I’ve started reading Wisdom of the Heart by the Catholic theologian and philosopher Peter Kreeft.
He writes about the heart in a spiritual sense, describing it as a highway that leads to either life or death of the soul, happiness or sorrow, good or evil, and ultimately heaven or hell. He views the heart as a pathway full of actions and habits, both internal and external.
Kreeft explains that there are many forks in these roads, offering us choices between different paths that lead to various destinations, similar to physical roads. For example, you can’t get from Chicago to the Atlantic Ocean by heading west.
Likewise, you can’t reach happiness, heaven, or holiness through egotism, cruelty, hate, arrogance, self-righteousness, dishonesty, pride, or despair.
What is tragic about the human condition is how we deceive ourselves into believing we can reach a good end and retain a corrupt inner self at the same time. Isaiah laid bare the inconsistency of his readers’ words and actions.
Hear this, O house of Jacob,
who are called by the name of Israel
and who came forth from the loins of Judah,
who swear by the name of the Lord
and invoke the God of Israel
but not in truth or right.
For they call themselves after the holy city
and lean on the God of Israel;
the Lord of hosts is his name.
The former things I declared long ago;
they went out from my mouth, and I made them known;
then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
Because I know that you are obstinate,
and your neck is an iron sinew
and your forehead brass,
I declared them to you from long ago,
before they came to pass I announced them to you,
so that you would not say, “My idol did them;
my carved image and my cast image commanded them.” (Isaiah 48:1-5)
The people claimed to belong to the Lord. They prayed and believed that they fully trusted the Lord of hosts.
Their behavior reflected something as erroneous as the attempt to travel from Chicago to the Atlantic Ocean by means of a highway heading to California.
Their appeal to God was neither truthful nor right. Self-will dominated their approach to God. While they claimed devotion to Yahweh, they relied on idols to chart the course of their lives.
Grace for a Stubborn Heart
God is distinct from lifeless idols in many ways. The fact that He communicates is one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity. John described the gracious communication of God with these words:
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth
No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known (John 1:14 and 18).
Jesus was God’s communication in human form. He revealed God’s glory, truth, and grace. As God’s supreme revelation, Jesus explained God’s character and nature.
God’s gracious communication in Isaiah’s message comes to us through prophecies that idols are unable to produce.
You have heard; now see all this;
and will you not declare it?
From this time forward I tell you new things,
hidden things that you have not known.
They are created now, not long ago;
before today you have never heard of them,
so that you could not say, “I already knew them.” (Isaiah 48:6-7)
In today’s YouTube video, Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I all identified with the hardheaded and willful persons mentioned in Isaiah. The good news is that God willingly communicates with people like us.
God uses every means at His disposal to reach people whose hearts are headed in the wrong direction. He spoke to humanity through His Son and continues to reach out to us through the Holy Spirit.
The question we all need to answer is whether we are listening or not. Let’s ask ourselves whether we have created space in our lives for God to speak to us.
As I wrote in yesterday’s blog article, “God is a gentleman and won’t kick down the door to our hearts.” He waits for us to create an atmosphere where He is free to speak.
When my brother was Mayor of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, he had lunch with the famous St. Louis Cardinals announcer Jack Buck. As Mayor, my brother Al hosted presidents, but lunch with Jack Buck was his most memorable encounter.
Was Al distracted while Buck spoke? No! Did he count the minutes until he was finished listening? Not at all! Did he take the visit with a famous announcer lightly? Not in the least!
Did my brother listen with rapt attention? Absolutely!
What about a meeting with the King of all kings? Do we look forward to meeting Him and give His words the attention He deserves? I hope we give as much or more attention as my brother did.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 