Listen to Audio Devotion
I know you probably just woke up, and you’re listening to this, but I have to pour out some bad news: We all have a congenital defect in our heart, meaning, from birth, we all have a sclerotic heart. And I just cannot keep a straight face while I’m saying this.
Good morning everyone, I hope you’re having a wonderful week by the grace of God. Today’s devotion is taken from Jeremiah 17:9.
“The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?”
The Problem
It’s deceitful, desperately sick, beyond cure. The Bible says a lot about the human heart, perhaps nothing good. The heart in this verse and in the comical stint that I pulled off just now, doesn’t refer to the organ that pumps blood but to the deepest seat of human affections, to the core of our soul.
You must have heard of the fall of humanity. The fall refers to the event where Adam and Eve whom God created with pure unstained hearts, sinned against God and so God cursed Adam and all his descendants. And so, because of the fall, our heart is at the root of all our problems. The Bible says that we’re born with a heart of stone.
Isaac Watts, the guy who penned “Amazing Grace”, writes in another hymn,
“My heart, how dreadful hard it is!
How heavy here it lies!
Heavy and cold within my breast,
Just like a rock of ice!
Sin like a raging tyrant sits
Upon this flinty throne,
And every grace lies buried deep
Beneath this heart of stone”
This heart of stone doesn’t long for the things of God. This heart says, “Take away the bible from me. I don’t want anything to do with the word of God.” This heart is like an inert element. The things of God don’t excite it. This heart is calcified like a bone. No passion for God, no affection for Christ, no love for His Word.
Jesus & Nicodemus
When Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again”, He was basically Nicodemus that he had a heart problem that was beyond cure. He had to be born again to receive a heart that is passionate for God, that is affectionate towards Jesus, His finished work on the cross, and a heart that loves His word.
I hope we aren’t a bunch of people walking around just saying that we’re born again, but that we’re reflecting the people having new hearts, that desire to glorify God in everything. Remember this, we don’t have a sin problem, we have a heart problem, and the Great Physician, our Lord Jesus invites you to be healed. Let’s confess our sins, take it all to Him, humble ourselves, and repent, being assured that our hearts will be renewed for His glory.
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, our sins are ever before you. We pray that you blot it out Father, soften our hearts, and make our spirits pliable in your hands. We need the Potter’s touch this morning, Father. Help us, we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
