Jeremiah 17 Part 1: Don’t trust your heart

One of the worst children movies, in terms of messaging is Mulan. The moral of the entire movie is “follow your heart” which could not be a more anti-biblical message. During my reading, I came across the passage in Jeremiah that completely condemns the idea of listening to your heart. Chapter 17 begins with a glaring condemnation of the sin of Judah.

1The sin of Judah is written down with an iron stylus;

With a diamond point it is engraved upon the tablet of their heart

And on the horns of their altars,
Jeremiah 17:1 NASB

Our sin is engraved on our hearts, yet the prevalent idea of self-love we see in Evangelicalism and broader culture as a whole is preaching a message of following our hearts.

5Thus says the Lord,

“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind

And makes flesh his strength,

And whose heart turns away from the Lord.

6For he will be like a bush in the desert

And will not see when prosperity comes,

But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,

A land of salt without inhabitant.

7Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord

And whose trust is the Lord.
Jerimiah 17:5-7 NASB

In this passage, God curses that man who trusts in man as opposed to God. Human nature is not to be trusted because human nature is sinful and wicked. The inverse of this condemnation is a blessing on the ones who trust in the Lord, for he is good.

9“The heart is more deceitful than all else

And is desperately sick;

Who can understand it?

So, we start out with the heart having our sin written on it with the diamond tip on an iron stylist, and the result this engravement is that our hearts are the most deceitful thing we encounter. This internal temptation surpasses even Satan, evidently. Our hearts are desperately sick! This means that we are without means of repair. We have original sin and cannot escape.

12A glorious throne on high from the beginning

Is the place of our sanctuary.

13O Lord, the hope of Israel,

All who forsake You will be put to shame.

Those who turn away on earth will be written down,

Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the Lord.

14Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed;

Save me and I will be saved,

God is our rescue. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so that we may after death be free of original sin and spend eternity in fellowship with Him. The heart is deceitful, but God’s Word is true. His salvation is sufficient and life in him is everlasting.

As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit. We would be relapsing into sin to trust in our hearts when we have a God who’s worthy of our trust as he is our salvation.

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