Taking a Close Look at Your Heart

"When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, 'Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him.'  But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart'" (1 Samuel 16:6-7)

The medical technology that the Lord has given to the mind of man today is truly unbelievable!  This week I had the opportunity for the second time in my life to be wheeled into a "cath" lab to undergo a heart catheterization.  Now for those of you who have ever undergone this procedure, no more need be said!  But for those of you who have not, essentially you are awake and aware of what is happening to you as a cardiac surgeon inserts a catheter into the femoral artery (commonly) of your body and runs that catheter through that artery and into your heart.  Having seen on the monitors in the cath lab what your heart looks like with that tiny line inside of your heart, I am truly amazed at the knowledge that God has given to man so that he can help to save lives.  What an amazing look, then, my cardiologist had at my functioning heart as he searched for a suspected blockage to repair!

As phenomenal as this technology of man is, beloved, it absolutely cannot touch what God can do when it comes to both seeing and knowing the heart of every man!  Nor is God looking at our blood vessels, our blood flow and our platelets as He searches our hearts.  The writer of Hebrews states clearly what it is that our Great Cardiologist can see:

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12)

God can see the deepest need of the heart of any man, beloved, and knows what to do to meet that need.  Nor does He put in a "stent" or blow up a balloon or in any way repair a failing.  What He does do is to totally transform that heart so that the visible living of the person is forever changed.  God's view of you and me, then, is the ability to end all abilities!

No one had to convince me this week to agree to undergo the second heart catheterization that I've had. I wanted to know what was going on inside my heart and, more than that, I wanted my doctor to know as well so that he could fix it for me.  Did you know that this same desire must be in each of our hearts?  King David put it this way in his petition before the Lord:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way" (Psalm 139:23-24)

How much do you want to know what is really going on inside of you, beloved?  Do you make the same appeal to God about your spiritual neediness as you would a cardiologist about your physical needs?  The need to truly know ourselves is the key to not only understanding but allowing God to transform us into what He wants us to be.  Take a close look at your heart today!

Personal note:  I want you to know that my cardiologist did not find any new blockages so no further stents were needed.  God is good!  Thanks to all of you who knew about this and prayed for us during this surprising and trying time.  And thanks to all of you for all your love and support.  I say again: God is good!

Ron     

Sunday Morning Sniffles

"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord'" (Psalm 122:1)

Believe it or not, beloved, I actually do suffer from a condition which I have dubbed the "Sunday morning sniffles"!  As soon as I step onto the platform at church it starts.  Sniff!  Sniff!  From that point on to the end it is "take out the hanky/put away the hanky."

But what is even more amazing to me is that there are actually folks who let the "Sunday morning sniffles" keep them away from worship altogether.  The Kingsmen Quartet recorded a gospel song called "Excuses" some years ago that spoofed this practice:

A headache Sunday morning and a backache Sunday night,
But by work time Monday morning you're feeling quite all right;
One of the children has a cold - pneumonia, do you suppose?
Why, the whole family had to stay home just to blow that poor kid's nose!

It would seem, beloved, that a number of believers suffer from some form of the "Sunday morning sniffles"!  Could it be that perhaps we've become accustomed to going to church with all the enthusiasm of a man headed to the orthodontist for a root canal?

The psalmist here declared joyfully that he was "glad" to be invited to go to the house of God for worship.  Whatever has happened to the excitement of anticipating the heartfelt worship of God?  Does it not stand to reason that the attitude with which we go to worship will be the attitude we will project while actually in worship?

By contrast, a single thought of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ ought to put us into the "glad" category with the author!  Does it?  Are you excited at the prospect of heartfelt worship?  Does the thought of fellowship with the saints and in the Word lift you above those "Sunday morning sniffles"?  There will always be one kid or another who needs to blow his nose from time to time.  Don't let the "Sunday morning sniffles" rob you of the joy of worship, beloved!  Be glad for the chance to gather with the saints for worship!

Ron