Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Psalms, Part 11 (Ps. 101 - 112)

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

 

We are cruising through the Bible looking at references to 'heart/hearts' , as rendered by the NIV 1984 edition and are coming into the home stretch of the Psalms.  I looked ahead a bit and found that 'heart/hearts' doesn't show up as consistently in the last chapters of Psalms; there are no references between Ps. 112 and Ps. 119.  Ps. 119 is going to get a (loooonng, just sayin') post of its own, so I am going to add Ps. 112 into today's list as there are only two verses there.  It just makes more sense than to do a whole post on two verses next week.  So, yeah, this is going to be a bit long but just consider it a warm-up for the Main Event in Ps. 119 next weekend.

It's interesting that there are so many references in today's collection of psalms, and  so few after 119.  Not really sure why it works out that way, but here we go...

We jump right into Ps. 101, a psalm of David.

I will be careful to lead a blameless life -- when will you come to me?   I will walk in my  house with blameless heart. -- Ps. 101:2; 'Heart' is Strong's H3824, Lebab, one of the two most common Hebrew words for heart.

The thing that popped at once into my spirit reading that is...he is determined to be blameless in his house.  I'm not sure where, chronologically in David's life this psalm was written (ie, before or after the, ah, incident with Bathsheba), because if one is blameless at home, with the people who have intimate knowledge of one's character,  then that is a pretty significant commitment. And if David had been true to that commitment in that fateful spring, likely that smirch on his character would not have happened. Now, it may have been after that event and his repentance that he made that commitment, in which case it has come at a cost.

But we go on...

Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.  Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him I will not endure.  -- Ps. 101:4-5;  both occurrences of 'heart' are H 3824.

cough JOAB cough

But Joab was family... maybe that was the deal...David did do his best to have honest and upright companions/ advisors.  His errors were his own, not a result of the influence of others around him.  Joab, for all his violent ways,  was solid when he gave David advice. David recognized the influence that wicked people could wield, and making a decision to keep such folks out of his close circle is a wise example for modern time.

Ps. 102 is just attributed to 'an afflicted man':

My heart is blighted like withered grass; I forget to eat my food. -- Ps. 102:4; 'heart' is the other common Hebrew word for heart, Strong's H3820, Leb.  

That is true distress. And I have been there once or twice... eating is the LAST thing I wanted to do.  The sensation of a grieving, stressed out seat of emotion is quite physical at times. For all that we recognize a distinction between the actual organ pumping the blood through the body and the emotional center...there are seasons in which distress becomes an actual sensation.

The next reference is in Ps. 104, which is unattributed:

He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate -- bringing forth food from the earth; wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.  Ps. 104: 14-15.  Both incidences of heart are H 3824;   I thought they might be different, since one seems to refer to the emotional heart and the other to the physical heart, but nope, same word.

I never noticed this before; probably because I had not considered v. 15 in light of v. 14, but those three things -- wine, oil, and bread -- are all derived from the plants that mankind cultivates (referring, of course,  to olive oil, not petroleum, lol.  Strong's H 8081, if you're curious).  I had always read vs, 15 as God himself providing those things, but, no, he provided the material from which those things are derived.  Not a huge difference, but something worth noting.  Also worth noting is that none of them have a negative connotation...wine gladdens the heart, bread sustains the heart.  Either in excess is not good, but in proper context they are both considered blessings.

Ps. 105 is also unattributed, and is a review of Israel's history, starting with praise:

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. -- Ps. 105:3; 'Hearts' is H 3820 this time.

Praise.  Just pure Praise.

Further down, we are in the history part:

Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.  The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes, whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants. -- Ps. 105: 23-25; 'hearts' is, once more, H 3820.

This is interesting, because the account in Exodus does not mention God as being involved in the plot to oppress and enslave the Israelites (Ex. 1: 8-22).  But, that was the very thing that prompted the Israelites to cry out to God to save them.  The main point here...God can, and does, turn hearts.  This is both frightening and encouraging.  

I have a note that 'Book 5' begins with Ps. 107; our next scripture is in Ps. 108, one of David's:

My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.  -- Ps. 108:1; 'Heart' is H3820 again. 'Steadfast' is Strong's H3559, kun, a primitive root word that basically means 'to stand upright'.  King James uses the word 'fixed' here. 'Established' shows up in all the verb tense variations. Praise and worship is the response of a steadfast, established heart.

