Read Time: 14 Minutes

I think about the phrase “know it by heart” a lot. But where did that even come from? And what does it really mean?

You might be quick to assume it is simply ‘rote memorization’ of a particular phrase, song or Bible verse. And you might be right to an extent. But this just might be the tip of the proverbial iceberg…dun dun duuuuuuun!

Then, just last Sabbath I heard a quote by a Pastor. To paraphrase, everything first enters our heart, then flows to our mind, and ultimately to our actions. I was also reminded of how we are specifically told that Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. Not his mind, not his head and not his soul, but his heart…

And if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Torah tells us to love God with all of our heart, mind (or soul) and strength (Deut. 6:4-9). So let’s break that down.

The heart has always represented emotions. Just think about the heart symbol and its meaning across human language – both time and geography. “Follow your heart” for example. Or that “breaks my heart.” And when we think deeper about our emotions, they are typically our first reaction, our inner instinct if you will. Of course we know now that these are triggered in the brain and we can have awareness of them (i.e. metacognition), but this leads to even more questions as to why emotions are so difficult to control sometimes. If we are aware of them and can change our thoughts, why do emotions seem to takeover? They just seem to get our heart pumping! Many times without even thinking about it for a second.

Moreover, our heart pumps the blood through our bodies to our brain. Without it, the rest of our body would not function. So you could technically say it all starts with the heart. It is the source of all life.

“Above everything else, guard your heart; for it is the source of life’s consequences.”

‭‭Mishlei (Pro)‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ ‭CJB‬‬

From this, it begins to become clear that the heart is actually our personal source of thought and actions. It is the engine of our personal vehicle and vessel. And this is why God is so focused on our heart. We have to get our heart right before we can move onto step two.

But as the blood flows to the brain, our mind or soul starts to click into gear. The logical part of our psyche kicks in and we can start to understand our emotions. As we all can relate, sometimes this part comes too late. We have already acted in a fit of rage or shown a facial expression of disgust. Or maybe on a positive note, we have already leaped out and kissed our loved one.

We tend to think of emotions in a negative context these days, but they are the opposite. They are what separates us as humans from inanimate objects or monotonous logical drones.

Lastly, our ‘strength’ or actions are truly governed by our heart and mind. Between emotions and logic, we process the world in such a way that determines our next move. We can calmly approach things from a godlyyy strategic way of thinking and planning, or sometimes we have to react instinctually in the moment. But most of our lives are somewhere in the middle, caught in between the harmony of habit and planning, and noise of distractions.

He who has ears, let him hear(t) that. Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Another fun fact before we take a Magic School Bus level deep-dive into the body (if you don’t get that reference, google it). Did you know that the Hebrew word for Heart is ‘Lev’ (לב) and the Priestly tribe was who…that’s right! Levi!!

And while of the name ‘Levi’ is spelled with a different Hebrew letter for the ‘v’ sound (a ‘vav’), the similarity and connection is clear. In fact, the name Levi literally translates to joined or united (i.e. connected).

Moreover, when the tribe of Levi was camped in the wilderness, they surrounded the Tent of Meeting with all of the other tribes surrounding them (Numbers 3:1-39). You could argue they were the ‘heart of the camp’.

God keeps His people close, and His priests closer. And those that are meant to teach, judge and facilitate life…He keeps them closely joined to HIS HEART.

There are tons of treasures like this hidden in His Word and His Language. Seek and you will find. Search and you will be amazed.

So let’s take a look through the world of engaging – AND CONNECTING – our heart, soul and strength in service to our Creator!

“Those who obey his commands remain united with him and he with them. Here is how we know that he remains united with us: by the Spirit whom he gave us.”

‭‭1 Yochanan (1 Jo)‬ ‭3‬:‭24‬ ‭CJB‬‬

godly HEART

Let’s travel back to a time or place where you can feel the emotions in the room. Perhaps it was a sporting event, a child’s birthday party, or even a romantic evening (no judgment).

Most likely your heart was pounding. You can even probably hear it now. Thump, thump…thump, thump…

Whether you realized it or not, this was a heart-driven event. You may have been aware of your emotions, but it would have been hard to control your body’s reactions. This is part of our physiology versus our psychology.

Physiology is the study of biological functions of organisms and organs within our body, specifically the physical functions along with the subsystems of biochemical interactions and biophysics.

The importance of such is clear. When we need our bodies to perform a task or activity – whether premeditated or reactive – we rely on our physiology as opposed to our psychology (study of the mind and behavior).

Psychological function without physiological function is that of a brain in a jar. We cannot function without the body.

“For indeed the body is not one part but many. If the foot says, “I’m not a hand, so I’m not part of the body,” that doesn’t make it stop being part of the body. And if the ear says, “I’m not an eye, so I’m not part of the body,” that doesn’t make it stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If it were all hearing, how could it smell? But as it is, God arranged each of the parts in the body exactly as he wanted them. Now if they were all just one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are indeed many parts, yet just one body. So the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you”; or the head to the feet, “I don’t need you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be less important turn out to be all the more necessary; and upon body parts which we consider less dignified we bestow greater dignity; and the parts that aren’t attractive are the ones we make as attractive as we can, while our attractive parts have no need for such treatment. Indeed, God has put the body together in such a way that he gives greater dignity to the parts that lack it, So that there will be no disagreements within the body, but rather all the parts will be equally concerned for all the others. Thus if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; and if one part is honored, all the parts share its happiness.”

