Getting familiar with my heart
At the question “Daddy, can we watch a movie on Sunday?” this is the unexpected reply our oldest gets: “Let’s make sure our obedience matches our request sweetheart. And we’ll see.”
As I’ve ploughed my slow way through Jeremiah I noticed how much the chosen nation has more expectations of God than of themselves. (Don’t we all?!)
While completely disregarding God’s first ‘thou shall not’ command, they still pray daringly “My Father, my friend… will you always be angry?” To which God answers: “…This is how you talk, but you do all the evil you can.”
As much as we expect God to honour our prayers, He has expectations of us concerning our obedience. Privileges come with responsibilities.
Before we claim with power His promises, while conveniently ignoring the demands that tag along with them…
Before we go asking much from God, while resisting to submit to His precepts…
Let’s examine our heart if it cherishes sin. Let’s probe our thoughts that cross our mind. Let’s reflect on all the unworthy words that skip our mouth. Let’s filter through the shameful desires of the heart we so easily give into … and let’s REPENT!
Checking the attitude behind my ‘efforts’
Even during their darkest days of sin, the Israelites never stopped praying, nor did they stop bringing their sacrifices. As a result, they expected God to bless their part-time obedience.
Their burnt offerings were followed by other sacrifices to foreign gods. “They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal–something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind.” Jeremiah 19:5
And this is what God thought of their ‘effort’: “Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me.” Jeremiah 6:20b
How often do we treat God as if He is a vending machine?
We might say:
We ‘sacrifice’ our time: we wake up really really early on Sundays.
We ‘sacrifice’ our finances: we give to the church.
We ‘sacrifice’ ourselves: we sip coffee with someone for Christ’s sake.
We ‘sacrifice’ our health: oh, the sleepless nights, and all the skipped meals serving others.
We … We… We…
We placed our quarters in the slot, now we expectantly reach out our hand to claim our purchase forgetting that Christ owes us NOTHING, no matter how many quarters we feel like we’ve sacrificed. “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” reminds us Isaiah 64:6b
In Conclusion
For a fruitful prayer, let’s search the heart if it’s harbouring sin. “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear…” Psalm 66:18
For a blessed life, let’s check the attitude behind our ‘efforts’. “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” Psalm 51:16
My prayer: Lord, You are familiar with the inclinations of my mind and the attitudes of my heart. I pray along with the Psalmist “See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Thank you for carving my name on your wounds. You owe me NOTHING. May I honour You not only with my lips, but with my heart as well. Amen!
Meditate & Memorize: Isaiah 29:13
“The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”