to keep this in the hearts of His people.
Proverbs 4:23: Weaver references this as the foundational verse for his message 'Keeping the Heart,' emphasizing the need to guard the heart diligently.
Proverbs 23:7: Cited to show that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he; the heart determines the person.
Luke 6:45: Jesus teaches that a good man brings forth good from the treasure of his heart, and an evil man brings forth evil; the mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart.
Matthew 15:15-20: Jesus explains that what proceeds from the mouth comes from the heart, and lists evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, etc., as defiling a man.
1 Chronicles 26:27: Shows that spoils won in battle were dedicated to maintain the house of the Lord, providing context for the wealth given for the temple.
1 Chronicles 29:2-5: Details David's personal offering of gold, silver, and precious materials for the temple, demonstrating his willingness and uprightness.
1 Chronicles 29:6-9: The chief rulers and people also gave willingly and with perfect heart, rejoicing in their offerings.
1 Chronicles 29:16: David acknowledges that all the store they prepared came from God's hand and is His own.
Genesis 6:5: Contrasted with 1 Chronicles 29:18; shows that by nature every imagination of man's heart is only evil continually.
Proverbs 16:1: The preparations of the heart in man are from the Lord; used to show God's role in preparing hearts.
John 6:37, 44: Jesus teaches that all the Father gives will come to Him, and no one can come unless the Father draws him; illustrates God's preparation of the sinner's heart.
2 Chronicles 12:14: Rehoboam did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord; an example of human responsibility.
2 Chronicles 27:6: Jotham became mighty because he prepared his ways before the Lord; contrast to Rehoboam.
Ezra 7:10: Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, to do it, and to teach it; an example of human responsibility in heart preparation.
1 Samuel 7:3: Samuel tells Israel to put away strange gods and prepare their hearts unto the Lord; shows the duty to turn from evil.
Luke 12:47: The servant who knew his Lord's will but prepared not himself shall be beaten; illustrates the consequence of neglecting preparation.
Psalm 7:9: The righteous God tries the hearts and reins; used to show God's thorough examination.
Psalm 139:23-24: David's prayer for God to search him, try him, and see if there be any wicked way in him; a model for self-examination.
Colossians 1:10: Paul prays that believers walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing; used to show that obedience pleases God.

Historical References

David's preparation for the temple: David and the people of Israel gave vast amounts of gold, silver, and precious materials for the building of the temple, much of it from spoils of battle.
Rehoboam, son of Solomon: Rehoboam did evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord; used as a negative example of neglecting heart preparation.
Jotham, king of Judah: Jotham became mighty because he prepared his ways before the Lord; used as a positive example of heart preparation leading to right living.
Ezra the scribe: Ezra prepared his heart to seek, do, and teach God's law; an example of human responsibility in spiritual preparation.
Peter's denial and restoration: Peter denied Christ three times but later appealed to Christ's omniscience, saying 'Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee' (John 21).

Important Quotes

Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

Weaver identifies this as the foundational verse for understanding the heart's central role in life and the necessity of guarding it.

As the man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

This quote from Proverbs 23:7 encapsulates the message that a person's identity and actions are determined by the thoughts of the heart.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil. For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Jesus' teaching in Luke 6:45 that the heart's contents inevitably manifest in speech and behavior.

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

From Matthew 15:19, this quote establishes that all sinful acts originate from evil thoughts in the heart.

I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness.

David's declaration in 1 Chronicles 29:17 that forms the core of the sermon: God examines the heart and delights in uprightness.

O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee.

David's prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:18 for God to maintain a grace-filled disposition in His people and to prepare their hearts.

The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, are from the Lord.

Proverbs 16:1 is used to teach that while God prepares hearts, humans have a responsibility to seek that preparation.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does it mean that the heart is the 'fountain from which everything pours'? How have you seen this principle play out in your own life?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that all actions, conduct, and behavior flow from the heart, citing Proverbs 4:23 and Luke 6:45.

[Question]

How does the contrast between Genesis 6:5 and 1 Chronicles 29:18 help you understand the difference between a depraved heart and a grace-filled heart?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts the natural evil imagination of man's heart with the grace-worked imagination that David prays for.

[Question]

In what ways does the truth that God tries the heart and reins bring you comfort? In what ways does it challenge you?

[Context]

Weaver explains that God examines motives, desires, and intents, which comforts believers but terrifies the wicked.

[Question]

What does it mean to 'prepare your heart to seek the Lord'? What practical steps can you take to do this?

[Context]

Weaver discusses the human responsibility to seek God for heart preparation, using examples like Ezra and the command to put away idols.

[Question]

How can we cultivate a conscious desire to please God in our daily lives, knowing that He has pleasure in uprightness?

[Context]

Weaver urges believers to consciously ask God to help them do what pleases Him, based on Colossians 1:10 and 3:20.

[Question]

Why is it important to pray 'Lord, show me myself' and 'Lord, show me Thyself'? How might these prayers change your spiritual walk?

[Context]

Weaver recommends these two prayer requests as essential for seeing our own sin and God's holiness, leading to repentance and growth.

[Question]

How does Peter's appeal to Christ's omniscience in John 21 model the way we should respond when we fail?

[Context]

Weaver uses Peter's 'Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee' as an example of finding consolation in God's knowledge of our hearts.

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