Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Beloved in Christ, today, I wish to share with you a profound truth that transcends the physical realm and plunges into the depths of our spiritual existence. This truth is beautifully encapsulated in the Holy Scripture, 1 Samuel 16:7, where the Lord declares, "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
Our world is one that is often obsessed with external
appearances. We are taught to judge success by the size of one's house, the
brand of one's car, the number of followers on social media. Yet, God's
perspective is fundamentally different. He does not judge us by our material
possessions, our physical appearances, or our societal status. Instead, He
peers into the very core of our beings – our hearts.
The heart, in biblical terms, is not merely an organ that
pumps blood. It is the seat of our emotions, our will, and our moral
consciousness. It is the epicentre of our spiritual existence. When God looks
at our hearts, He sees our true selves, stripped of all pretence and facade. He
sees our deepest desires, our innermost thoughts, our secret sins, and our
hidden fears.
God's gaze is not one of condemnation, but of compassionate
understanding. He sees our struggles, our pains, and our disappointments. He
sees the tears we have shed in the quiet of the night, the prayers we have
whispered in the silence of our souls. He sees our earnest attempts to do good,
our sincere efforts to follow His commandments, and our genuine longing to draw
closer to Him.
Yet, God also sees the darkness that lurks within our hearts
– the bitterness, the anger, the pride, the selfishness. He sees the idols we
have erected in our hearts, the sins we have cherished, and the lies we have
believed. He sees our spiritual bankruptcy, our moral failures, and our
desperate need for His grace and mercy.
But God does not leave us in our brokenness. Instead, He
offers us His transformative love. He invites us to surrender our hearts to
Him, to allow Him to cleanse us, to heal us, and to make us whole. He promises
to replace our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh, to write His laws upon our
hearts, and to fill us with His Holy Spirit.
God's vision of our hearts is not static but dynamic. He
sees not only who we are but who we can become. He sees our potential to grow,
to change, to mature. He sees the beautiful image of Christ that He is shaping
within us, the divine character that He is forming in us. He sees us not as we
are, but as we will be – sanctified, glorified, and made perfect in His love.
So, let us not be disheartened by the state of our hearts.
Instead, let us take courage in the fact that we are seen, known, and loved by
God. Let us strive to cultivate hearts that are pure, humble, and obedient. Let
us surrender our hearts to God, trusting in His promise to transform us into
the likeness of His Son.
Remember, dear ones, God sees the heart. He sees you. He loves you. And He is at work within you, shaping you into a vessel of His glory. So, let us open our hearts to Him today, and every day, as we journey towards becoming the people He has called us to be.