"The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? I, The Lord, search the heart, I test them mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds." Jeremiah 17:9-10
This has been one of my favorite passages for the past few years. Written by the prophet, Jeremiah, as he spoke God's pronouncement of judgment on Judah, God gets to the true reason for his anger against them - what or whom they have put their trust in (17:5-8). Their hearts, like all hearts, are deceitful - they have deceived themselves. In this case, they take credit for all their wealth, health and life of comfort when it is God who deserves the credit and glory for all they have.
This statement about the heart and about trusting in anything other than God Himself can easily be translated into every part of our lives. This encompasses both our mind and emotions - how we think AND feel about situations, people and, well, anything!
"The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" When reading these verses, I try to change the impersonal "the heart" to "Alyssa's heart." Otherwise, it is easy for me to try to pass this off as an issue for others or just for Judah. And I'll be honest, this is initially very depressing! I don't want to think of my heart as deceitful or sick - but in the next verse we see that it is God who can understand it, who searches the heart and tests the mind. He just answered His own question, just to make sure we don't deceive ourselves even more into thinking we can figure ourselves out and that we always have pure motives!
"I, The Lord, search the heart, I test the mind." As depressed as I can get over that last verse; this verse gives me hope. I can't know my mind and heart perfectly and will be deceived by it, but God knows my every motivation, hidden thought, want, desire - He is not deceived!!! If this doesn't excite you, I don't know what will! I'm sitting in Starbucks right now and want to exclaim how good God is that He can't be deceived! This truth excites me and encourages me because I know that means He will not let me continue to be deceived if I turn to Him and trust Him. I know this is true because Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, "Blessed is the man who trusts in The Lord and whose trust is The Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit." That is a promise you can hold on to - your heart and mind may betray you or deceive you that you are in the right, have pure motives, or are doing well, but God will search your heart. In trusting Him, He will show you the truth and grow you strong, and even a time of spiritual dryness cannot uproot you.
"Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, for You are my praise" (Jeremiah 17:14). Although our hearts are deceitful and sick, we can join with Jeremiah and pray for healing. In Christ, we are saved, but our hearts will not be completely remade new so that they do not deceive us until the day we get to see Him face to face in heaven. Since He has given every person that belongs to Him His Holy Spirit, we can believe and trust that He will let us know when we are wrong, when our hearts have led us to sin, and that He will not allow our hearts to continue to deceive us when we turn to Him in prayer and seeking Him in His word.
Precious Jesus, thank You for not letting me stay the same as I was before knowing You. Please help my heart trust in You alone. Please search my heart and test my mind - show me where I have deceived myself and help me believe You and Your word. In Your Name I pray, Amen.
Take some time today and throughout this week to read and consider Jeremiah 17:5-18 & Psalm 1. Please pray and ask The Lord to show you what is in your heart where you may be deceived.
This has been one of my favorite passages for the past few years. Written by the prophet, Jeremiah, as he spoke God's pronouncement of judgment on Judah, God gets to the true reason for his anger against them - what or whom they have put their trust in (17:5-8). Their hearts, like all hearts, are deceitful - they have deceived themselves. In this case, they take credit for all their wealth, health and life of comfort when it is God who deserves the credit and glory for all they have.
This statement about the heart and about trusting in anything other than God Himself can easily be translated into every part of our lives. This encompasses both our mind and emotions - how we think AND feel about situations, people and, well, anything!
"The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" When reading these verses, I try to change the impersonal "the heart" to "Alyssa's heart." Otherwise, it is easy for me to try to pass this off as an issue for others or just for Judah. And I'll be honest, this is initially very depressing! I don't want to think of my heart as deceitful or sick - but in the next verse we see that it is God who can understand it, who searches the heart and tests the mind. He just answered His own question, just to make sure we don't deceive ourselves even more into thinking we can figure ourselves out and that we always have pure motives!
"I, The Lord, search the heart, I test the mind." As depressed as I can get over that last verse; this verse gives me hope. I can't know my mind and heart perfectly and will be deceived by it, but God knows my every motivation, hidden thought, want, desire - He is not deceived!!! If this doesn't excite you, I don't know what will! I'm sitting in Starbucks right now and want to exclaim how good God is that He can't be deceived! This truth excites me and encourages me because I know that means He will not let me continue to be deceived if I turn to Him and trust Him. I know this is true because Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, "Blessed is the man who trusts in The Lord and whose trust is The Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit." That is a promise you can hold on to - your heart and mind may betray you or deceive you that you are in the right, have pure motives, or are doing well, but God will search your heart. In trusting Him, He will show you the truth and grow you strong, and even a time of spiritual dryness cannot uproot you.
"Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, for You are my praise" (Jeremiah 17:14). Although our hearts are deceitful and sick, we can join with Jeremiah and pray for healing. In Christ, we are saved, but our hearts will not be completely remade new so that they do not deceive us until the day we get to see Him face to face in heaven. Since He has given every person that belongs to Him His Holy Spirit, we can believe and trust that He will let us know when we are wrong, when our hearts have led us to sin, and that He will not allow our hearts to continue to deceive us when we turn to Him in prayer and seeking Him in His word.
Precious Jesus, thank You for not letting me stay the same as I was before knowing You. Please help my heart trust in You alone. Please search my heart and test my mind - show me where I have deceived myself and help me believe You and Your word. In Your Name I pray, Amen.
Take some time today and throughout this week to read and consider Jeremiah 17:5-18 & Psalm 1. Please pray and ask The Lord to show you what is in your heart where you may be deceived.
RSS Feed