See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. (Hebrews 3:12, NIV)
Sad but true, people quit playing golf.
Time is one factor, money another. Some must tend to family demands, whether young children, aging parents, or an ailing spouse. And maybe their own physical setbacks keep them from playing. All these are legitimate, practical reasons for moving away from the game.
But there is another class of former golfers—those whose hearts aren’t in it any longer.
I can’t say I understand these folks. As frustrating as the game may be at times and as unmotivated as I have been to play for a week here or there, I always come back, looking for the enjoyment, challenge, and companionship it provides.
All other aspects of accountability fall under this one: Where is your heart?I do not keep coming back to Jesus for the same reasons—though there is enjoyment, challenge, and companionship in my walk of faith, too. Rather, I come back to Jesus because there is no one and nothing else in all the world that can satisfy my longing for eternity, my need for forgiveness, and the assurance of salvation that he provides. I come back to Jesus because his love is unbending, both in how it delivers mercy and discipline, two things I fail to apply to myself.
Now when I say that I “come back to Jesus,” I do not mean that I have gone down paths of long detour. Not the wrong way down a one-way street. Not dark tunnels through wicked woods. Not even innocent rabbit trails. What I mean is that I wake up each day and say again to him, “I need you. Walk with me as I make every effort to walk with you.” My eyes may lock on roadside distractions and my feet may stumble from the weariness wrought by lack of prayer. I am surely guilty of a faltering walk. But if I keep checking my heart, I stay on the path. The spirit is willing even when the flesh is weak.
What of your heart, though? What of your flesh? I ask these questions in the second person, because this is what we, as brothers and sisters in the Lord, are to do for each other. We are to “see to it” that our hearts do not turn away from the living God.
Other than this distant writer clicking keys on a keyboard, who is asking you these questions? Whom are you allowing close enough access to your heart to challenge you over its course? These personal questions adjoin the powerful directive of our scripture today. For all other aspects of accountability fall under this one: Where is your heart? Is it resisting sin? Is it believing? Is it staying in step with Jesus? Ask these questions of yourself. More than that, compel others to ask them of you.
—
Jeff Hopper
November 13, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.