The Place We Find Ourselves 128 When Bible Verses Are Used Against You (or, Is Your Heart Really Trustworthy?)
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Jan 2, 2023 Stories of Scripture being used to hurt people and why that happens. A close look at Jeremiah 17:9 and how context reshapes its meaning. Discussion of promises about new hearts and biblical voices that affirm trusting the heart. Exploration of how trauma and attachment make people vulnerable to harmful interpretations. A call to own interpretations rather than outsource trust to authorities.
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Instagram Stories Of Jeremiah 17:9 Doing Harm
- Adam Young read many Instagram comments describing how Jeremiah 17:9 was used to make people distrust their feelings and gut instincts.
- Examples included being told desires were bad, questioning every decision, and spending years in therapy undoing that message.
Read Jeremiah 17:9 In The Book's Bigger Story
- Jeremiah 17:9 must be read in light of the whole book of Jeremiah, which promises God will write his law on hearts (Jeremiah 31).
- The larger trajectory shows God renewing hearts, so the verse isn't a blanket condemnation of all hearts as beyond cure.
Biblical Writers Trust Their Own Hearts Too
- Biblical authors repeatedly assert the goodness or trustworthiness of their hearts (Jeremiah, Psalms, Job), so Jeremiah 17:9 can't mean every human heart is utterly deceitful.
- Passages near verse 9 show Jeremiah claiming his own openness before God, illustrating nuance not blanket distrust.