Get rid of fat in your heart!

“Their heart is covered with fat, But I delight in Your law” (Psalms 119:70).

                Can fat get stuck in the heart and cause obesity?  According to Professor Lim Soo, a professor of internal medicine at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, obesity can occur because fat is trapped in the heart just as fat accumulates in the abdomen.  And it is said that if there is ‘heart obesity’, there is a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease even if it isn’t obesity as a whole (Internet).  The problem is that the heart muscle is unable to move according to its will, so you cannot directly lose heart fat.  Therefore, in order to indirectly reduce heart fat, it is said that it is necessary to maintain a normal weight, refrain from intake of salt or saturated fat, eat a lot of fiber such as fresh vegetables, grains, and legumes, and exercise regularly (Internet).

In Psalms 119:70, people with “heart obesity” are found.  In other words, there were people whose hearts were covered with fat.  Those were the arrogant people, and those who lied against the psalmist (v. 69).  As I meditated on these words, I thought that not only our adversaries, but also we could cover our hearts with fat.  In other words, we too can have fat in our hearts, so that we can become arrogant and false, hiding the glory of God and becoming an obstacle to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Why do these fats get in our hearts?  The reason is because we don’t enjoy the Lord's law (v. 70) and don’t obey the Lord's precepts (v. 69).  More specifically, the reason why we have fat in our hearts and are arrogant and false is because we have not put the word of the Lord in our hearts (v. 11).  Fat is created in our hearts because we don’t obey the Lord's precepts and the Lord’s word isn’t our possession (v. 56).  Therefore, we are wandering from His commandments (v. 10) and sinning against Him (v. 11).  And our hearts are inclined to dishonest gain (v. 36).  What should we do?  We need to get rid of fat in our hearts.  How is this possible?  How can we get rid of fat in our hearts?

First, we need profitable affliction.

We need the affliction from our faithful God (v. 75).  The reason is because through profitable affliction, we realize that we went astray (v. 67) and learn the Lord's statues (verse 71) so that we can keep the word of the Lord (v. 67).

Second, we must take in the word of God well.

In order to do that, we must enjoy the word of God (v. 70).  And we must meditate on it all the day (v. 97).  Therefore, we must be wiser and insightful (vv. 98-99).  Only then can we have spiritual discernment, distinguish truth from lies, throw away lies and choose and consume the truth.

Third and last, we must keep the word of God.  

We must obey the voice of God that we hear as we meditate the word of God day and night and have learned through affliction.  When we obey, the word of God is written in our hearts.  And when we obey, we lose fat in our hearts, and build spiritual muscles.  And when we have spiritual muscles in our hearts, we have the spiritual power to eradicate all sins, including pride and lies.  Then, even though we are persecuted and troubled by our adversaries, we will not only overcome the fear in our hearts, but our hearts will not be shifted to the left or to the right and will not sin against God.

Dedicating to removing fat from my heart,

James Kim

(Praying for strengthening the spiritual muscles in the heart)