David also penned Ps 109, what the notes in my Scofield term 'A cry for vengeance and judgment'

But you, O Sovereign LORD, deal well with me for your name's sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.  For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. -- Ps. 109: 21 - 22; 'Heart' is, once more, H 3820.

The thing about a wound is that it comes from something outside.  It's not an illness, which comes from within, but something external has caused damage.  Some wounds happen due to a lack of proper guarding...but some come from sources behind the guard, who are close and intimate.   Those are the worst....and David is right to appeal to the mercy of God...because that's the only thing that can properly tend a wounded heart.

Psalm 111 is another unattributed song of praise:

Praise the LORD.  I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. --- Ps. 111:1; 'Heart' is H 3824.

'With all my heart'...complete devotion, full effort.  No mixture or diverted attention.  I think that's a hazard of scheduled 'worship services'...we tend to give our praise with one eye on the clock. Can't run too late...the beans might burn, or the line at the restaurant will be too long...how often do I really praise God with 'all my heart'?   Ouch.

Finally, Ps. 112 is also not attributed to any author; my notes say this is 'blessings of the God-fearing man':

Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.  His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.  -- Ps. 112:6-8; both occurrences of 'heart' are H 3820. 'Steadfast' is the same word we saw above, H 3559; I expected 'secure' in verse 8 to be the same but it is a different word,  Strong's H5564, samak, which is also a primitive root that basically means 'to lean, lay, rest, support, put, uphold, lean upon.   I get the connotation of something supported by a foundation.... putting it together, blessed is the righteous, whose heart is standing upright upon the sound foundation.   Or, standing on the solid rock, lol.

A lot of jumping around today, but a lot to think about. Ps. 119 next week.

Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Psalms, Part 10; Ps. 91 - 100

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Well, well, this post will put us 2/3 of the way through the Psalms.  Despite this passage containing a couple of the best-known of all the Psalms, Psalm 91 and Psalm 100,  we have only a few verses containing words translated as 'Heart/ Hearts' by the NIV '84, which is the concordance I'm working from. 

Our first scripture today is in the unattributed Psalm 94:

Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.  -- Ps. 94:15, 'Heart' is the often-seen Strong's 3820, Leb.   

An interesting thing to found judgment on...righteousness.  So many other things it could be founded on....favoritism, calculation, bribery, even pity.  But, no, none of those things are  to be the foundation of judgment.  Righteousness is the foundation, and those who are upright (Strong's H3744, yasar - straight, upright, correct, right) at the core of who they are will follow along.  It's  a kind of ...hard...teaching.  Where does mercy fit there?  It has to, somewhere...mercy is a quality of an upright heart.  But the line where mercy crosses over into enabling is rather shadowy and subjective, and there are those who would say that no such line exists.  But...it has to, or there is no such thing as righteousness.  

Something to ponder.

The next passage is a pretty familiar one; this Psalm is also anonymous:

Today, if you  hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert,  where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.  For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.  -- Ps. 95:8-10.  Both instances of 'heart' are our other most-often used word, Strong's H3824, Lebab. 

Here we are looking at hearts that have been hardened by the choice of the people themselves,  who have not known the ways of God and therefore went astray...their own way.  But these were people who saw, first hand, what God did in delivering them from enslavement and providing for them in the harshest environment.  How could they NOT have know his ways?  Answer...they hardened their hearts and refused.  They chose to not know God and his ways, despite the evidence they were living out every day.  There is no deception so great as a deception that is chosen and embraced.  With fingers in the ears, singing Lalalalalala...truth just can't penetrate.  Knowledge is out of reach.  And what did God say in response?  "They shall never enter my rest." (Ps. 95:11)  

Pretty serious.

By way of contrast, this is the last of the verses we'll look at today, also from an unaccredited psalm:

Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. -- Ps. 97:11; 'Heart' is Strong's 3820 again.

It kind of makes the choice to follow or not follow a no-brainer. But deception is deceiving and we don't know what we choose to not know...

Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter -- Psalms, Part 9 (Ps. 81 - 90)

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

We have seven verses in this week's look into the Psalms for the occurrences of 'heart/ hearts'; the first  is in Psalm 81...another one of Asaph's; he is quoting God:

But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me.  So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.  -- Ps. 81:12; 'hearts' is  the frequently seen Strong's H3820, leb  - inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.

