In the time of Noah, the wickedness of man offended God because they were continually inventing new evils. After destroying that generation, He promised not to flood the world again, in spite of the evil in the imagination of men’s hearts. The Lord reaches out to us even when we follow the wickedness of our own hearts.
The wicked plot evil in the imagination of their own heart. Save us oh Lord from the mischiefs imagined by evil men. In the Lord’s eyes, unbelief is evil. Oh Lord let not my heart be hardened in sin and unbelief.
We need to be careful what we put in our heart, better to fill it with good treasures and not evil. We can worship the Lord in vain if we teach as doctrine the precepts of men. It is not what we eat that defiles us, it is the evil that comes from our mouth and hearts that defiles us.
If we feed out heart on the true, honorable and lovely it fills us with that good treasure that we might produce good fruit.
Gen 6:5-7 KJV 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. (6) And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. (7) And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
Gen 8:21 KJV And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
Isa 65:2 KJV I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;
The Lord reaches out to us even when we follow the wickedness of our own hearts.
Psa 58:1-2 KJV To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? (2) Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
The wicked plot evil in the imagination of their own heart.
Psa 140:1-2 KJV To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; (2) Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.
Save us oh Lord from the mischiefs imagined by evil men.
Pro 28:26 KJV He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
Heb 3:8-15 KJV Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: (9) When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. (10) Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. (11) So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) (12) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. (13) But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (14) For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (15) While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
In the Lord’s eyes, unbelief is evil. Oh Lord let not my heart be hardened in sin and unbelief.
Luk 6:44-49 KJV For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. (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 his mouth speaketh. (46) And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (47) Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: (48) He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. (49) But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
We need to be careful what we put in our heart, better to fill it with good treasures and not evil.
Mat 12:33-35 KJV Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. (34) O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (35) A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Mat 15:1-20 RV Then there come to Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes, saying, (2) Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. (3) And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? (4) For God said, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death. (5) But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given to God; (6) he shall not honour his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition. (7) Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, (8) This people honoureth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me. (9) But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men. (10) And he called to him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: (11) Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man. (12) Then came the disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying? (13) But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up. (14) Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit. (15) And Peter answered and said unto him, Declare unto us the parable. (16) And he said, Are ye also even yet without understanding? (17) Perceive ye not, that whatsoever goeth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? (18) But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man. (19) For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings: (20) these are the things which defile the man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man.
It is not what we eat that defiles us, it is the evil that comes from our mouth and hearts that defiles us.
Php 4:6-9 RV In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honourable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (9) The things which ye both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
image by Markus Winkler on Unsplash