Posted by Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Know this all too well. I know because there have been time when I allowed my heart to be led by selfish desires. I know right from wrong but under certain conditions I can almost excuse a wrong attitude or action because I FEEL it is OK…well at least until I blow it big time and the guilt kicks in. I can be led astray.
Old Flip Wilson had a character named Geraldine and her favorite excuse to her husband “Killer” was “The devil made he do it.” “Killer “ she said,”the devil made me buy that dress…he pulled a gun on me and said buy it or I am gonna kill you…
James says that we are each more likely to be drawn away by our OWN lusts and enticed…and that downward spiral leads to death. NOT the devil making us but that wicked heart which we do not really know after all.
The heart, the emotions of a person, are not a reliable way all alone to help us decide our life path. They are too subjective. What we need is the searching eye of God, the mirror of his objective truth to act as a light to our path.
And God who searches also convicts and guides us.
He gives us according to our deeds…not only bad reaction to our bad deeds but a very good reaction to our right actions.
Go to the word as your source of truth, yes emotions have a place but they must be held in check by the revealed truth of God’s word.
You ponder that.
Great word.