The Heart Vs. The Mind

A couple weeks ago my wife made a comment that triggered and explosion of intriguing thoughts in my mind. We had been talking about playing the piano (I think) and she mentioned that she use to know how to play a song by heart (I don’t remember what song it was). And the phrase “BY HEART” is what triggered the onslaught and bombardment of thought to fly through my mind like debris in the mist of a volcanic eruption. I thought how the bible tells us to write his words upon our heart. Deut 11:18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. When I thought of this I asked my wife, “I wonder if the early church or those in the Old Testament started that phrase?” I mean I can see them fellowshipping and in encouragement ask one another “Do you have the lords words upon your heart?” and it evolving into “Do you know the scriptures by heart?” At first it was just a cool thing that I thought would be a pretty neat coincidence if it were true. But then as I researched the aforementioned verse I was quit compelled to head the words of Deuteronomy. I was reading the verse and it says to lay or PUT my words in your heart and soul. And I thought, you know when something is in your heart, you seldom forget it. Because you only allow your passions and things you care about to be written on your heart. Example, I Love my wife, she is the most important thing in my life (next to Jesus).I cherish her so I will never forget the date on which we got married (3 years ago), but if you ask me the score of the Tennessee Titans game 3 weeks ago I wont be able to tell you, nor will I be able to tell you who they played if they played at all, even though they are my favorite football team. Things that you store in your heart are there to stay. Unlike your mental memory which is fleeting, knowing things by heart is eternal.

As I continued reading the verse the end of it got me. I didn’t know what a “Frontlets” was. So naturally I looked it up in the Merriam-Webster online Dictionary and this is what I got:

Frontlets

1 : a band or phylactery worn on the forehead

2 : the forehead especially of an animal

In definition number one I didn’t know what a Phylactery was so back again to Merriam-Webster.

Phylactery

1 : either of two small square leather boxes containing slips inscribed with scriptural passages and traditionally worn on the left arm and on the head by observant Jewish men and especially adherents of Orthodox Judaism during morning weekday prayers

Here this image might help.

Once I saw this I was amazed. And thought “man if we as Christians would stop trying to memorize scriptures and put them on out Hearts then they would be would be ready for us to grab them out of our minds at all times.” I mean look at the picture and the definition. It’s a box containing slips with scriptures written on them. Instead of saying “I think the Bible says this somewhere” we would be able to say, “The Bible says this right here, let me show you.”

So I’m challenged to stop trying to Memorize the Word with my mind, and strive rather to place the Word on my Heart, where it will remain for my lifetime. My mental memory is fragile and untrustworthy. But my Heart will hold and release back to me the things I cherish most. So I say let the Bible be one of my most cherished possessions. That I may truly know it “BY HEART”!