What’s Inside?
Like millions of others in the country, I was glued to the television set Sunday night, watching the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Live. I loved seeing some of my favorite performers together again on one stage, but was also surprised to see how some of them had aged. They were heavier, greyer, and the greatest musicians of all time were losing their pitch.
I realized I am aging right along with them, and grateful God does not judge us by outward appearance or by my vocal ability!
In the Old Testament, when King Saul’s job performance fell below an acceptable standard, the prophet and judge, Samuel, was told by God to replace him with one of Jesse’s sons. Jesse paraded all of his finest, tallest, and oldest boys in front of Samuel, but none seemed right. The Lord then said, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
As it turned out, God chose the youngest, and least likely son in Jesse’s nest to reign over Israel, and King David not only passed the heart test with God, he was described as a man after God’s own heart.
Outward appearance? Heart? Which do you prefer to be known by?
If it’s the heart, then we need to do a daily heart check. One barometer of our heart condition is to pay attention to what comes out of our mouths. Jesus said, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
We have to ask ourselves, “What’s inside?” Are we complainers? Does anger spew from our lips? Does our jealousy of another person consume us? Are we profane?
If so, then it’s time to do a deep cleaning of the heart.
In Psalm 139:23-24, it tells us to ask God where the trouble is. “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
So once God reveals the heart problem, how does he do surgery? Fortunately, the Holy Spirit resides in us, and he can leave the rooms of our heart spotless if we request a thorough cleansing.
We have to ask him to create a clean heart in us, then spend extra time in God’s word. How did King David have such a good heart? He said, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Instead of God’s word, many of us hide wrong thoughts, and motives in our hearts. It’s good to remember God know the secrets of the hearts. (Psalm 44:21)
So if God knows the secrets that lie deep within, why carry them around any longer? Why not have a pure heart before God? That’s what he desires of us. That’s what he sees when he looks our way, and when our hearts are right before him, then we are beautiful, no matter how old we are. (LBW)