Jeremiah 17:9

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9 RSV)

Question:

Seeking greater understanding as to why we are warned not to trust our hearts.

Comment:

As is so often the case in working with the Bible, context is vitally important. For that we need to add the verse immediately following the one you're questioning—Jeremiah 17:10:

"I the Lord search the mind and try the heart, to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings" (Jeremiah 17:10 RSV).

When you consider the two verses as one complete thought, the meaning becomes clear. Our ego mind cannot be relied upon to govern the emotions we associate with the heart: love, yes, but also jealousy, possessiveness, fear, and other untrustworthy emotions. It is the Lord—the Spirit Mind that is our true identity—that can be relied upon to sort through the thoughts in ego mind and discern what of it is good. It is these creative spiritual choices that ensure we will receive "the fruit of our doing" and avoid some of the distractions we sometimes pursue.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed