Heart Trouble

The Heart is a Rebel.

Miss that and nothing else makes sense, either about the human condition or what God did to heal its maladies and re-align its focus.

I’ve driven the interstate across our city for enough years to remember when it felt like a parking lot and required five minutes to go a city block. These days, since the highway has been widened and the lanes increased, we can breeze through what were formerly congested spots at fifty miles per hour. Some motorists, however, choose to go seventy. Where the limit is seventy, they go eighty.

I have not the slightest doubt that if the speed limit were increased to 90, some drivers would exceed it.

The heart is a rebel. It does not like to obey a law or keep a promise or restrain itself.

The tabloid staring at you from the supermarket checkout line names a husband of some Hollywood star known for her beauty. The headline announces that she has caught him in adultery and is suing for divorce.

What, you wonder, is that man doing committing adultery when he is already married to the most luscious dish on the planet? Answer: the heart wants what it wants and does not like to take

3 thoughts on “Heart Trouble

  1. You wrote “Hey, it’s only the water in the city reservoir that is polluted. Here, try a glass of tap-water from our kitchen. It’s fine.”

    The water arriving in your home had its start in the city reservoir. If the water is impure at the source, what flows from your home tap is undrinkable.

    To clean up the tainted drinking water in your home would require a massive purification job at the city’s water filtration plant.

    Brother Joe, great writing…and I had a two point sermon jump out of the above cut…first…the ones who say drink our water…it’s fine: the holier than thou crowd…pharasee of the month clubbers; you know, there are probably church splits due to “my water is cleaner than your water!!!”

    Second, I agree, the water from the reservoir (the world) is polluted…but thinking the only way to drink pure water is to clean the reservoir…that’s a hopeless task (and we give up and lose hope of drinking pure water…isn’t that just what old slewfoot would want us to do!); HOWEVER…installing a filter (the Bible) where it comes into my home (heart)…purifies the polluted and makes it drinkable. Its then my job to make sure the filter is “ON” at all times…and hey, when I take a trip…don’t depend on the water along the way…fill up a jug to take with me! and make sure my trips are no longer than a jug’s distance away…can’t afford to get thirsty out there…no telling what I might drink! (cause just one little drink of pollution won’t hurt, will it?…I’ll flush it all out when I get home…hmmmm)

    I want to thank you for your daily letters…many of them have been mind and heart movers for me…today…a whole sermon jumped out…small church (1), but a great revival of the spirit and a challenge to check the filter…and the jugs!!!

    Thanks brother!

  2. Joe, this one definitely “would preach”. Thank you dear friend for sharing with us. Love you and yours…….cjm

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