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It is interesting to note now many times the word ‘heart’ is used in the scriptures both in the Old and New Testaments.  Consider this text from Luke 6:45 (NLT):

 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

              We normally find the word ‘treasury’  used to describe a place where one’s valuables are stored.  In Luke chapter two verse eighteen we are told that Mary kept the memories of that first Christmas in her heart.  “All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.”

              Those memories were precious to Mary and so it would be natural that she would store them in her heart’s treasury.

              Our Luke text clearly suggests that what we store in the treasury of our heart will eventually reveal itself in what we say and do. Unfortunately, not everything that finds a home in our heart treasury is positive. In fact, some thoughts and memories can be clearly classed as sinful and unless they are addressed they will eventually manifest themselves in sinful, words, attitudes, and actions.  Such occupants of our heart’s treasury are often like the roots of some modern day diseases like shingles.  The infection can lie dormant for months or even years until stimulated and then will blossom into a full blown infection. Be careful! We may think that our heart is clean but make sure the Holy Spirit agrees with our assessment.

              In I Corinthians chapter ten Paul cautions his readers not to be over confident and to deal effectively with temptation. He reminds them that doing so is not something we have to do on our own. In verse thirteen he writes:          When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

              King David came to the conclusion that he needed God’s help to deal with his heart’s treasury.  In Psalm chapter fifty-one verse ten he asks: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, renew a loyal spirit within me.”  We all do well to ask: “what is in my heart’s treasury?"

Pastor Dave