Where is your heart? This question probes the deep-down desires, goals, dreams, hopes, and aspirations that define us. It asks what we enjoy doing, what would make us spring out of bed every morning with purpose. It also considers what we are invested in, not just in terms of money, but also time, resources, loyalties, and hopes. Our priorities reflect where our hearts lie, as seen in Deuteronomy 16:17, which instructs that every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you. What we are able to give depends on where we have placed our priorities, and we place our priorities where our hearts are. Jesus Christ, in Luke's account of the Sermon on the Mount, explains where our hearts should be. He advises us to sell what we have and give alms, emphasizing giving as a priority, though not to the point of destitution. He instructs us to spend our resources—whether time, energy, concentration, or money—on things that truly matter, that propel us toward the Kingdom of God and secure heavenly, eternal benefits. That is where our hearts should reside: in the things that God also prizes. Isaiah 33:5-6 reveals God's treasure as the fear of the LORD, and our hearts should align with this value. The fear of the LORD involves perceiving and accepting where we stand in relation to God and acting appropriately—recognizing His vastness and our smallness, His magnificence and our humility. When we live every moment in awe of this awesome Being, putting God, His will, and His goals first, the rest of life falls into place. With our hearts unflinchingly loyal to God, we set our course to achieve the greatest goal: to please Him and dwell eternally with Him in His Kingdom. Is that where your heart is?

The instruction on the use of second tithe at the Feast of Tabernacles, as found in Deuteronomy 14:26, emphasizes spending for whatever your heart desires, be it oxen, sheep, wine, or similar drink. God repeats this permission, underscoring that you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice with your household. This allowance extends beyond mere food and drink, encompassing anything within the realm of the Feast that your heart desires, provided it aligns with Feast-related expenses. However, this freedom must be balanced with self-control, ensuring that indulgence does not lead to excess or selfishness, as the Feast is a time of sacrifice and service. While God grants the liberty to enjoy what your heart desires, this must be tempered by moderation to avoid the pitfalls of drunkenness or gluttony, which are contrary to the spiritual goals of the Feast. The command to rejoice, rooted in the Hebrew verb samach, suggests a spontaneous jubilance, often inspired by an external stimulus like music glorifying God, or a profound realization of His goodness and blessings. This rejoicing is not merely about personal enjoyment but about an overflowing gladness due to God's presence and provision during the Feast. Thus, the desire of the heart must align with a spirit of gratitude and awareness of God's hand in all things.

The question of what kind of life one truly desires reaches its deepest expression in the condition of the heart. When the heart delights in the Lord, that delight fundamentally alters what the heart desires, so that God Himself becomes the central longing. In this transformed state the promise of receiving the desires of the heart is fulfilled, because the desire now centers on life with Him rather than on the gain of the world. The resulting focus is righteousness and justice, which overshadow any competing attachment to material security or personal ambition. This reorientation of desire is inseparable from the call to die daily to self and to the attachments of the world. The heart that still clings to its own plans resists the ongoing surrender required, yet the life God gives is one in which He, as Potter, continually shapes the clay according to His purpose. Pressure, heat, and repeated turning on the wheel are part of that shaping; the heart must yield to them rather than recoil, trusting that the finished vessel will be one of honor. The same transformed desire appears in the willingness to be led by the Shepherd into green pastures and still waters. The heart that truly wants the life God offers seeks His guidance in all things, recognizing that only He restores the soul. Any resistance to that leading reveals that the old heart has not yet fully relinquished its claim. Thus the desire of the heart must be examined continually, for only when it rests in God does the life He intends become the life one actually wants.