Without the flow of oxygen to our brains, we would pass out in 10 seconds, and die in 5 minutes. Enter: The Heart!
3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart…the Hebrew word for “heart” means with every fiber in our being, with all we have.
Our hearts begin beating about the fifth week after conception. It will beat more than 2.5 billion times for the average lifespan of 79 years (for Americans).
Our hearts are actually double pumps in that they pump blood to the lungs for oxygen and then to the body for the distribution of that oxygen. When a baby is in the mother’s womb, his “heart starts out as a simple, large tube. As the baby grows, however, the Creator designed the tube so that it loops back, forming a kink. The sides fuse together, forming a wall between two separate compartments. As the rest of the heart forms, the two sides remain separate, essentially becoming two pumps.” During gestation, there is a hole (the foramen ovale) between the chambers that allows the flow of blood to bypass the lungs (the baby gets oxygen through the umbilical cord). “At birth, a marvelous transformation takes place. When the lungs inflate and the baby takes his first breath, the pressure in the heart shifts, forcing a flap over the foramen ovale to close the hole. The body also produces chemicals that cause the bypass artery to close.
By marvelous design, the baby emerges from its watery home and breathes the air without a glitch. Blood begins pumping to the lungs to absorb oxygen without a moment’s delay.”
Taken from, “A Pocket Guide to the Human Body,” pages 44-46
How does the heart keep from wearing out, sliding around inside the ribcage or overheating? We will cover these questions tomorrow.
Abba, You are amazing. When we say that we love You with all our heart, we really are saying that we love You like our hearts work: Continuously and with all we have. May we take seriously what it means to love You with all our heart, serving You faithfully even as our hearts do us. We depend upon You, O Lord, even as we depend upon our hearts for the very oxygen we breathe. You ARE our oxygen, Lord Jesus. You are LIFE. Amen.
In the Master's Hands 