‭‭1 Corinthians (1 Co)‬ ‭12‬:‭14‬-‭26‬ ‭CJB‬‬

There are many, many levels to this, but talking specifically about the heart. It is the core of all of our bodily functions. For the life is in the blood, and what pumps the blood throughout the body. This is why someone can be considered ‘brain dead’ but they are in fact still alive. Their heart is still beating. Their bodily functions are still operating, but their brain waves and electrical systems are not running.

Remember, the heart is the engine of our body. When you start the engine, you can use the navigation and other systems. Then you can move the vehicle. Inversely, if the heart stops, so does the other function. So let’s guard our heart!

And that is also why there are so many verses about the heart. It all starts with the heart!

“A wise man’s heart leads him rightly, but a fool’s heart leads him astray;”

‭‭Kohelet (Ecc)‬ ‭10‬:‭2‬ ‭CJB‬‬

“My son, if your heart is wise, then my own heart too is glad;”

‭‭Mishlei (Pro)‬ ‭23‬:‭15‬ ‭CJB‬‬

So how do we serve God with our heart? And how do we make our heart ‘wise’? We fill it with His Word, and we fill it with LOVE…

I, like many Jews around the world memorize certain prayers such as the Modeh Ani, the Shema, and other blessings around wine, food, washing, etc. Christians tend to memorize verses or the Lord’s Prayer. Both practices are awesome!

My homework for you is you start to memorize something, anything godly. For when we start to memorize something, we internalize it, and it becomes as instinctual to us as our other emotions. We need to start by taking the most important things to HEART. Starting with His WORD.

There’s so much more to write about the heart – for relationships, for leadership, for life. But if you takeaway one thing, we should understand that everything starts (and ends) with the heart.

It is an interconnected cycle of heart-mind-strength that if we understand, we can use it to serve our Creator, in abundance and in joy.

“Yes, keep this book of the Torah on your lips, and meditate on it day and night, so that you will take care to act according to everything written in it. Then your undertakings will prosper, and you will succeed. Haven’t I ordered you, ‘Be strong, be bold’? So don’t be afraid or downhearted, because Adonai your God is with you wherever you go.””

‭‭Y’hoshua (Jos)‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭CJB‬‬\

“Trust in Adonai with all your heart; do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him; then he will level your paths.”

‭‭Mishlei (Pro)‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭CJB‬‬

godly MIND

There is nothing quite as mysterious and intriguing as the inner workings of the mind or the soul. We tend to think about the mind as just our brain and its neural circuits or pathways. But it is so much more!

It’s more than just our wiring and electrical signals. And it’s far more than our moods or emotions. It is our entire awareness and command center. Sometimes we refer to this as meta cognition, or being aware of our thoughts. But again, there is more that we don’t know about our mind and our soul than things we know scientifically.

For example, in a recent discovery published in Scientific American, scientists discovered a glow on our brain and they can’t figure out why. You can read the article here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/your-brain-is-glowing-and-scientists-cant-figure-out-why/

This is just one example of the endless discoveries that we will continue to unfold. By the way, it also turns out that this glow disappears after death.

Now we can start to understand why we are described as lights unto the world!!

“For it is the God who once said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has made his light shine in our hearts, the light of the knowledge of God’s glory shining in the face of the Messiah Yeshua.”

‭‭2 Corinthians (2 Co)‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ‭CJB‬‬

“For you used to be darkness; but now, united with the Lord, you are light. Live like children of light,”

‭‭Ephesians (Eph)‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭CJB‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1275/eph.5.8.CJB

““You are light for the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.”

‭‭Mattityahu (Mat)‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ ‭CJB‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1275/mat.5.14.CJB

So if we are described as having light, and we are to share this light, how exactly does this relate to the service of God?

I know that’s an easy one. That’s the point. It becomes so clear once you see that the Word is also operating in this type of metaphor. We see first that the light is generated by our hearts and as our minds and souls start to glow with life, we are to share the source of all this life with others!

All that stays on our hearts – scripture, love for our Creator, the good news – all that needs to be shared with others. And although not everyone is receptive to the light (especially initially), we need to be aware of how we can keep the light going in the world nonetheless.

This involves methodically planning and charting our course. Another key function of our mind. We have to employ strategies and tactics in the pursuit of this overarching goal. The ark or the temple was not built in a day, but involved blueprints given by God, and made for God’s purpose. These blueprints or plans needed to be understood before the building started. The tabernacle in the wilderness could be assembled faster, but this is for a different day. 🙂

“See that you make them according to the design being shown you on the mountain.”

