The LORD looks on the heart.

 

Wednesday, June 21, 2023


Psalms 121; 122; 123

1 Samuel 16

Acts 10:17-33


The LORD looks on the heart.


Such simple words! And yet they proclaim death and life.


Should I stand before the Lord and plead nothing but what He sees in my heart, I am doomed. Innumerable moments of shame and anguish, times where I have fallen short of God’s perfection, all line up to jeer and heckle my conscience. Even worse are those times when it seemed I could not help it: an instinctive reaction to the driving of someone else, or a look someone gave me; even watching the news is dangerous for a pilgrim. The Lord looks on my heart and I tremble, because He knows even more than I. “Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:24)


That black heart was broken. The stone was replaced with flesh. The Lord, in His infinite goodness and loving mercy knows how much I need a Saviour, and so came and joined His life to my death, swallowing it up, because nothing is stronger than the love and life of God. The Lord was not happy to see me in such a sorry state (and I tremble all the more at His loving-kindness) and so instead of punishment for my failures, I have been given the beating heart of Christ Jesus.


The Lord looks on all our hearts. He does not condemn. Rather, He forgives. And through this forgiveness we have all received the goodness of Jesus: the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Rom 5:5)



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