God wants you to have an undivided heart. Fight in the strength of God, and your heart will begin to choose the Lord over temptations and distractions.
Do I trust my heart? I don’t think so!
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and Jeremiah 17 explains why. It says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Well, I certainly can’t. I mean, I’m lying in bed, almost ready to drift off, and suddenly the most bizarre and, yes, even wicked, thoughts nearly jar me awake. It’s why I like the way the King James Bible says it. It says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Wow. Deceitful above all things? Beyond cure? Desperately wicked? What a humiliating diagnosis for our hearts! But for anyone who has ever connived, conspired, finagled, schemed, manipulated, plotted, the diagnosis is accurate.
Oh, for an honest heart, right? A heart that is set against sin and that practices regular self-search to prevent self-deceit. It’s exactly what God tells us to do in Proverbs where he says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” And here’s the thing. Here’s what we need to be aware of: since your heart is the wellspring of your life, the devil, well, he’s going to pull out all the stops to prevent you from being honest in heart. He does not mind your behavior being blameless and upright in human eyes. He does not mind the fact that you live according to God’s standards – all that is fine with the devil, as long as your heart remains full of deceit. He is satisfied as long as your heart is consumed with itself. The devil wants you to be self-conscious, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, self-pitying. It’s all about the heart, and perhaps that’s why God tells us to love him with all our heart. He wants us to have an undivided heart. And he tells us in Matthew 5, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
Now, okay, all of this sounds daunting, right, and almost overwhelming? And when you look at how weak your heart is, you could feel discouraged, right? But years ago, Dr. J.I. Packer said something very hope-filled that I’ll never forget. He said, “As important as the outward life of justice and neighborly love is, far more important is the inner life of pure-heartedness. [Now listen to this], If you find yourself in constant conflict with temptations and distractions, take heart: God allows you to be assaulted so that you may be toughened, [and] matured, and anchored in Him more deeply through the experience of fighting back in His strength.” Oh, my goodness, Dr. Packer, I sure do love that. For all of those whose hearts are prone to wander, Packer’s words are so helpful, because, frankly, my heart is in constant conflict with distractions, but I’m encouraged because if I fight against those distractions in the strength of God, I’ve got the promise that my heart will mature and become more focused and anchored in the Lord. If I fight in the strength of God, my heart will begin to choose the Lord over temptations and distractions, and isn’t that what our hearts long for? Plus, God is for us in the battle! The Holy Spirit is living inside our hearts, and he is ready to pour out grace and power to help us win the battles in our inner life.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Friend, that’s me; and I believe that’s you, too. So, when it comes to our hearts, let’s resist the devil and he’ll flee from us. Let’s invite the Spirit of Jesus to have sway over our hearts. Join me in asking God to give us pure-heartedness as we seek him heart, mind, body, and soul. Today, I pray these heartfelt words will impart hope in your hardship. Because don’t we all, with all our hearts, desire to see God?
© Joni and Friends