Allow God to Search your Deceitful Heart

Posted by Timothy

June 2, 2009

⁸ They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
      with roots that reach deep into the water.
   Such trees are not bothered by the heat
      or worried by long months of drought.
   Their leaves stay green,
      and they never stop producing fruit.

⁹ “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
      and desperately wicked.
      Who really knows how bad it is?
¹⁰ But I, the Lord, search all hearts
      and examine secret motives.
   I give all people their due rewards,
      according to what their actions deserve.” (NLT)

In this phase, asking and focusing on our "heart’s desires" gets us to the plan, the purpose, the goals that we can partner with God. It can be in areas such as health, finances, relationships, or community impact — all can fall under the "abundant life." So if I am advocating that God will give you the desires of your heart, why do I bring the verse "the heart is the most deceitful of all things"?

Because it is. Achieving your true desires means examining what those true desires are and getting them aligned with God.

Let God search through your heart. This is important. I, myself, have witnessed what has happened when I have goals and dreams fueled by hurt and lack, revenge and loneliness. Those aren’t sustainable. Even if what is desired is actually what God has put on your heart, you’re looking at and experiencing those desires through a tainted lens.

More typically, what you may be perceiving as your "heart’s desire" may be coming from a place reacting to "secret motives" that can come from some of the areas we’ve touched upon earlier. It is very related to getting the right mindset and digging into the heart-felt desires.

Check: is the desire powered by "love" and if so, the love of what? "God is love" and it may sound hokey, but it is absolutley practical. As you’re going through this, what is powering your desire will affect your effectiveness with God. Would you rather hold onto the "deceitful" vision of your hearts desire and fail, or are you willing to let it go and have one shaped by God and get your "due reward"?

This requires deep honesty with yourself: often times, we can deceive ourselves into making a selfish goal one aligned with God!

"I need the $10M networth because then I will give to God" — but you heart is in the $10M, not the giving. This is still a legitimate desire if it is honest (but it takes work to ask yourself where it’s coming from).

"I need to get into Harvard Medical School because only then can I do God’s ministry" — check that.

"I want to get married this year because that way I can have a Godly life."

These could all be legitimate desires, but they could also be masking want, low-self-esteem, pride, and loneliness. But be honest with them. Perhaps spending time with God and looking at it really will allow you to change your heart while the statements are the same. But consider and be open that the specific desire itself changes:

"I want to give to God’s kingdom whatever I have, and don’t need the money for myself, but honestly believe the more I have, the more I can give." I find this to be the hardest to be honest about, and we will continue to spend time on it.

"I really do want to serve the sick, and in my brokenness I think the Harvard name will make a difference, but I want to go to the best school to be the most impactful to heal the sick."

"I want to rely solely on my relationship with Jesus, yes I am lonely and haven’t filled the emptiness, so please fill that emptiness with You because I believe then I can rightly attract, serve, and love the person you have for me."

These aren’t perfect revisions. I want to use them as examples. But preface everything with, "God, search my heart."

Prayer (in your own words)

God, search my heart to root out any evil desires, but let me see plain and clear the true desire of my heart. I will know when it makes me thankful and dependent on you, and when the desire is powered by Love. I can still ask for and desire material things, things that I truly want, because you love to give gifts, but make sure there is no "evil" in these desires.

Action

Write down what you believe your heart desires are. Exactly, pour them out, what you are longing for, aching for, dreaming about, from the small to the big. Pour our your heart’s desires as a request to God (e.g. I want, I need, please give me)

Praise

Remember from Day 11 that God does want to give you the desires of your heart and thank Him for that.

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