“And I say HEY, what a wonderful kind of way we can learn to work and play and get along with each other. You’ve got to listen to your heart, listen to the beat, listen to the rhythm the rhythm on the street, it’s a simple message one that comes from your heart; believe in yourself and that’s the place to start.”

Does this sound familiar to you? It may be familiar if you’ve ever had a child who enjoyed watching the show Arthur on PBS. My kids enjoyed the show when they were younger. The words above are from the theme song that plays at the beginning. The sad thing is that I didn’t look those words up; they were in my head – instant recall.  That catchy tune has gone through my head numerous times as I’ve read Jeremiah because the words are in complete opposition to what Jeremiah is saying. As a side note, I am not denouncing the show Arthur. My kids have talked with me about the theme song and discussed why it is wrong. My point is not particularly the evilness of Arthur but the pervasiveness of this message in our culture.

How many times have you heard the phrase follow your heart or believe in yourself? Plenty of times I’m sure.

The message I’ve been getting from Jeremiah is more like this:

God is telling them why His judgment is upon them in 9:13-14And the LORD says: "Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it, but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them.

Chapter 13:10 says, This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing.

Chapter 18:12 says, "But they say, 'That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.'

Chapter 3:17At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart.

I’m not done with the book yet but just from what I’ve seen so far I have become even more convinced that following our hearts is a false gospel.

Chapter 17 points this out clearly in verses 5-10

5Thus says the LORD:"Cursed is the man who trusts in man
   and makes flesh his strength,
   whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He is like a shrub in the desert,
    and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
   in an uninhabited salt land.

 7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
    whose trust is the LORD.
8 He is like a tree planted by water,
   that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
   for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
   for it does not cease to bear fruit."

 9The heart is deceitful above all things,
   and desperately sick;
   who can understand it?
10 "I the LORD search the heart
    and test the mind,
 to give every man according to his ways,
   according to the fruit of his deeds."


We’ve heard verse 9 before but in context of verses 5-8 it makes me pause to consider that one way I can trust in man like verse 5 mentions is to trust in my heart. All of my trust must be in the LORD, not myself or anyone else. This is the way I must come to God, with full trust in the work of Jesus Christ and no trust in myself or anything else to save me.

My heart will keep me flip flopping between relying on my own righteousness to please God or feeling condemnation when I am keenly aware of my failures. I must cling to the objective truth of God’s word regardless of what my heart feels at any given moment.

It’s a simple message, but one that comes from God’s word, believe in Christ Jesus – that’s the place to start – and end!

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