Since birth, I have had a tiny hole on the inside wall of my heart (on the interventricular septum to be exact!). It has never had any major effect on me, except that I had to be careful when I was at the dentist because an infection could get into my heart through this tiny little hole. For a long time, my heartbeat sounded different as well, which is interesting. But it’s been closing since we found it, and it may not even be there any more!
Last Friday, I went to the hospital for an echocardiogram, which is basically a sonogram of the heart, to see if the hole is still there. During the cardiac ECHO, as it is referred to in the medical realms, the nurse showed me my heart and explained what all was going on. This quickly sent my mind spinning back to the world of physiology, which I thoroughly studied last semester. I immediately remembered why the heart intrigued me the most during my study of physiology, and I want to share that with you today.
It is remarkable to fathom what happens in one single heartbeat, and the heart beats between 50-80 beats per minute. Four chambers exist in the heart. Two atria sit on top, and two ventricles rest on the bottom. A septum vertically separates the atria and ventricles to split the heart into two sides- right and left. The right side of the heart (which is anatomically on the left side of the body ironically enough) creates a pulmonary circuit, which carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs to become oxygenated once again. Functioning simultaneously, the left side (which is on the right side of the heart) takes the oxygenated blood from the pulmonary circuit and distributes it to all the organs of the body in what is called the systemic circuit.
During one heartbeat, blood rushes from the body into the atria, then into the ventricles to be sent to the body. As the blood moves from the atria to the ventricles, the first heart sound is made, which is called “lupp.” As the blood leaves the ventricles, the second heart sound is made, which is called “dubb.” These two sounds create what is heard in a heartbeat! Obviously much more than this one action occurs, but that would encompass an entire chapter in a physiology textbook!
Although physically the heart seems overwhelmingly complicated, much more exists to the heart than just the physical side. For our bodies, the heart is the life-giver. When it stops, we stop. When it races, we are exhilarated. It produces our pace of life and sends a vital component of our bodies to every organ. However, the heart possesses much more depth than the physical qualities we have covered. Spiritually, the heart is the life-giver as well. Proverbs 4:23 states that the heart is the wellspring of life. Along with this verse, Proverbs 14:30 claims that “A heart at peace gives life to the body.” Therefore, our hearts are just as important spiritually as physically.
The human heart exists as a peculiar part of the body, a part where body and soul dance together and respond with vibrancy and emotion to the diverse conditions of life. It embodies the deepest and most intimate ideas of a person and dictates how an individual will interact with his or her surrounding environment. And God wants it. He deeply and jealously longs for every string of our hearts. Romans 10:9 boldly states, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” What we believe in the deepest parts of our hearts determines the fate of our souls for eternity.
Once you believe, He still desires for us to give our hearts to Him. Ultimately, God is the Life-Giver. Acts 17:27 declares that “in him we live and move and have our being.” So, if our heart brings life to us physically and spiritually, shouldn’t we trust fully in the Lord? If He is the ultimate Life-Giver, what joy and vivacity would radiate our lives if He touched the inward workings of our hearts. So today, search your heart. Are there crevices and hidden corners that you have not surrendered to the Lord? Have you never given your heart to the Lord? Now is the time, and there is not a second to waste. Allow the Life-Giver to bring life to your heart today!