His Heart

There’s one woman I doubt I will ever consider a “friend.”  She is annoying and persistent – she is that “woman” in our GPS.  The sound is turned off so I don’t hear “her” but I know she’s there bout to bust-a-gut to get out and scream at me to turn right, turn left, turn around!

 

The heart’s desire – what exactly is that?  Out of curiosity, I did an Internet search on “follow your heart” quotes and [like most searches], the results were endless!  It seems the counsel of the times is ignore sound advice, nurture dreams, rely on instinct, be true to you, don’t be bound by what is taught – bottom line, “follow your heart.”  There’s a nice ring to all this as we mindlessly give credence to every “I wish” we’ve ever conceived!  What if, however, that which the heart dreams (desires) isn’t God’s best – not His design for your life, doesn’t fulfill His purpose in you?  It’s true, Scripture tells us God will give us the "desires" of our hearts but take a fresh look at what God says: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4).  His promise to give us those desires comes with a clear prerequisite -- delight yourself in the LORD.  Uh-oh, that doesn’t sound like I have a free-pass to all I wish-or-want.  Through His Prophet Jeremiah, God described the nature of man's heart: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (17:9).  Because of man’s fallen (sinful) condition, the natural state of his heart is far from pure!  When we "delight in the LORD," however, we find our greatest joy in discovering more about God and living in close fellowship with Him; the Holy Spirit begins to change the heart's desire, reshaping it (and its desire) to be one with The Father’s.  We come to understand the real desire of the human heart isn't "someTHING" but "SomeONE" – that is, Jesus Christ!  "In Him" are the real desires of the heart and we experience them "according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).  The next time someone tells you to “follow your heart” – feel free to scream in protest (like that woman inside my GPS), and be reminded to look to Him Whose Heart is holy and pure.  Follow His Heart!