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APRIL 30, 2010
THE HEART THAT MATTERS
For this is what the Lord says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast
to my covenant—to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters.” (Isaiah 56:4-5, NIV)
We might say that our heart is with golf. In uttering those words, we would say that we have a depth of feeling for the
game, even sacrificing other pursuits for its sake. That sounds serious—even problematic for one who calls Christ King—but we do things like this in our lives in a thousand little ways. We
may even do it for others, say, setting aside cash little by little that we might buy a special something for a special someone. It’s not altogether wrong to give our hearts away.
But the chunkiest part of our hearts must always be with Jesus. The other pursuits that engage us must
fall in line behind Him. Which leads to one very critical question: If I want to find and follow the heart of God, what does God’s heart love?
Consider the eunuchs addressed by God in Isaiah 56. These men had made a major physical sacrifice in their devotion to
God. They had surrendered their progeny. But was this what God desired? Was this His heart?
No, principally what God wanted from the eunuchs—as He wants from all of us who say we are following Him—is
to choose what pleases God, to hold fast to His covenant. He wanted as well for them to keep His Sabbath.
What a blend! In those few phrases, we find specific instruction— “keep my Sabbath.” We find the need
to align our hearts with His—“choose what pleases me.” And we find a commitment to our relationship with Him—adherence to God’s covenant. (We can suggest somewhat
confidently that this was the Abrahamic covenant to which God referred: being blessed, being a blessing).
You have to read on in Isaiah, chapters 56-60, to gain a broader sense of all that is in God’s heart, and how we
can attach our own hearts, minds and lives to His heart. But for now, know this: We cannot reduce God to a list of do’s and don’ts. We cannot only go after the feel-good pursuits. And we
cannot cling just to promises of old, for our God is alive today. What we must have is all of these. In that way, we may have all of Him.
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Jeff Hopper
April 30, 2010
Copyright 2010 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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