When God releases people to do what is in their unregenerated hearts...well, it generally doesn't go well for those people.  Notice the adjective 'stubborn' ...someone set on doing things his/her own way; unteachable.  If people refuse to be taught, refuse to listen, refuse to learn long enough...then God will let them have their way.  And that's never a good thing.

The next time we see 'heart' is in Psalm 84; this one is authored by the Sons of Korah.  We know this one from contemporary worship:

My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.  -- Ps 84:2; 'Heart' is H3820 again.

Have you been in this place?  When only the presence of God will satisfy the inner longings?  I can identify.  And it usually follows a period of  going my own way, like a kid who's wandered off in a shopping center and suddenly realizes Mom is nowhere to be seen.  Suddenly, only Mom will calm the fear and settle the spirit. No substitutes.

Still in the same psalm, but the focus has changed slightly:

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. -- Ps. 84:5; 'Hearts' is translated from the other familiar Hebrew word, Strong's H3824, lebab, of which H3820 is a derivative. It also means inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.

The word translated 'pilgrimage' here is Strong's H4546, msilla, which means highway, raised way, public road.... whose hearts are set on the high road. or [and] the road is in their hearts   Kind of an odd visual to us, but maybe not so odd.  If my strength is in God, I am not relying on myself...I am not following my own stubborn heart.  He has put his way in my heart, and that's what I'm following.

The next psalm that mentions 'heart/hearts' is number 86 -- one of David's:

Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.  I will praise you, O LORD my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.  Ps 86:11-12;  both uses of 'Heart' are  H3824.

"All my heart" and "undivided heart" are basically the same thing, but it's interesting that David asks God for an undivided heart, rather than putting the emphasis on his own efforts to have an undivided heart.  But...to receive an undivided heart, one can't hang on to the old, stubborn, fragmented heart.  

Y'all, that's worth a selah right there.  

Ok, I'm back.  The next verse listed in the concordance is in Ps. 89, which is attributed to Ethan the Ezrahite, and, according to the notes in my Scofield, is a 'Psalm of the Davidic Covenant'.  We're looking at a couple of verses at the end of the Psalm:

Remember, Lord,  how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations, the taunts with which your enemies have mocked, O LORD, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.  - Ps. 89:50-51

'Heart' here is a word we haven't seen before, Strong's H2436 - hek - 'from an unused root, apparently meaning to enclose; the bosom (literally or figuratively): -- bosom, bottom, lap, midst, within.  KJV translates this as 'bosom', but 'heart' is not an unusual rendering, scanning some of the other translations in the Blue Letter Bible app.  I think it's apparent...the scorn, taunts, mockery, reproach of the enemies of God are a weight in the bosom/heart.  I'm reminded of the passage in Joshua in which God 'rolled away the reproach of Egypt' from his people (Josh 5:9), which happened after the younger generation was circumcised; the dedication according to the covenant.  Reproach is not something that can be shaken off; it's a heart burden that God removes..

There's a notation in my text that Book 4 begins with the 90th Psalm...'A prayer of Moses the man of God.' and there's one verse that mentions 'heart'...

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. -- Ps. 90:12; 'Heart' is H3824 again.

Maybe it's my own struggles showing here, but numbering days aright sounds like setting priorities, which is something I struggle with on the daily.  I tend to work on the thing that's flashing or making the most noise instead of what might actually be the most important.  But, once again we see the action of God -- teaching us to number our days rightly, to set the right priorities

Normally, I don't see an overarching theme to the day's readings, since it is, after all, a skip through poetry, but today I do.  We need to listen and commit fully to God...and he will give us an undivided, focused heart,  he will teach us to follow him, to set priorities.

I think I shall ponder that a bit.  

Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Psalms, Part 8 (Ps. 71 - 80)

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

We hit the halfway point in Psalms today, looking at Ps. 71- 80.  I have a note in my Bible that Ps. 71 begins 'Book 3'...the third in the series.  All of the psalms we are looking at today were written by Asaph who,  gleaning from a simple search, was one of the Levites who wrote and performed the psalms during the reigns of both David and Solomon.

The first psalm that mentions Heart/Hearts is Ps. 73...which, according to one of the search results, is Asaph's most famous psalm.  It's certainly something that most folks can identify with.

I'm going to include just a wee bit of context along with the verses, but let's just consider them all together here:

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.  But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.  For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  Ps 73: 1-3; 'Heart' is the common Strong's H3824, lebab.

From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.  Ps. 73:7; 'Hearts' is H3824 again.

Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.   Ps. 73:13; 'Heart' is, once more, H3824

When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.  Ps. 73:21-22; 'Heart' here is Strong's H3629, kilya , which we have seen a few times and means 'reins' or 'kidneys'...a modern paraphrase could easily be 'guts'.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.   Ps. 73:20; both occurrences of  'Heart' are H3824.

Looking at these verses all together...it's a pretty good summary of the whole psalm. After stating that God is good to the pure in heart, he admits that his heart had nearly faltered when he thought about how the wicked seemed to prosper, despite their evil hearts.  He wonders if he has maintained his integrity for nothing, but he did come to realize the ultimate fate of the wicked (vs 17-20, the only point in the narrative that isn't in the above list).  He confessed his failure, and rejoiced that God is good even when he faltered.  And...he uses 'lebab' for the source of morality, behavior, belief...but when he talked about being grieved, his word choice was 'kilya'...which the NIV translated as 'heart' but I think  'guts' would have been a better choice.  The  Hebrew phrase is literally 'pierced in my kidneys'...but I recognized the gut-level distress of emotional upheaval.  It's a description of a physical reaction. Who doesn't know the knotted up feeling that accompanies such times? 

I would love to just hang on that psalm for the whole post, but we need to cover more ground...

The next mention of 'hearts' is in Ps. 74, talking about the enemies of Israel

They said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!"  They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land, we are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be. -- Ps 74:8-9; 'heart' is the other frequent word, H3820, leb, which is a variant of H 3824.

Y'all.  There are still folks who look at Israel and say, 'We will crush them completely!'  As it was when Asaph was writing, it's a deep, heart-level hatred.  It was sad then...it's sad now.

Moving on to Ps 77:6:

I remembered my songs in the night, My heart mused and my spirit inquired: "Will the LORD reject forever?  Will he never show his favor again?  Has his unfailing love vanished forever?  Has his promise failed for all time?" : 'Heart' is H3824.

The worry that comes in the night when sleep won't...is a whole 'nuther level.  In the midst of such a night, Asaph begins to ask himself questions...questions to which the answer is 'NO'.  Prompted by his heart, he's reminding himself of the love and the faithfulness and the mercy of God.  He's getting out of his head and into his heart and his spirit,  which is a good example to follow when those night worries come.

Ps. 78, the last one with any references to 'heart/ hearts' in the ten chapters we're considering today, is a review of the history of Israel up to the reign of David.

He opens the song with instructions to teach the children these things so that

They would not be like their forefathers -- a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.  -- Ps. 78:8; 'Hearts' is H3820.

Speaking of the later generations, who turned to God when they were in need, and then did as they pleased once he had delivered them:

their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant.  Ps. 78:37; 'Hearts' is, again, H3820

Finally, we see King David leading the nation

And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them. -- Ps 78:72; 'Heart' is H 3824.  

This, of course, is part of the story of David's origin story as a shepherd of sheep...now being a shepherd of God's people. And, while he famously messed up more than once, he also continually sought God's guidance on what to do. Not a perfect king... a human king who sought God.

Hodgepodge for an approaching (maybe?) snowstorm...

 posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

It's 10:30 PM on Hodgepodge Wednesday and I got a sudden urge to write; just needed someone to ask me to write something...the Weekly Hodgepodge will do!

Click the link to find everyone else's thoughts!

This week's questions (and my answers, lol):

1. At the end of every year (or at least since the mid-1970's) Lake Superior State University posts a list of words they think should be banished from the Queen's English for misuse, overuse, and/or general uselessness. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's list includes-cringe, game changer, era, dropped, IFKYK (If you know you know), sorry not sorry,  skibidi, 100%, utilize, and period.  Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly or even just every now and then? How many did you have to look up? Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? If so do share, then tell us why. 

Oy.  I probably use all the words EXCEPT  the slang use of era and dropped (not even sure what the slang application of those might be) and skibidi (which I had to look up and, frankly, would never use it).  But in terms of what words would I like to see dropped...'unpack'  was the first thing that popped into mind.  I thought it was a clever use when I first heard it...oh, around 2012...but it's been WAY overused.  Find another word, folks.

