Last evening, before I drifted into sleep, I said a prayer for those who preach Truth, missionaries, and for our country.
This morning as I awakened, a Scripture came to mind quickly.
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.” II Chronicles 16:9
“I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to His ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:10
“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.” Proverbs 21:2
“The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts.” Proverbs 17:3
“And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before My face.” Hosea 7:2
And then some sobering questions. What if God is done searching hearts throughout the earth? What if His longsuffering has to come to an end? Before the flood, His patience came to an end with mankind, with the exception of Noah and seven more of his family. Eight souls were saved from all who inhabited the earth, therefore the gravity of the questions I asked within myself. How much longer will He endure man and his foolishness? As my friend always tells me, “I don’t know, but we are one heart beat closer.”
“And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” Genesis 6:3
God’s Word is replete with scripture after scripture regarding man’s heart.
He speaks of sinful, envious, jealous, kind, unkind, arrogant, contrite, loving, hateful, lying, corrupt, obedient, and disobedient hearts. Is it any wonder He cautioned man many times in Scripture about the heart.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23
God is ever faithful in His promises to man, but He will not always strive with us. One day, whether we die or we are alive at the Judgment, we will give an answer for all we have done in this life, and whether we were obedient or disobedient to Him.
May we as the the inspired Psalmist David say within our hearts.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10
“In letting down our buckets and pulling them up, what do we get? Sparkling, fresh, life-renewing strength? Or empty buckets from wells that are dry? When we need extra faith, more courage, stiller calmness, additional self-approval, more magnanimity, surer steadfastness, and cast down the bucket, do we get the renewal to carry on? Or do we just get older drawing up nothing.” ~ Leroy Brownlow
Eileen Light