Pastor’s Corner: What is in the heart of man?

— I’m going to assume that if you are reading this, you also have access to a Holy Bible. And yes, I am fully aware of what assuming can do, but I’ll take my chances. Open that old dusty thing up and turn to Psalm 14. It is pretty close to the middle, if you weren’t sure. Now take a second and read it.

What did you think? If you’re like most of us, you can give a hearty “Amen!” to the first verse. We can all jump on the bandwagon to agree with that. Just a quick glance at the world around you points to that reality, especially nowadays.

As we move on to verse two we are reminded of a perspective that we often forget, there is a difference between God and man.

Here God is looking down on the children of man, “us” if you didn’t catch on.

For what reason? If you said, “To see who seek after Him,” you’re correct. If not, make sure you are still at chapter 14 in the Psalms and look again.

By now your confidence should stand pretty firm, especially if in your heart you can say, “I seek after Him!” With that great attitude, let’s turn then to verse 3. What did you find?

(Yep, that refers to you.) The particular version I’m reading says, “there is none who does good, not even one.” Ouch! “Not even me?” some might say, “That is hard to believe.” Sadly, it’s true.

Our condition without God is without any hope at all. Left to ourselves we have no good what-so-ever. But, with God, we have something truly mind-boggling. While we are the self-absorbed fiends we are (AKA sinners), God wouldlove us and seek after us.

God would come to us, initiate this great relationship and make it where we could have salvation and the restoration of the fortune of eternal life as His great people in His great kingdom - all in the name of Jesus Christ who died and rose on high in Zion!

What mercy and grace for us! (Easy to get worked up here.)

Now, back to our Psalm.

If we who had no hope have hope now, what about those who say in their hearts today, “There is no God?” Though we live in the midst of this painful world and see that they are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, we have the assurance of life in Christ Jesus and freedom from the bondage of sin and death that drowns us in corruption. Our prayer should be something like this then,“Lord, thank you for having mercy on me, please have mercy on those dwelling in darkness so they too can see Your great light.”

Watch out, though. God just might use you to reach someone using the very tool you just read Psalm 14 out of. If so, great. How blessed are you to say in your heart, “There surely is a God! Thank you Jesus!”◊◊◊

Editor’s note: Neil Vanderbush is the pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church, Pea Ridge. He can be contacted at P.O. Box 555, Pea Ridge, AR 72751, or by e-mail at [email protected].

Church, Pages 2 on 06/06/2012