2. Your favorite soup? Do you make this one yourself or is it from a can? 

January is Soup Month around here.  My best home made soups...vegetable beef (which we always eat on New Year's Day, due to the cabbage content), something we call Mexican chicken soup, broccoli cheese soup,  a sausage/spinach/ noodle soup, mushroom chowder, Hurst's bean soup (with ham), and, of course, chili.  We do have canned soup from time to time; cream of chicken and mushroom (made with milk and topped with a bit of parmesan cheese),  homestyle chicken and noodle, good ol' tomato, and split pea with bacon that I puree with the submersible blender, adding a good couple of grinds of black pepper and topping with sour cream.  THAT tastes just like the potage St. Germain soup we used to get at The Magic Pan at Glendale shopping center in Indianapolis when I was a teen on a girl's day out.  Ah, those were the days...

3. How do you feel about winter? What's one winter activity you look forward to? 

Growing up in Indiana in the late 70's...I knew winter as a brutal beast with moments of sparkling fun.  Got married and moved to Alabama, where we have winter...sometimes.  And nobody knows what to do with it when it comes.  The first time it snowed (the second winter after we moved down), I ran over to the local Winn-Dixie to grab a carton of sour cream to make meatballs to celebrate the snow.  I bopped back to the dairy section, got my little carton, and headed to the cash register to pay.  And was shocked to see all the registers were six deep.  I thought it was triple coupon day and I didn't know!  Took me 30 minutes to check out. In that 30 minutes we had accumulated about a half inch of snow; it took me 45 minutes to get back to the apartment...something that normally took just a fuzz over 5 because I had to make two left turns.  Couldn't turn left at all due to traffic; had to make a circle to get home and discovered that no one in the area had a clue about driving on snow.  It was crazy.  Now, when it snows...I stay home.  I don't need nothin' that bad, lol.  But...back to the question...I LIKE staying home.  I am so spoiled now, if I moved back north and actually had to drive in the snow again I'd be a bundle of nerves.  It's a good time to read a book...take a walk and take pictures, 'cause it's likely gonna be another 3 - 5 years before it happens again.  Our last real snow...on this side of town, anyway...was three years ago.  But it came on Jan 2 and the Christmas lights were still up.  Pretty!!

4. The Pantone color of the year for 2025 is mocha mousse (sample pictured here). What say you? The website describes it as 'a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nourishes us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort'.  Is this a color I might find in your home or wardrobe? Is it one you might add in some big or small way in the year ahead? In a similar, but not really vein...if I were to offer you a choice right now of either a cup of mocha or a cup of mousse which would you say yes to? 

Brown is not one of my better colors, although I can wear a rich chocolate brown.  That's close.  I just have a beef against the whole idea of corporate somebody telling us what our New Best Color will be.  I know what works for me, lol.    I won't make a point to purchase something in Mocha Mousse.  But if you were to offer me a cup of mousse I'd gladly eat it slowly and enjoy every bit.

5. Which of the following winter related idioms can best be applied to your life in some way right now? Choose one, then tell us why you chose it.  snowed under, on thin ice, tip of the iceberg, chill out, break the ice, snowball effect, not a snowball's chance in hell, get cold feet, the cold shoulder 

Oh, definitely snowed under.  Well, maybe almost.  I have more to do than I have do in me, I think, lol.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We have a rare snow event forecast...but even as the weather pages are waving maps showing us with significant snowfall, a few forecasters are talking about a 'warm nose' that might turn it all to rain.  We had a 'warm nose'  two years ago that turned everything south of a very discernable line across the county to rain, while the northern side got very pretty snow.  I have a dread that we'll see that repeat and despite all the hype with this storm...we either won't get any, or we'll get a bit that the rain will dissolve and turn to ice.  Crossing my fingers that line stays south of us, but it's going to be close.

Blogging Bible Study - the Heart of the Matter: Psalms, Part 7; Ps. 61-70

 Posted to Beer Lahai Roi by Lisa Laree

A happy 2025 to all, and a blessed 10th day of Christmas!  The holiday season is winding down and it's time to get back into our cruise through the Bible, looking at the verses containing 'Heart' or 'Hearts', as translated by the New International Version, 1984 edition (the Exhaustive Concordance we own, lol).  We are nearly  halfway through the Psalms, looking today at verses in the 61st  - the 70th  psalms.

And we hit a verse right off the bat in Ps. 61 -- one of David's:

From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  Ps. 61:2 - 'Heart' is the familiar Strong's H3820 - Leb -  inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding. 

