tinue to beat even when separated from the body, as long as it has adequate oxygen. In man’s physical development, the heart begins beating before the brain is formed. This creates a rather perplexing question. If the brain was not there to instruct the heart to beat, then how did it start? From a spiritual perspective that is easy to answer: God started the heart beating. But from a simply human point of view, man is left to conclude that since the brain did not start the heart, the heart must have started itself. That is the miracle of it all, and that is only a beginning. The heart has neurons just as the brain has neurons — the same neurons found in key cognitive (thinking and reasoning) areas of the brain. Science claims that the heart has intellectual capacity. God allowed science to make this discovery and the Bible covers this and other truths concerning the heart in great detail. An in-depth study in Scripture uncovers several profound aspects of the heart’s impact on our physical and spiritual life. Join me in this study, as together we unlock the mystery of the human heart. n Gary Meuser received his BA degree in Christian education from Northwest Christian University and MA in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University. He has served as a pastor, counselor, high school and college teacher and business owner. His current ministry, A Smarter Heart, is the title of his recently published book available at Amazon.com and book stores. He is available to speak at church, business and private gatherings of any size. You may follow his daily devotions on the heart at facebook. com/asmarterheart or email him at garymeuser@gmail.com.
9/10-16
Genes are the very thing that make you so much different from your friends, family, or anyone else. Biology and psychology have also taught us that our DNA is 99.9 percent identical to everyone else on the planet. Perhaps we are not as different as we believe we are. But actually we are all quite unique. It is simply amazing how much diversity God can create out of a 10th of 1 percent. This information about the brain is just the tip of the iceberg, but it is sufficient for our purposes. As we transition to the study of the heart we discover even greater mysteries. Scripture instructs us on all aspects of life and what sustains that life. As an example, Leviticus 17:11 teaches that the “…life of all flesh is its blood…” This life-sustaining blood is pumped throughout our entire body by a small organ in the midst of our chest cavity called the “heart.” Weighing only a few pounds, it pumps huge quantities of blood — or should I say “life” — from before birth until the time of death. The heart pumps approximately two gallons of blood a minute, which equals 2,000 to 3,000 gallons a day. If you went on a 45year-long vacation and, to your horror, left the kitchen faucet wide open, that flow of water would equal the amount of blood your heart pumps in a lifetime, totaling 1.5 million barrels. That is enough to fill up an ocean oil tanker. The heart constantly produces between one and five watts of electricity. The heart has its own nervous system. It does not rely on the brain to function. I guess you could say it has its own breaker box. Daily within the heart, enough energy is created to drive a truck 20 miles. In a lifetime, that would take the truck to the moon and back. Because the heart has its own electrical impulse, it can con-
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September / October 2016 | Christian Living 21