Watchword: Daily Text
August 20, 2013
Jeremiah 17:9-10
I lost both of my parents to heart disease; it ran in my
mother’s family. We “affectionately” called it the “Alspaugh heart.” The irony of the situation was that my dad began
to be plagued with ailments later in life similar to those that God used to
call my mother home. Years later, he
would be taken by that same insidious enemy.
Cruel physical heart disease can only be matched by its
spiritual counterpart, spiritual heat disease. Jeremiah 17:9-10 states, ” The heart is more deceitful than anything
else and incurable – who can understand it? I, Yahweh examine the mind; I
search the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his
action deserves” (HCSB). The people of Jeremiah’s day were hopelessly lost—and facing
judgment. This is God’s statement to them. I first encountered verse 9 as a
junior high student dosing through Sunday school. Jeremiah wasn’t real
relevant, and I really didn’t want God messing around with my heart – it was
hard enough as it was. This was written
to a group of people with judgment impending --- they had broken God’s law ---
they had snubbed their noses at God’s warnings. It was rather unsettling for a
young teen to read all that talk of judgment – I was fearful! I failed to
understand at that point in my life that the judgment had already been paid. My
heart was messed up, but God was standing there to fix it, because His Son had
been my sin-bearer. He tests my heart;
He examines my mind – but it’s to bring me back into a right relationship with
Him. I wish I had known it then … but I
know it now. I know HIM now. Hallelujah!