The word 'heart' is used to describe David's mental/ emotional state; David's heart 'grows faint'...his inner man; his spirit.  Dude was seriously discouraged and his drive, his ability to keep going, was waning fast.  And his request...take me to the rock that is higher than I...is a beautiful recognition of the strength and steadfastness of the Lord.  Think about 'rock'; it's solid, fixed, not moving.  "Higher than I"  ...bigger than I am, stronger than I am, able to see farther that I can, with deeper understanding than I have.  The theme of God as a refuge is repeated in both this psalm and the next, which  David also penned.

He describes the evil intent of those around him in Ps. 62:4; 'him', in this case, is the king...David:

They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies.  With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Selah.  'Hearts' is a (pauses for a two hour dive in past posts to see what words we have seen so far) Hebrew word that we have encountered once before, H 7130, qereb: midst, among, inner part, middle. 

In their inward parts, they curse....'hearts' does make sense, at least to modern western-thinkers.  The point is that there are folks who behave one way outwardly but have entirely different thoughts/attitudes than they exhibit.  But David has a response to these folks

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah.  - Ps. 62:8; 'Heart' is the familiar H 3824, Lebab.  

God is our refuge.  That's pretty much the theme we're working with now.  

And, if God is our refuge, 

Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.  -- Ps. 62:10;  H3820 again. 

The next mention of Heart/Hearts is Ps. 64, another one of David's:

At the end of a 5-verse description of his enemies, David writes

They plot injustice and say, "We have devised a perfect plan!"  Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.  -- Ps. 64:6; 'Heart' is H3820.

'Mind' and 'Heart' here seem to be source of the evil these folks are plotting.  However, verse seven begins with 'But God...' and then David describes how God will move to defeat those folks.  He ends the psalm with

Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him! -- Ps. 64:10; 'Heart' is 3820 again.

Still talking about God as a refuge for the righteous, who should praise him for his works and his protection.  Contrasting the last two verses...there is cunning and malice in the heart of the evil, but praise in the heart of the upright.  Pretty sharp distinction.

Psalm 66 is an unattributed praise song that contains one caveat

If I had cherished sin in my heart, the LORD would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.  -- Ps. 66: 18-19; 'Heart' is, once more,  H 3820.

That's a pretty extreme thing if it results in God not listening to our prayer.  What does it mean to 'cherish sin in the heart'?  The word translated 'cherish' is Strong's H7200, ra'a:  verb: to see, literally or figuratively, -- advise self, appear, approve, behold, ...consider, ...(make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, ...look (on, one another, one on another, out up, upon), mark, meet...perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, show (self)...

I am going to jump back to a topic from Joshua 6, something I've written about before, more than once...what I call the 'sin progression'...as summarized by Achan, in his confession of taking the 'things under the ban':  I saw, I coveted, I took, I hid.   Somewhere between physically seeing the plunder and actually taking it, there was an unknown span of time in which he actually considered his actions.  It may have been very brief, but it was there.  He had the opportunity to turn away from the thing he knew was wrong...but he didn't.  The moment he shifted his thinking from 'I shouldn't' to 'I could....'  to 'I will...' matches what I think 'cherished sin in my heart' could mean.  

The last references to 'Heart/ Hearts' in this set of ten psalms are in Psalm 69...another one of David's.

Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.  -- Ps. 69:20. 'Heart' is H 3820 again.

This verse is SO RELATEABLE.  I actually have the last half of that verse underlined; I'm pretty sure that's from a time when I found myself excluded...from a thing...and found no (or very little) sympathy or comfort or understanding or even acknowledgement.  It was rough, y'all.  And it has happened more than once over the years.  King James has the phrase 'I am full of heaviness'...and that's a great description of those times.  It was hard to deal with, basically on my own.  But I found, like David, that God is good.  I remember the heaviness but have moved on.

The poor will see and be glad-- you who seek God, may your hearts live! Ps 69:32; 'Hearts' is H3824 again.

Just for completion of that thought, I'm going to list the next verse (69:33) as well...to get the whole promise.

The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.

HE hears the needy...even if no one else does.  And being heard makes all the difference.

Disclaimer:  I know these posts are kind of all over the place; it's because there's such a wide variety of topics/situations that are covered in ten consecutive Psalms.  It would probably be better to do a study of 'heart/ hearts' just in the Psalms, but since it's part of the larger whole we're kinda stuck jumping around.  

I am very grateful for the two dozen or so of you (based on the blog stats) who are hanging with me on this journey!  :-D