“Can we trust the heart of God?"
It is the question that our own hearts ask and have asked since the beginning of time.
Can God’s heart be trusted?
To find the answer we must go back to our beginning.
Not the beginning, but our beginning.
We began in the Garden, an unparalleled paradise where Adam and Eve walked with God.
Can you imagine?
Hearts knowing nothing but God’s love.
Pure hearts, innocent hearts, trusting hearts.
So childlike, so simple, untainted because intimacy with God was all they had ever known.
A God who knew them and was known by them.
Glorious, Beautiful, Magnificent, Awe Inspiring, Warm, Kind, Playful, Gentle, Strong.
That is what we were, that was what our fellowship with God looked like.
So it once was, but it was lost.
We were lost, and we lost everything.
Satan slithered into Eden, and then into the heart of Eve, and then Adam.
They didn’t just bite the fruit, they bit the hand that fed them.
God gave them their hearts, and they gave their hearts to another.
God gave them life, and they believed in the lie that life could be found elsewhere.
So naïve, so rebellious, but are we not the same?
We were children once, wide-eyed and full of wonder.
Full of innocence, full of youth, filled with life.
Laughter resounded from our lips, our eyes filled with hope.
We believed we could do anything, there were no limits to our dreams.
Our smiles were as full as our hearts.
Then something changed.
Something shifted.
We were approached with a lie.
A doubt was handed to us, and we accepted it.
WE INDULGED IN THE LIE SATAN FED US AND WE MADE HIM
our father.
our lord.
our savior.
So when we heard Yahweh’s voice, we ran and hid because we too were naked and ashamed.
Can we trust the heart of God?
That has been the question we have pondered in our hearts throughout the history of Mankind.
Can we trust the heart of God?
The answer is yes, and let me tell you why.
He is the Alpha and Omega.
He is the Ancient of Days.
He is the Anointed One.
He is the Author of Peace, Eternal Salvation, and our Faith.
He is the Bread of Life and the Breath of Life.
He is our Bridegroom.
He is the Cornerstone, the Carpenter, the Captain of Salvation.
He is the Commander, the Chosen One, the Consuming Fire.
The Counselor, the Christ.
He is the Deliverer, the Door, and the Dwelling Place.
He is Excellent, the Elect One, the Everlasting Father, the Eternal God.
He is Firstborn, He is the Foundation.
The Fortress and the Fountain of the Living Water.
He is a Gentle Whisper, He is Goodness, He is the Good Shepherd.
He is our Great High Priest Forever.
He is the Glory and God Over All.
He is the Head of the Body and the Church.
The Holy One, the Hope, our Hope, and the Heir to all things.
He is the I AM, Immanuel, and our Intercessor.
He is the Judge and the Just One.
He is Jehovah.
He is our Keeper and He is the King of kings.
He is the Lord of lords.
The Lamb of God.
The LAST Adam, the Lawgiver.
The Leader of Life.
The Light of the World and the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
He is our Maker, our Majesty on High.
Our Masterful Mediator who is Merciful.
He is the Messiah.
He is the Nazarene.
He is the Offspring of David.
The Only Begotten Son.
He is the One.
Our Passover Lamb, our Peace.
The Prince of Life.
He is the Purifier and our Propitiation.
He is our Physician and our Portion.
He is the Quickening Spirit.
He is the Root of David.
He is the Ruler, He is the Rock.
He is our Redeemer and our Refuge.
He is the Rewarder, He is the Righteous One.
He is the Resurrection.
He is the Son of David.
He is the Son of Man.
He is the Son of God.
He is the Servant, the Seed, our Savior.
Our Source, our Strength, our Shield, and our Stronghold.
He is the Temple.
He is the Truth.
He is the Vine.
He is Wonderful.
He is the Word.
He is the Way.
He is YAHWEH.
And He is ours.
He is all ours.
We can trust His heart.
Because He is those things whether we want Him to be or not.
So the question isn’t really can we trust the heart of God.
The question is, do you know Him?
Not do you know of Him, but do you know Him personally?
Do you know His personality?
When He tells you that He loves you, do you trust His heart?
Do you know Him the way you know all the words to your favorite song?
Can you quote His Word the way you quote your favorite movies?
Do you know Him the way you know your mom’s footsteps coming up the stairs when she gets home from work?
Or the smell of your dad’s cologne when you hug him?
Can you recognize the lilt of His voice the way you know your best friend’s laugh from across a room?
Do you know Him the way that husbands know wives and wives know husbands?
The way Adam knew Eve?
Do you?
Because King David did.
He knew God, and he didn’t know Him in the way you know that 2+2 is four, that water is wet, or that the sky is blue.
He knew God intimately and wanted Him passionately, desperately.
He hungered for God’s presence.
He craved God’s attention and affection.
He was mighty because he knew of God’s might.
He warred against his sin because he knew God warred for his heart.
He did not only turn away from wickedness, but he fiercely sought God’s holiness.
He longed for God because he knew that God longed for him.
He knew that God could be known, and he knew Him.
But do you?
How often do we forsake our Lord for other lovers, other idols?
How often do we find greater comfort from created things rather than the Creator?
How often do we worship what has been made rather than worshiping the Maker?
How often do we ignore His calls, look at His gifts with disdain?
HOW OFTEN ARE WE
ungrateful.
selfish.
apathetic.
lacking in joy.
full of evil.
Would it surprise you if I said David was as well?
That the man after God’s own heart lied, committed adultery, and murdered his friend.
Yet when confronted he was grieved by it, he was torn apart, and crushed by it.
Why?
Because he knew God.
Yet he failed just like we do.
We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Yet there was one greater than David.
There was one that David prophesied about.
The Messiah, born from his own lineage.
That would not only redeem Israel but the entire world.
One who would not be subject to decay.
One who would come for all people.
One who would become sin for the sin of the many.
One who would resurrect and become King and be given authority over all things both in the heavens and on the earth.
The Son of David who David knew as Lord.
Jesus, the Lamb slain from the creation of the World.
He knew Adam and Eve would fall.
So He died for them.
He knew you would fall as well, so He died for you.
He has known you before you were conceived.
He has had plans to prosper you and to give you a hope and a future before you were born.
You were born to be God’s special possession, a royal priesthood, a chosen generation.
You were born to rule the earth and subdue it.
You were born with the foreknowledge that your life would kill the one who is Life.
He knew that you would doubt His love, He knew that you would turn against Him.
So He thought of you personally as He was beaten, and tortured, and mocked, and then killed.
His heart smiled at the thought of your personality, the little quirks that make you, you.
His heart breaks every time you don’t choose Him.
He gave up a perfect relationship with God just for the opportunity to have a relationship with you.
He rose from the grave.
He conquered death just so that He could have an eternity to spend with you.
This life is just a passing glance, it is a breath.
But He breathed life into you.
Just so you could know Him.
Just so you could love Him.
Just so He could redeem you.
Can you imagine?
Hearts knowing nothing but God’s love.
Pure hearts, innocent hearts, trusting hearts.
So childlike, so simple, untainted.
Through Christ’s redemption we can have that.
We can have what was lost.
Jesus wants us to have what was lost.
- J.T. Singletary
p.s. You can listen along to the live spoken word performance of “Can We Trust The Heart Of God?” here.