{"id":13647,"date":"2025-10-11T08:09:41","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T12:09:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/?post_type=oyb&p=13647"},"modified":"2025-10-11T08:09:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T12:09:42","slug":"who-can-know-the-human-heart","status":"publish","type":"oyb","link":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/oyb\/who-can-know-the-human-heart","title":{"rendered":"WHO CAN KNOW THE HUMAN HEART?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u201cThe heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?\u201d (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The prophet Jeremiah delivered this sobering truth to Judah during the last days before Babylon\u2019s invasion. The people of Judah had turned from trusting in the Lord to trusting in false prophets and manmade idols. But Jeremiah exposed the real problem\u2014it wasn\u2019t merely political or social; it was spiritual. Their hearts were deceitful and incurably sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeremiah described the heart as both self-deceptive and diseased. It lies to us about what is good, disguises sin as harmless, and assures us of righteousness we do not have. The Hebrew phrase for \u201cdesperately sick\u201d carries the idea of being incurably ill, echoing the depth of human depravity. The question \u201cWho can understand it?\u201d implies that no one can truly know the depths of their own heart\u2014only God, as the next verse declares, \u201cI the LORD search the heart and test the mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeremiah\u2019s diagnosis still rings true. Our greatest problem is not our circumstances but our hearts. Like Judah, we are prone to self-deception, convincing ourselves that we are \u201cnot that bad.\u201d Yet Scripture says: \u201cAll have sinned and fall short of the glory of God\u201d (Rom. 3:23). Our sin is not superficial; it is terminal. But thanks be to God, there is a cure! Though \u201cthe wages of sin is death,\u201d \u201cthe free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord\u201d (Rom. 6:23). Only Christ can cleanse and transform a deceitful heart. When we trust in Him, God gives us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26)\u2014one that can truly love, trust, and obey Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, instead of trusting our own hearts, let\u2019s trust the One who knows them better. Let\u2019s invite Him to search and renew us daily, praying as David did, \u201cCreate in me a clean heart, O God” (Psa. 51:10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PRAYER: Dear Father, we confess that our hearts are deceitful and sick with sin. Forgive us when we trust in ourselves instead of You. Search us, reveal what is hidden, and cleanse us by the blood of Christ. Create in us new and clean hearts that delight in Your truth and walk in Your ways. In Jesus\u2019 name, amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?\u201d (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV). The prophet Jeremiah delivered this sobering truth to Judah during the last days before Babylon\u2019s invasion. The people of Judah had turned from trusting in the Lord to trusting in false prophets and manmade idols. But Jeremiah exposed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"scripture-book":[1291],"scripture-chapter":[1350],"oyb_day":[1811],"location":[],"class_list":["post-13647","oyb","type-oyb","status-publish","hentry","scripture-book-jeremiah","scripture-chapter-1350","oyb_day-october-11"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb\/13647","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/oyb"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13647"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-book","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-book?post=13647"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-chapter","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-chapter?post=13647"},{"taxonomy":"oyb_day","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb_day?post=13647"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=13647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}