Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
Jeremiah 17:9-10
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.”
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.”
Commentary:
17:9 heart. A metaphor for the human will and emotions (cf. vv. 5–7). deceitful. Tortuous, uneven, and crooked like a bad road. desperately sick. Medically incurable (15:18; 30:12, 15; Job 34:6; Isa. 17:11; Mic. 1:9). who can understand it? A rhetorical question expecting a negative answer. However, this strongly negative assessment of the human heart is not intended as a description of the heart of a believer under the new covenant, where God promises to write his law on people’s hearts (Jer. 31:33; 32:40; cf. Ezek. 36:26; Rom. 5:5; 6:17; Heb. 10:22; 1 John 3:21).
17:10 heart and … mind. God understands (v. 9) the inner recesses of human motives, thinking, and decisions. to give every man. God is a just and merciful Judge.
17:10 heart and … mind. God understands (v. 9) the inner recesses of human motives, thinking, and decisions. to give every man. God is a just and merciful Judge.
Questions:
- Following Jesus will involve a cost of IDENTITY. Life isn't about finding yourself, celebrating yourself, knowing yourself, believing in yourself, being true to yourself. It's about DYING to yourself. Jesus says, "Follow me, not your heart." Scripture tells us our hearts are wicked above all else and warns us against leaning on our own understanding. Our identity must be first and foremost in our Savior. Talk a little about how counter cultural this idea is. How easy is it to get sucked into this kind of "love of self" mentality? How do we resist that draw towards making everything about us? What are the dangers of this way of thinking?
- Jeremiah 17:10 says that God searches our hearts. He not only knows our thoughts, but he knows our motives. When you think about it, a motive is something that's buried so deep in our subconscious minds. It's something we don't easily recognize. Here's a scary fact: It's possible that, even in our good deeds, we have selfish motives. What would God say about the state of YOUR heart? What might he see if he examines your motives?
Pray:
- That you would deny yourself and follow Jesus.
- That you would allow God to search your heart and motives.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time and Paul.
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
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