Believing Heart

Suppose you heard of a wonderful item that claims to be constant, powerful and easily accessible: wouldn't you want to know more about it, maybe even have one to enjoy its wonders? What if I told you that each one of us already has such a thing. God warns us about it: "Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God." (Hebrews 3:12, NASB). This warning is given to the children of God (Believers)! In essence, unbelief is a stubborn refusal to trust in God and the truthfulness of His Word. Followers of Jesus fail to notice, like unbelievers, we [too] struggle with the sin of unbelief. Don't forget what God tells us about the heart: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9, ESV). Oh yeah, that constant-powerful-accessible thing is also subtle and dangerous, hindering us to live lives pleasing to God. Octavius Winslow writes, "For as faith is the parent of all holiness, so is unbelief the parent of all unholiness." God says "take care" - be alert and attentive - to your heart when it refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, when your heart turns away from God. I saw my heart doctor yesterday and got a great report; oh, how I wish my spiritual heart was doing as well. As David prayed [in Psalm 51:10], "create in me a clean heart, O God," let us faithfully ask God for a humble, obedient and ... believing heart.