Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!(Psalm 139:23-24 – ESV)
How many times have you thought, said, or heard, “well, God knows my heart”? This happens often with people who want to justify themselves from the fact that they are blatantly ignoring the teachings of the Bible. We must be careful, for our motivations are not always as pure as we think them to be, and even if we are sincere, this doesn’t mean we are right. In fact, some might think that they want to do what is right but what they actually want is to get out of having to do what is biblically right. They say, well God knows my heart, and I say yes, He absolutely does, they are right about that (1 Samuel 16:7 / 1 Kings 8:39 / 1 Chronicles 28:9 / Proverbs 15:11 / Jeremiah 17:10 / Acts 1:24, 15:8 / Revelation 2:23).
Read through those scriptures and realize something important here. The problem is that while God knows your heart, YOU don’t know your heart, and let me further prove it to you.
Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
You say God knows your heart, and God says the Bible is how you know what He is thinking about your heart. God knows your heart and He shows you what He wants you to know about it in His Word. In His Word your heart is revealed. His Word reveals the condition of your heart, and so no matter what you think your heart looks like, God says that if you are directly disobeying some explicit command of His, then you are not as pure an innocent as you assume your sincerity makes you. Sincerity is no substitute for truth. The truth is that just because no one else is fulfilling their obligations, this doesn’t excuse you from fulfilling yours. Their disobedience doesn’t justify yours.
Yes God knows your heart, and He uses His Word to reveal to you the condition of it.
Proverbs 28:26 (KJV) – He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. Jeremiah 17:9 – The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Proverbs 21:2 – Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.
Perhaps it is time to pray in accordance with Psalm 19:12-14 / Psalm 139:23-24, and ask God to show you from His Word about that “heart surgery” you need.
8 comments:
We posted a very similar article back on 1-30-09, from our Ephesians 5:15-21 series, entitled "God Knows My Heart", and we posted another one a while back that we also printed in our first book, entitled "Follow Your Heart?"...but it needs to be said over and over again...
You're taking all my cliches away...aw man. What am I supposed to do now, quote scripture? ;)
Glad I could be of help?
:-)
Yeah....funny you should post this again.
So my wife the other night was quoting scripture and to get a rouse out of her I made a comment that made her say God was going to strike me down, in which I replied, naw, He'd miss. Again a joke with my wife, in a pleasant and prayerful attitude and atmosphere, but when my wife got alarmed with me over my series of statements I proudly proclaimed, "God knows I'm just joking. He knows my heart and knows I'm just getting a rouse out of you".
In my mind God is laughing, but then He sends me his Word through your blog today, and now I have to go repent!
Sincerity is no substitute for truth.
Amen.
They err, those who pursue sincerity at the expense of truth.
Now I have to go read the first post.
Yes God knows your heart, and He uses His Word to reveal to you the condition of it.
I suppose this is one reason why we sometimes shy away from the Word of God. Conviction hurts but it is so worth it when God performs the transformation!
I also like that phrase: "Sincerity is no substitute for truth." That is a practical, usable saying.
It's a little depressing that I must admit that I honestly do not know my own heart. But it is hopeful to know that God does, and His Word can help me understand it.
Heart surgery of this kind is not only for those who are deemed critical. The surgeon will always improve the condition of those who go to him, and I don't have to worry about paying any stinking deductible and co-pay.
Hark! What's that I hear? It's the....WAAAAHHHMBULANCE!!!
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