"The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives..."
Jeremiah 17:9-10




I like to call this verse the "clean heart principle." Let me explain what I mean...


We often throw around, "Well, my heart was clean," or "Well, I know your heart and you would not do that," or "She has a great heart." I have often been rebuked by the Holy Spirit the minute those words have left my mouth. He has said to me, "No one knows the heart, only the Father."





And many times, when I thought my "heart was clean", I found out it was dirtier than a scouring pad after a meatloaf dinner. Man. That's dirty. Let me go deeper..




One time, I thought I was "testifying" about the way the Lord has brought me and my husband out of financial distress. As I was talking, I felt like a big "poof" of air. I felt no anointing, particularly, but chalked it up to the fact that I was not talking so spiritually. Wrong. I later would find out that I spent too much time "listing" the things we lost. In other words, the Lord told me I used a backdoor method to boast. I was so broken. When I later repented to the person, she said, "Girl, I know your heart! You would not do that." OH yes I would, I did, and no, she does NOT know my heart.






I think we have thrown around the terminology so much that it has become commonplace. But if we reflect on God's Word we will see that there is only ONE that knows this dirty scouring pad completely. His Name is Jehovah. So what do we do that next time we are tempted to let those words fall out of our mouths? Here may be an example, I am not so sure, but just maybe.




"Sis, I have known you for a while. And what I know of you in character tells me that this-or that-was probably not your intentions. IF you are clean before the Lord, then all is well. But clear it up with Him!" You see, this removes the pressure from us having to say that we know something we absolutely do not know.



And FORGET ABOUT SAYING that OUR OWN HEARTS are clean before we allow God the chance to examine them. OH boy. Paul speaks about comparing ourselves with ourselves and how foolish it is. Same idea about the heart. We are wicked people, with wicked thoughts and motives whether we like to believe it or not. If that statement just made you mad, check your pride level. We all FALL SHORT of God's glory.





Often times, I thought my heart was clean. Because I was hurt, I was wronged, I was mad, sad, glad, whatever. But only in that quiet place, after deep meditation in the Lord, I have often found His hand of correction upon my life. And boy, is it humbling to be humbled.





So try this out...leave the "clean heart" business up to our Father. Stay safe. Simply ask Him, "God, search me. If there be anything wrong, weed it out of me. But teach me Lord, only to come to you to measure my motives and actions. You, Lord, will not hold back telling me the truth..it is for my own good, so I may become more like Jesus."




XtremeFaith