‭‭Sh’mot (Exo)‬ ‭25‬:‭40‬ ‭CJB‬‬

“The plans of the diligent lead only to abundance; but all who rush in arrive only at want.”

‭‭Mishlei (Pro)‬ ‭21‬:‭5‬ ‭CJB‬‬

“Without clever tactics an army is defeated, and victory comes from much planning.”

‭‭Mishlei (Pro)‬ ‭11‬:‭14‬ ‭CJB‬‬

This is the beauty of our mind and soul. It allows us to work things out internally or within ourselves before taking action. This is also the idea behind thinking before we speak. Before we show our strength, we have to control our thoughts.

WE are at war. In the spiritual realm of course, but also every day within our own physical minds and daily lives. And these battles are not won easily.

“For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.”

‭‭Ephesians (Eph)‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭CJB‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1275/eph.6.12.CJB

“and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah.”

‭‭2 Corinthians (2 Co)‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ ‭CJB‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1275/2co.10.5.CJB

“In other words, do not let yourselves be conformed to the standards of the ‘olam hazeh. Instead, keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; so that you will know what God wants and will agree that what he wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed.”

‭‭Romans (Rom)‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭CJB‬‬

Our mind is the training ground for our heart’s source of life. Although life is born in our hearts, we work out our salvation in our minds. We have to believe and have faith, many times without seeing.

What more perfect way to prove our faith than to win the battle of our mind and reward our heart with love for our God, our neighbor and our self!

Be strong and be ready to win the war within your mind and soul!

“Be strong, be bold, don’t be afraid or frightened of them, for Adonai your God is going with you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (RY: v, LY: iii)”

‭‭D’varim (Deu)‬ ‭31‬:‭6‬ ‭CJB‬‬

godly STRENGTH

Strength is all about action. Sure we hear the importance of mental toughness and as discussed above we see the criticality of mental warfare and planning.

BUT (you knew that was coming), action is the evidence of our strength, of our faith and of our heart.

“Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.”

‭‭Joel‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭17‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So what does it mean to bear fruit? And what does that have to do with our actions?

Well let’s start off with the latter. We’ve all heard that it’s the thought that counts or all that matters is the effort. I’m here to tell you that is completely wrong.

Actions are nothing without results. Showing no results means you have gone nowhere (or even backwards, because the time is lost). Yes, you may have learned some good lessons but if those lessons are never put to use – either via course correction or countermeasures – then all of the effort was wasted.

Don’t take me the wrong way here, I’m not saying effort is not important. But think about it this way…

Do you want God to tell you “hey, at least you tried”? Or would you rather him say “well done my good and faithful servant!”

It’s the same way with trees and fruit. Do you care whether an apple tree is big, strong with lots of leaves. Or do you care about the fruit it produces? Without the fruit, it is just like any other tree.

Now think about if all the fruit was brown and wrought with disease – that’s even worse.

So now it’s clear we want to bear good fruit. Great, but what does THAT mean?

Let’s turn to the good book of answers and infinite wisdom!

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬, ‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

““I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

But wait…does this just mean we need to act in accordance with the word and with Yeshua, Jesus our Messiah…? Almost!

Not only should we act rightly (according to His word), but we should act as a light to the nations, showcasing His goodness and the blessings that will inevitably come through good, clean, righteous living. We are to spread out and bear fruit!

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We are all called to be disciples to the nations. A disciple isn’t necessarily one who in turn teaches. But it’s a good student. It’s someone who studies with others, shares their thoughts with others, and most importantly puts in the effort to apply the teachings. Good disciples show their results and share knowledge and wisdom with the world.

Going even further, when we are blessed, we must share it. We must care for those less fortunate. We must reach out to those in need, financially, physically or emotionally.

This is not a message of salvation – that is not through works. But this is a message of LOVE. And this is how you love God with all your heart, mind and strength!

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬

“But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”

‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Anyone who thinks he is religiously observant but does not control his tongue is deceiving himself, and his observance counts for nothing. The religious observance that God the Father considers pure and faultless is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being contaminated by the world.”

‭‭Ya’akov (Jas)‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭CJB‬‬

Takeaways to make a way…

-Guard your heart as it is the source of all life!
-Take the time to memorize His Word
-We were created to be lights, and we need to let our light shine
-To win the battle of the mind, it starts with the heart
-Use God’s blueprint for our lives and our purposes
-Actions matter and results and/or fruit are of the utmost importance

Further Study with your Buddy…

Go back to one of the first posts all about hove and the heart. It’s called “LOL (Love -> Obedience -> Love)”

Go back to Part 2 of the God’s Plan study if you haven’t read it (or even if you have). It’s called “God’s Plan Part 2: SEEK FIRST the Kingdom of God (Developing a Mindset & a Time Unexpected)”

Questions for Reflection…

In which scenarios do you tend to act instinctively or reactively?
With what part of His Word do you need to fill your heart today?
What does it mean to you to ‘guard’ your heart?
Have you read any scientific articles recently that seem to shed further light (pun intended) on how our bodies or souls work?
How can you apply God’s blueprint in your life to win the war?