Out Of The Abundance Of The Heart--Part 3

Today I want to cover the second point that I introduced in Part 1 of this study: a) the words we speak are an indicator of what is in our hearts. The following passages of scripture put it quite well...

Matthew 12:33-37 (NKJ) Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Luke 6:43-45 (NKJ) For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, not does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

As I wrote in my previous post, I believe that God uses trials and tribulations in our lives to try our hearts, to test our faith in Him and our integrity. Take a look at this...

1 Peter 1:6-9 (NKJ) In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.

I also shared in my previous post about Job and Abraham, two prime examples of men who were tested by God and passed the test. Now let's look at some other examples of people whose words express the faith, belief in Almighty God, that dwells in their hearts...

Matthew 8:5:13 (NKJ) Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented." And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, have soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, "Come," and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour. (also in Luke 7:1-10)

Out of the abundance of the faith in his heart, the centurion spoke to Jesus, and as he believed, so it was done for him.

Matthew 9:18-31 (NKJ) While he spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshipped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live." So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter, your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour. When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him. But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went out into all that land. When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you." And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it." But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country. (also Mark 5:21-43 and Luke 8:40-56)

In each of these instances, words of faith and belief were spoken by those seeking healing and they received what they sought. Out of the abundance of their hearts, their mouths spoke, and as they believed, so it was done for them.

Matthew 15:21-28 (NKJ) Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us." But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Then she came and worshipped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Once again, out of the abundance of her heart, her mouth spoke, and she received that for which she believed.

Luke 19:1-10 (NKJ) Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and clumbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zaccaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Out of the abundance of his heart, Zacchaeus spoke, giving half of his goods to the poor and restoring fourfold to those he had stolen from, and Jesus said that salvation had come to Zacchaeus' house that day. Quite a contrast to the rich ruler who kept the commandments of God, but who could not part with his riches when Jesus said that he still lacked one thing, that he should go and sell all that he had and give to the poor. That ruler went away sorrowful and Jesus commented that it was very hard for someone rich like him to enter the kingdom of God.

I could go on. There's the account of blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52 and Luke 18:35-43. We could contrast Zacharias' doubt of the angel's message about the son to come, John the Baptist (Luke 1:18-20), and Mary's faith as the angel brings her the news of the Son she is to bear (Luke 1:29-38). Then there's the tragic example of Jesus' hometown, where He was met with ridicule instead of faith and the Word says that He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief (Matt.13:53-58; Mark 6:1-6; John 12:37-40). But most telling of all is the account of the Israelites in their wilderness wanderings.

If you've never done so, I encourage you to read the book of Numbers and take particular note of every time the Israelites grumble and complain against God. Numbers 14 really brings it home.

Numbers 14:1-3 (NKJ) So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?"

Numbers 14:11 (NKJ) Then the LORD said to Moses: "How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?"

Out of the abundance of their hearts, they spoke doubt, fear, and unbelief. As the story goes, Moses intercedes for the people with the LORD because the LORD had determined to strike them with pestilence and wipe them out. The LORD pardons the people but there are still consequences for those who have sinned with their lips in complaining and doubting. The LORD declares that they shall have exactly what they asked for: they would die in the wilderness, never getting to see the land promised to their fathers, but their children, whom they'd said would be victims in the wilderness, those are the ones that the LORD says will inherit the promised land. Pretty sad, huh? It also causes me to think that the LORD attaches a high value to a heart of faith and belief.

Hebrews 3:7-19 (NKJ) Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart and they have not known My ways.' So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'" Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

I'll continue with this study in my next post.