I want to jump to the last three verses of John 2 because as I read these verses for the first time again, something finally dawned on me.
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“Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.” (John 2:23-25)
Did you notice the last seven words there? Jesus knows what’s in me. What does that mean? It means Jesus knows what’s in my heart.
Oh yeah, really Bro Dave; that just dawned on you?
Yeah, but I’m not talking about a realization of a biblical fact; I’m speaking of a revelation from the Holy Spirit. And in that the Holy Spirit asked me this question: “Why doesn’t that make you shudder more David?”
I bowed my head and ashamedly admitted because it is rarely real in my life.
How is that possible?
I know it to be true in my life because of all the thoughts, actions, and behaviors I display daily. If in fact I lived as though Jesus could discern my heart, would I not have less unChristlike thoughts, actions, and behaviors? The answer is of course it would.
So why is it not changing me? How many times when I am repenting have I prayed Psalm 51 for restoration to my Lord? And when I do pray that psalm, am I missing verse 6?
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“Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.” (Psalm 51:6)
The simple truth is that I still think I can hide the hidden part from Jesus. Fool that I am!
Oh has the Holy Spirit done a job on me this morning!! Pray for me beloved. And pray that I do not feel condemnation but restoration because that is what the work of the Holy Spirit is to do. He wants to restore me to a right relationship with the Savior.
And in this day and age in which I live I constantly find myself battling my flesh believing I must fight God’s battles when all He asks of me is to stand in the gap for Him; to stand on His aletheia truth. The Prophet Jeremiah understood this.
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“But, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, and see the mind and heart, let me see Your vengeance on them; for I have pleaded my cause before You.” (Jeremiah 20:12)
Yesterday I got so upset with the federal judge’s ruling in California that I literally made myself physically sick. That was a strange phenomenon for me; I’ve heard of people doing that, but I think that’s the first time it has ever happened to me. And the sad part is I did it. So what happened?
I forgot that God is in control. That judge’s opinion is a result of cowardly elected officials not standing up to activist judges, by usurping their power to the less powerful of the three branches of government. I knew that; I’ve written on it numerous times. And the outcomes we are now seeing and have been is just a result of God giving us our way. But back to me…
The thoughts I had yesterday towards this judge shame me this morning. That man is going to hell if he does not repent of his homosexual lifestyle; yesterday I would have said, “GOOD!!”
This morning, however, I am reminded of Peter’s teaching:
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“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
Do you think Peter meant that Jesus doesn’t want that despicable activist homosexual judge to perish and suffer eternally in Hell? The answer is another obvious yes. Oh but my heart would not have accepted that yesterday, not in the state it was.
Looking back at our verse from John 2 the main point is that because Jesus is the Discerner of hearts He does not trust in man; no, He trusts in the Heavenly Father. Oh would that I trust in the Father as my Savior does. Oswald Chambers helps to explain it better:
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“Our Lord trusted no man; yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, never in despair about any man, because He put God first in trust; He trusted absolutely in what God’s grace could do for any man. If I put my trust in human beings first, I will end in despairing of everyone; I will become bitter, because I have insisted on man being what no man ever can be – absolutely right. Never trust anything but the grace of God in yourself or in anyone else.”
Did you see that? I’m in there! I put my trust in human beings first and I ended up despairing of everyone, I became bitter in my heart. And it literally made me sick.
I must never trust anything but the grace of God in me or in anyone else.
Oh Lord Jesus help me to do so!
In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4
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Copyright © 2010 David Jeffers
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