My Heart is Deceitful

Jeremiah 17:7-9 “Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things,and desperately wicked.”

We ask the question, is this true? Are our hearts inherently wicked? Even though we have been saved and washed clean? We think, “this is said in the Old Testament so it must not hold truth to today because we have Holy Spirit residing every day with us in our hearts.”

These are valid thoughts and questions. I have had to sit with the Father in regards to the mentioning of this verse many times. With that being said, I do believe my heart is deceitful, selfish, and sometimes even wicked. There is no doubt in my mind that I am saved and a daughter of the King. I am a new creation the old things are past away (2 Corinthians 5:17). I know I am chosen and fiercely loved by Him. Thanks be to God for His daily grace and forgiveness.

I urge you to assess the past 24-hours. Was your every motive and intention completely pure and righteous?

Did you not commit one selfish act?

Did you not think one angry, frustrated thought?

Did you always put another before yourself?

Would you not do any of it over?

Just before I wrote this, I was in line at this well-known bakery, Maestro, here in Craiova. Friends, their baked items and sandwiches are to die for! Our whole squad knows and goes quite often. As I am standing in line the girl in front of me ordered the next to last sandwich. I am pretty sure more than half of the people in the line behind me were there to order this sandwich. Yes, it is that good! However, the thought never crossed my mind until way after the fact that since I ordered the last one it left some to go without. This is a very little thing, but inherently it was a selfish thing. I know the Lord’s chastisement is not upon me right now over this sandwich; I do know though that whatever flows from our mouths and actions comes from our hearts, and in that moment my act was selfish (Matthew 15:18).

The Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). I will be the first to tell you that the Father’s Love runs deeply for you; it truly is incomprehensible. But, also I will tell you that our God is sovereign, righteous, and just.

Thinking in such a manner that our hearts are not deceitful is very, dangerous ground. I believe it puts our daily dependency in the Lord on the back-burner. I believe it unknowingly creates a mindset within us that what we do does not matter. Also, that every thought, dream, etc.. we have is from the Lord. Our roots are not deeply rooted and that is why we so easily fall. 

We even see David crying out to the Lord for mercy (Psalm 51). David who the Bible tells us is a, “man after God’s own heart” cries out to the Lord for a pure heart. He says in verses 9-11, “hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God and renew a right Spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” 

When is the last time we have been broken over our sin? Over our selfishness? Over our pride?

David in this Psalm is on his knees pleaing and begging the Lord to cleanse His heart. Maybe you think, well I have not committed such a sin as David did. But, see sin is sin. And as we look at the current state of our world now, I believe it should spark a desire in each of us to cry out to the Lord for mercy.

When is the last time we have been on our knees? When is the last time we have cried out in such need for God?

I ask myself the same question and am broken over the reality of it.We need to get back to fearing the Lord. He is just, and one day He will judge us because He loves us so.

Isaiah 66:15 “For the Lord will come with fire and with his chariots like a whirlwind to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.”

Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man.”

John 5:30 “And my judgement is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

 God, Have mercy upon us. Forgive us of our sins. Your love runs deeply for us. I pray to continue to be enlightened in it.

Create in me a pure heart and renew a right spirit within me.

Make me a tree that produce the much fruit and that is rooted deeply in You.

Above all I never want to go a moment without a deep longing and awareness that I need you, Lord.

Your Beloved, Kel