Matching words and life with thoughts

In chatting with one of our sons, I shared the difficulty of selecting who to vote for in a coming civic election. If only I could know the heart of each candidate. 

This morning I’m thinking how important it is to know my own heart, to pay attention to what is important to me, and to make sure what I do and say comes from a pure heart. 

Jesus said much about the heart. Of His own, He described it: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29) Of mine He says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) 

Speaking to many, a warning to those who reject Him He says:

You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:34–37)

When I think about anything, it is apt to show up in words. I know that everyone is not like that. Some say what they think is ‘proper’ or will be accepted or of interest to others, but it may not match what is on the inside. I’ve done this too. Who has not been asked how they look and been told, “Just fine” when the speaker is thinking otherwise?

Jesus says that in the final judgment, people will be judged by their words, yet He also says words come from the heart. That does not exonerate those who speak one thing and think another. Judgment isn’t about ‘correct’ speech but about integrity. If words do not match the heart, that is just as dangerous as those who curse and swear all the time. Jesus also said: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." (Matthew 15:8)

He knows and I know too that “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person…” (Matthew 15:19–20) He gets specific with: “I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28)

On the positive side, the Word of God says to those wanting to be a person of integrity, there is peace of mind when our hearts focus on good things:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8–9)
The bottom line is even more desirable than that peace because Jesus also said: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

PRAY: In that last line, I’m thinking this is not only about a future vision of You when I cross over to my eternal home. (See 1 John 3:1-3) It seems to hold out a reality that the purer my heart and mind, the more You are in the realm of my inner vision. I cannot see You in a literal sense, yet the sense of Your presence is stronger and more vivid when my heart is not cluttered up with the things of this life, and certainly not with sinful and ‘stinkin’ thinking. Fill me with thoughts of You and give me words that honor You!
 

Remember what God says . . .

An OT story tells how the long-awaited son of Abraham, Isaac the child of promise, blessed his sons. The NT tells: “By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.” (Hebrews 11:20) One would think that God’s promise and their father’s example of faith in that promise and in God would be picked up by his son and these two grandsons, yet they did not trust God without some hard lessons.

I can relate to these men. Yesterday, I picked up the notebook I’m using to record prayer requests. I flipped to the front, thinking I’d check for those that had been answered. To my surprise, this book began with a session of conversations with God — my prayers and His answers, from seven years ago.

As I read them, I wept. I don’t remember writing any of them, never mind remembering what God said in reply. They total dozens of pages with E for my thoughts and G for the responses of the Holy Spirit. After a few pages of being overwhelmingly blessed, I had to stop reading and confess my forgetfulness and that I’d not thought enough about what God was saying to recall one bit of it. No wonder that He repeats truths to me; my mind is like a sieve and so contrary to the thinking of the psalmist:

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)

I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8)

My excuse is a scattered mind, an issue with attention-deficit, but that is not a valid excuse. MacArthur says that Isaac and Esau were reluctant rather than resolute in their response to God. He gives examples.

For instance, After a famine prompted Isaac to move his family to Gerar (a Philistine city on the border between Palestine and Egypt), he received a vision from the Lord that repeated the covenant promises made to his father, Abraham:

Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, (Genesis 26:3–4)

Instead of receiving this with bold confidence, when he arrived in Gerar . . .

When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance. (Genesis 26:7)

With difficulty and prodding, the Lord finally brought Isaac into the Promised Land, where He once again repeated the covenant promises to this man: “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.” (Genesis 26:23–24)

Much later, Isaac wanted to bless Esau but discovered this older son had sold his birthright to Jacob. This and other poor choices divided his family. Isaac forfeited God’s blessings and joy by doing his own thing rather than trusting God’s promises. He finally did, but it meant a long time of family havoc.

Ignoring what God tells me is bad enough, but forgetting it is appalling. Even children learn the principles of read, study, memorize, meditate, obedience. To leave out any of these, especially hiding His word in my heart, means repeated trips to the classroom and the sense of wasting much time and effort to learn and relearn.

Yet God is faithful. Despite the reluctance of those OT saints, He kept His promises to them. Even despite my forgetfulness He has faithfully taught me and brought greater resolve to my heart that I might remember and follow through with what He says.

PRAY: Jesus, You alone know my heart and are faithful to give me all that I need to be what You want me to be. Enable me to think more about what You say to me and not be distracted by so many thoughts and ideas that may or may not be helpful in my walk with You. I’m relying on Your faithfulness as mine is not very strong.

PONDER: Keep reading that prayer journal and think about the words that the Lord said to me and that have so much significance, even now. My God is incredibly precious and extremely patient.