Lately the Lord has really challenged me and also reminded me of something from memory at the same time. What good does it do to have all the knowledge in the world but have a bad heart. There are three examples to illustrate that question.
No heart, A Whole heart & 1/2 a heart. Yes it is amazing to me. Last night after our precious daughter turned in for the night and let us know she was home safely, I was awakened shortly after all the lights were out. Tossing and turning I finally awoke. I started thinking about "hearts" of man. Scripture shares so much about the heart, which tends to be negative. Jeremiah 17 says "the heart is deceitful above all things who can fathom it" and the gospels reveal "where your heart is there your treasure will be also". Proverbs is loaded with wisdom. But when scripture refers in a positive manner it is connected to those close to Him. See on our own we are . . . well frankly put . . . FULL OF OURSELVES! Ouch! But as I read scripture more, I realize that by his grace I can choose to have NO HEART, 1/2 a HEART or a WHOLE HEART after His heart!!!! Is it hard? YES!!! Is it worth the work? YES!!! Is it worth the transplant? YES!!!
Go to the Old Testament and you'll see these hearts illustrated. Samuel is an text with amazing illustration. Saul - Yikes looks like he may have had a heart but really had NO HEART for God, Solomon almost had it, but gave it up for the pleasures of the world (just read Ecclesiastes) so he had 1/2 a heart for God then realized later in life it seemed meaningless at what he attempted. And then there is David - "the Man after Gods' own heart" just read I Sam. 13:14. not to mention some other men like Enoch and Elijah who were amazing~It is all in the God Breathed, inherent Holy Scripture.
When I place my devotion in him my heart is going through the fire and the dross is being scraped off each and every time. Oh it hurts yet it seems lighter. So much of me is being put through the healing of the transplant; so to speak, but when I read, meditate and try and apply what scripture reveals to me, I see I am his recipient of that open heart transplant, it I needed it. The one who died so that I may have His heart was really young, 33 to be exact. My chest beats with a new heart and the medication I take and will continue to have the privilege to take for the rest of my life in order to fully live is . . . 66 doses -Scripture, administered in small doses daily. I need it in order to live and when I don't, boy I can feel the effects because my body starts to try and reject this wonderfully strong, young and awesome heart. It took almost 18 years for this transplant to take place but now that I have this heart I have much to be Praiseworthy for.
One time when we were going through a questionable rough spot and humanly speaking -thinking we needed way more knowledge to amount to anything for living, a very dear brother, leader friend of ours told us that many "men" (mankind) have knowledge, pedigrees, etc. and still miss the target. Why? Because their hearts are hollow-empty of what truly matters. He than told us that he would choose a man with a heart for spiritual truths over a man with all the Knowledge in the world - any day. Now nearly 20 years later - I want to Thank this brother for his wisdom in what matters most - Truth & wisdom to be A man after God's own heart - Amazing and untouchable because of the presence of Jesus Christ who gave up his life for me and for YOU~!!!
So I ask you, Where is YOUR heart? Let him give you his because it is worth every once!
