Thought for the Month

"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart." (Psa.27:14)

The New Year is always a suitable time to review the Lord’s goodness, and to look forward to the future days, in the certain knowledge that He who does all things well will continue to sustain us as we walk in the light now due. (Old Paths, January 1956)

But what is the heart. The heart itself is only a pump whereas the heart in figurative language is the seat of our emotions. Yet does not the physical heart truly ache when overwhelmed with emotion?

David was a man after God’s own heart. (1 Sam.13:14; Acts 13:22) His faithful heart was in evidence when slaying Goliath. In that light it is surprising that David was a man, a king who engineered the death of a man in battle, Uriah, in order that he could marry that man’s wife, Bathsheba and cover up their sin. The prophet Nathan put this fault in theory to him for David to judge before pointing out that such was David’s sin. David’s heart from that moment was repentant and this is reflected in some Psalms. Afterward David was even more a man after God’s own heart.

Throughout the Christian era (Gospel age) God has been working with all true‑hearted disciples. This is through the epistle of Christ not written like the Ten Commandments on stone but in our hearts. (2 Cor.3:3) In this way it is successful.

We have become more aware of sad hearts in this present crisis especially for those mourning much loved members of the families–natural and spiritual. But death is not the end, merely a punctuation of this present life before the resurrection of the dead.

Then there are fearful hearts which is understandable for those in fear of infecting the older generation, fear of losing a job and not being able to find another one and then general fear when looking at polarisation in politics leading to chaotic scenes.

We look forward to that day when all the saints are gathered in and with the cloud of witnesses will work on the hearts of all men and women.