Give God Your Heart

"You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty." Psalm 18:27

I saved a little note that I wrote down sometime in the last year or so. It had a few scribblings on it and some scripture references. I probably took a few notes from one of our pastor's sermons and thrust it in my bible as book mark. My bible is full of them, "notes from the Holy Spirit". Some are dog-eared and worn but God seems to know just when to have one of them "catch my eye."

Is 29:13-14 referred to by Jesus in Mat 15:8-9 says, "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Therefore, once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

I get lazy with familiar things. My job, a favorite hobby, exercise, yes, even my family become routine when I feel comfortable with them. It is common to most of us and if we do not keep this human tendency in check, it can end in sadness and tragedy. A man who continuously puts work, a hobby, or his own desires ahead of his family may find himself divorced and alone. Likewise, the driver or the heavy equipment operator who becomes too familiar and careless with his equipment may lose his life or kill someone else due to his carelessness.

Our relationship with God is very much like this. When we worship or pray or even write devotionals in our blog, God wants our hearts not just upward looking eyes. He doesn't want us to only memorize scripture so we can impress our friends at church, he wants us to live out what the word says all the time. He wants us to love Him with our whole heart. All of our heart (24-7) all the time, no matter how it feels and especially when no one is watching.

This is not a new problem for God, as I can attest in my own life. Isaiah admonishes the people of Israel 700 years before Christ was born and 300 years later Malachi would use the same language (Mal 2:2) to admonish the Jewish priests. The same words continue to echo true today as I reflect on my own shortcomings. We must honor God with our heart not just words or actions that make us look good in front of our friends.

My prayer. Forgive our haughtiness Lord. Thank you for sending your Son to reconcile us through death to present us holy in your sight without blemish and free from accusation. Help us to live with hearts for you so that others may see what you have done in us and to show the world that there is freedom from sin and death only through faith in you. Make me Christ-like in everything I do and say, especially when no one is looking. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!