God cannot be fooled. People can pretend all they want; they may fool some people, but God cannot be fooled, for He knows ALL:

^“ For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13)

"Would not God search this out? For He knows the secret of the heart." (Psalm 44:21)

"And He said to them,"You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God." (Luke 16:15)

"then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts fo all the sons of men)," (1Kings 8:39) 

"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good." (Proverbs 15:3)

God takes great interest and care over the condition of our hearts, as our hearts reflects our character; He knows the motive behind every work and thought, whether of good or evil:

“I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:10)

"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1Samuel 16:7)

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts." (Proverbs 21:2)

Furthermore, He tests our hearts:

^“But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.” (1Thessalonians 2:4)

God never asks us to do anything that He first doesn’t give us the ability to do:

^“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26)

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old thing have passed away; behold, all things have become brand new." (2Corinthians 5:17)

He tells us to guard our hearts:

^“Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

A pure heart draws Him and pleases Him:

^“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

“Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

And a pure heart is precious in His Sight:

^“Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” (1Peter 3:3-4)

Moreover, we can pray for a pure heart:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)

God Commands purity of heart;

 ^“Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” (Matthew 22:37)

In which He provides:

^“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5)

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26)

And God WILL punish those wicked ones:

“I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.” (Revelation 2:23)

That’s because the heart reflects the condition of the spirit:

^“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

^“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” (Matthew 15:19)

"The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?"  (Jeremiah 17:9)

“Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!” (Psalm 119:2)

 And God reveals the greatness of His Mercy in this verse:

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

For, those who have a broken heart and struggle with depression and emotional turmoil and confusion, even as they do not do as they ought, and stagnant in their growth, He saves them. 

“As in water face reflects face,
So a man’s heart reveals the man.” (Proverbs 27:19)

NKJV

Linzy is a certified Bible Counsellor, with countless republications on her viewers blogs, Bible Studies, Ezines and the like. Her portfolio includes, non-fiction articles, short stories for all ages, and Christian poetry.