The Heart Matters

The Heart Matters
I am writing this as my father-in-law (Pep) recovers from heart by-pass surgery. There is no greater time than when our heart is failing that we come to understand the "heart matters". Today we can live without many parts of our bodies, but we still cannot live for any length of time without a heart.
Pep was told that without surgery he would not live through the year ~ with surgery the doctor promised that if he did die this year it would not be of a heart attack - you need to understand that my father-in-law is ninety. None of us really have any promise about tomorrow.
No matter how old we are the "heart matters". God calls us to care of our "hearts". I want to name three types of hearts we have according to the Bible.
1. Physical: Jeremiah 33:6, 30:17, 3 John 1:2
2. Emotional: Psalms 42:5, John 14:1
3. Spiritual: Eph. 3:17
We also have choices about how we are to treat each of our hearts.
1. We need to eat healthy and exercise to keep our physical hearts healthy.
2. We need to turn our worries, concerns, hurts, pains, etc... over to God to heal our hearts emotionally.
3. We need to turn our hearts over to God for salvation and the hope for a future in heaven.
Bill and I were assured that Pep's heart belonged to God spiritually before he went in to have it mended physically. Because of that we could wait through the surgery knowing we would see him in heaven if the surgery was unsuccessful. PTL with much prayer Pep Jahns will be here on earth with us for awhile more. His focus for some time to come will be on strengthening his physical and spiritual heart.
What areas of your heart do you need to deal with? Do you have a loved one that you don't know the condition of their spiritual heart?
The heart matters... I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)
LDJ