A Deceitful Heart
Recently I was watching a sermon on YouTube and came across a really interesting quotation. It comes from an American missionary called Paul Washer. He said this, “No-one needs to hear your heart. They need to hear the Word of God.” Now at first this might seem a bit harsh and unfeeling, but let’s just take a few moments to think about what this might actually mean. In times of crisis we will often have strong emotional responses and those feelings might fluctuate over the course of a few hours, or days. So, for example, in the current pandemic we might see a headline about soaring numbers of cases or deaths which naturally makes us feel sad and fearful. Then we might read a story talking about restrictions lifting soon and we might feel hopeful because of that.
This shows us very clearly the reality of what God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah. In chapter 17, God addresses the sins of Israel so that the people might recognise their failings, seek forgiveness and repent. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”(Jeremiah 17:9). As well meaning as our heart-felt words might be they are not always reliable or helpful. At a time like this I believe we need a more reliable and solid foundation on which to build our lives and our hope for the future.
Paul Washer suggests, rightly in my view, that a much better place to turn is the Word of God, or the Bible. The Scriptures are the main way in which God has revealed his truth to us. We know that God loves us (John 3:16) and cares for us. We know that he promises to be with us to the very end of time (Matthew 28:20) and he has also promised to be our God if we will be his people. Looking to the promises of God found in Jesus Christ is by far the best way to get through tough times. God’s Word is consistent, trustworthy and a true source of hope and encouragement.
The Apostle Paul, writing to the young pastor, Timothy says this about the Scriptures. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”(2 Timothy 3:16-17) It is through the Bible that God gives us all that we need to live by so that we may be equipped to do his will. All we need to do is follow Jesus in obedience to his word by faith.
In Christ we have all the hope we could possibly need for the future – eternal life with him. By reading his word we are being trained as his people, corrected of our mistakes and by his Spirit we are equipped for every good work that God wants of us. Let us seek to live to God’s glory by reading his word, obeying it and trusting it each and every day.