Monday – Symptoms of a Sick Heart
Focus passage: Hebrews 3:7-15
Read: Psalm 95; Proverbs 28:14, 29:1
Last year in the U.S., 75% of all deaths from heart disease were caused by arthrosclerosis. Arthrosclerosis occurs when fat is deposited in the walls of the arteries and hardens there. As the deposits grow, they narrow the space in the artery, reducing the oxygen and blood supply to the organs. Symptoms can be shortness of breath, sweating, numbness, anxiety, loss of speech, and chest pain depending on which artery is affected. Ultimately, arthrosclerosis or in layman’s terms, hardened arteries, can cause a heart attack or stroke.
In Hebrews 3, the writer exhorts us to avoid the hardening of our heart. Our heart is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. As sin grows, room for the Holy Spirit gets smaller, reducing our supply of God’s love, wisdom, joy, and peace in our life. The symptoms include disobedience and rebellion. In the end, a hardened heart may turn away from God.
1. When was the last time you asked the Physician to perform a heart checkup? What is the condition of your heart toward God today?
2. From Hebrews 3:13, what is one way we can avoid a hardened heart? What other things can you do to create a lifestyle that will ensure your heart has a clean bill of health?
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