Sunday March 8, 2020
Heart Art
Do you remember when you were a child, and somebody would take something from you? Sometimes, you would say, “Hey, that’s not yours!” Then they would say: “It doesn’t have your name on it!” This was often a battle between my younger sister and me when we both wanted the same thing, but there wasn’t enough to go around.
I am the spitting image of my earthly dad. His DNA is written all over me. Even after all these years since his death in 1977, those who knew him know I am a Pfister. In other words, his name was literally written on me.
In Deuteronomy, when the Israelites were nearing the time of coming into the Promised Land, Moses was instructing them. Many instructions had been given by God in previous books, and Deuteronomy is basically Moses going back over them. One of the most important instructions is found in chapter 12…about God meeting with them and the place that God would require them to meet with Him, bringing their sacrifices and offerings:
Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord. (Deut.12:11)
If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his Name is too far away from you, you may slaughter animals from the herds and flocks the Lord has given you, as I commanded you, and in your own towns you may eat as much of them as you want. (Deut.12:21)
You see, God is looking for places to write His name…desperately!
So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them. (Num.6:27)
And I will write upon him the name of my God…and I will write upon him my new name (Rev.3:12).
God does not write His name upon hearts that are not His. We must give ourselves unreservedly before He will engrave His name upon our hearts. Now, there are some people who do not want God’s name written on their hearts. If you could look into some people’s hearts what would you find written on them? I’m sure you would find money on some hearts. Fame? Work? Self? Others live for their careers. Which would you rather have written on your heart? Pleasure, sin, fame, career, money, or God? Here’s why:
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jer.17:9).
This passage makes clear two reasons why no one should bind himself to following his heart when making decisions. First, there is nothing more deceitful in all of creation than the heart of man because of his inherited sin nature. If we follow our heart, we follow an untrustworthy guide.
Second, Jeremiah 17:9 teaches that the heart is desperately sick. There is no way to fix the heart. Rather, man needs a new heart. That is why, when a person comes to faith in Christ, he is made a new creation (2 Cor.5:17). Jesus does not fix the heart; instead, He replaces it with a new one.
Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezek.36:25-26)
Now, He can write on your heart. He wrote the Law in stone…now He wants to write something in flesh…in a softened heart that belongs to him! So, here’s the question…What name is written on your heart? Of all the names of God, which name do you think He is writing on you? For me, it’s Redeemer. Is His name written on you? There is one that will grab you…that’s the name on your heart…hold on to it! (See WORD WISDOM for a deeper study of flesh)
