Testing the Heart (Deuteronomy 8:1-3)
by Pastor Cesar Crisostomo | September 23, 2018
Deuteronomy 8:1-3Many times, God puts us through testing in life not to prove to Him anything about us for He already knows about us, but it is to prove to us and show areas of weakness in our hearts, in our life. God tested the Israelites not because He did not know their hearts, but because the Israelites did not know the condition of their own hearts. God puts us through a test to show us how weak we are and how we need to depend on Him. We simply cannot depend or rely on ourselves, we need to rely on the Lord. Again, the Lord knows the condition of our spiritual heart. It is us that do not know everything in our own heart. And in the midst of circumstances is when we discover what’s really going on within our own hearts and lives (v.2). God allows us to experience circumstances and be exposed to certain conditions in life to test our hearts. He is using those situations to do one thing, and that is to reveal the condition of our own heart to ourselves.
Why does God put such importance with our hearts? Why is God checking the spiritual condition of our hearts?
1. God knows that our heart is wicked.
- Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NLT), “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. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”
- We hear people say that what’s happening in our island today is a reflection of our culture. I don’t think this to be true, but God knows that what’s happening in our island is not the reflection of our culture, but it is the result of people’s hearts, for our hearts are wicked.
2. God knows that our hearts are filled with secrets. (Psalm 44:21)
- Everyone of us holds some secret that we never told anybody. Something that you have done or seen or said that you don’t want anybody to know. Only God knows about it and He knows how it affects us, how it affects our relationships. He knows how it affects the things we do.
3. God knows that our hearts is what brings life and health to you and me.
- Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
1. My heart affects how I feel about myself.
- I think that much of our discouragement and depression is grounded in hurts of sins. When you and I feel wanting to quit it is because there is something about our own heart and life that is out of order. When our hearts have not been healed from the wickedness within, then God knows how it is going to affect us. We won’t believe in ourselves, we won’t feel there is any value in us. When our hearts have been abused, maybe even dulled and dirtied because of circumstances, we begin to think who would ever want us and choose us. We may look pretty good outside but deep within we know there is something in there that is less than it ought to be. But the Lord in His amazing way looks at the brokenness in people’s hearts, invites us to come to Him just as we are because He is the one committed to changing you and me.
2. My heart affects my relationship with others.
- It is impossible to have a healthy relationship with anybody if you and I are not healthy in our own heart. 1 John 3:18-19, do not love in just word alone but love by the things that we do as well. We look to bless the people that we love when our hearts are healthy.
3. My heart affects my relationship with God.
- 1 John 3:16, the condition of our hearts will affect how we respond to Him.
- How do I know the love of God? He laid down His life for us even when we are feeling worthless, but still He chose us.
1. I need to believe that God can change even me. (Romans 10:9-10)
2. What can I do? We believe that we are saved by grace and not works.
- By faith in Jesus alone. There is nothing you and I could ever do to merit salvation. It’s in Christ alone. I personally believe that the Lord calls us to do something in our heart (1 John 3:22). Yes, we are saved by faith and by grace, but change comes to us by works. In other words, transformation comes to your life and mine by works. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). Faith in Christ always results in good works. It is the evidence of salvation and not the means to salvation. It is in the things we do through our obedience to His Word, His ways, His commands when God begins to do transforming things in our lives.
3. To daily exercise 1 John 3:23, “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”
- Healing in people’s heart happens often when we look beyond our own personal pain, hurt, trouble that we’re going through and look somehow to helping others. To constantly be doing things for people, even doing the small things that makes a difference rather than thinking about ourselves and what would make us happy even when you or I are not doing well ourselves.
