Steady My Heart

Brittany Vasquez

When I was burdened with worries, you comforted me and made me feel secure.

Psalms 94:19 CEV

This is a writing of encouragement. A word of reminder. Reminding you to take courage, being strengthened and alert in your heart. We have a Sovereign God. One who holds power and authority as King and Ruler over all. One who does not seek our demise, but takes what the enemy and this world meant for evil and works it for our good. The same God who will prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemy. Whose word’s will lead us to a wide place of liberty, where we don’t have to be insecure that we are one step away from falling off the tightrope, but walk in the freedom and liberty of His Word as our guide. (Psalm 119:45?) We don’t have to feel lost and wandering in our heart and mind, but be alert in knowing that as God sends His Word, it accomplishes what He commands, and be reminded that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us, on our best behalf. I find suitable articulation in psalms 119:50 as it reads, “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” We can take comfort in the principle that If God be for us, who can be against us. He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things the Word tells us.( Romans 8:32 NIV) This is the promise of God. There is an expression that says, “a crowded mind leaves no space for a peaceful heart.” With that being said, I lean in to shed some light and express encouragement on the pressing matter of protecting the heart 

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 4:23 NIV

We know that the heart is a vital organ of the body! It carries nutrients to all parts of the body, physically speaking, but also spiritually speaking, our verse above tells us, that everything we do flows from our heart. In the science of the matter, vital organs, including our brain, depend on oxygen and nutrients supplied by bloodflow. These two important organs, the heart and brain, are in a constant two-way dialogue. Feelings have so much to do with the heart, as they do with the brain. The heart communicates to the brain, and the brain communicates to the body. Can we just see that verse aligning with the facts being laid out before us? All that we do flows from the heart! As the heart’s main function is to pump blood and oxygen, again, the heart sends messages to the brain. Hormones, to be more specific, get to travel to the brain and to every organ. If we experience negative feelings like anger, our heart rhythm patterns become more erratic or irregular, and these patterns are converted into signals, such as epinephrine, the “fight-or-flight” hormone that prepares a person for conflict or danger and also secretes into the blood. Once the brain recognizes that you are feeling angry, the brain’s activity will now be influenced by these signals resulting in such matters like making you sweat, causing you faster breathing or even making you clench your jaw and fists on one account. On another note, health behaviors are also associated as one may settle into poor dieting, lower levels of physical activity, substance use, and other decisions impacted by the negative feelings. All the more, if you generally are an angry or stressed out person, it can put a strain on the heart and other organs and eventually lead to serious health problems. 

The same goes when we experience positive feelings like joy, the heart’s rhythms become more consistent and the body releases the happy hormones like dopamine and serotonin. This change of information from the heart to the brain is recognized as a good feeling. And therefore the brain responds back with increased mental clarity, heightened self-confidence and other positive responses. The heart produces a very different rhythm, which looks like a very smooth pattern. Something I found interestingly worded, was that keeping it this way lets your body recover quickly to stresses. 

It’s comparable to saying spiritually, that harboring, unforgiveness, pride, anger and hatred to name a few, initially is causing you ill with what produces in your body and encourages your behaviors as a result. But holding faith, love, peace, and righteousness to also name just a few, (2 Timothy 2:22) will steady your heart for swift recovery through the circumstances in life. It may not feel like it sometimes in the thick of it, but you are able to see life through the challenging circumstances. “The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.“ (Psalms 37:31 NIV)(phill 4:14 ). I’m reminded of the plenteous times that God tells us in His Word to trust Him. He is all knowing that what was meant for evil, to take us out, will not succeed! Every weapon formed against us will not succeed! The one who is called to succeed is you and I! Like a tree planted, that will bear fruit in all seasons of life, steady through it all, in God! On the mention of a steady heart, the following psalms is a reassuring declaration to us as it reads

For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

Psalm 112:6‭-‬8 ESV

As I piggyback just slightly. I want to communicate that arguably the brain is the most important organ in the human body. Because of that, in most of the world, a person is legally dead if they permanently lose all brain activity. Our brain coordinates movements, allows us to think and feel, holds our memories and everything that makes you and I ourselves. However. The brain function direly relies on, you guessed it, that beating heart residing inside of  you. It is essential to guard it, for it will either flow that which will bring on the strength to take on and recover from any negative attacks against you, or you are left with fragility and a weakened state to fight against it and ultimately protect who you are at the core! Your heart is everything! The following is expressed in Psalms 119:162 (HCSB)

I rejoice over Your promise like one who finds vast treasure.

In reflecting on this verse, I am reminded of a parable. In Matthew 13, Jesus tells a parable of a sower who went out to sow seed. Some of his seeds fell on rocky ground, some among thorns, and some fell on good soil. In verse 23, Jesus explains, that “as for what was sown on good soil, (the seed being the Word of God), this is the one who hears the Word and understands it. The Word did not fall away at the tribulations or persecutions of life. Nor did it get choked out at the cares of the world or the superficial pleasures and delight of riches. But to the one who hears the Word and understands it, he indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”(Matthew 13:23 ESV) The treasure of God’s Word is the cleansing our hearts needs so that we can thrive in our functioning; mind, body and spirit as all are relying on our steadfast heart. I reiterate that the psalmist gives praises, rejoicing at God’s promise. 

Lastly on that note, I want to leave a few reminders of God’s promises that we can take heart in over our lives. Remember His Word accomplishes what He commands! In the words of scripture my Spiritual Father, Pastor and Shepherd often reiterates, “God Honors His Word Above His Name.” (Psalm 138:2)

And on that note, take heart some of the following promises of God, for God promises to

Strengthen you(Ephesians 3:14-16 ESV) To give you rest(Matthew 11:28-30 NLT) To take care of all your needs. (Philippians 4:19 NLT) To answer your prayers. (Matthew 7:7 ESV) To work everything for good.(Romans 8:28 NLT) To be with you (Joshua 1:5, 9 NLT) To protect you.(Psalm 91:2 NLT) Freedom and Forgiveness from sin(1 John 1:9 NLT) (John 8:36 ESV) His Love for you is unchanging. (Romans 8:38-39 ESV) Peace and Strength (John 14:27 psalm 29:11 Isaiah41:10)

So Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a right and steadfast spirit within me.

Psalms 51:10 AMP