Deceitful Hearts

Jeremiah 17:9
New King James Version (NKJV)
9 “The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?

I love this verse. It's not one that you will see printed on a greeting card or on a magnet for your refrigerator. The reason why I like it so much is because it's true. EVERYTHING in the bible is true. We are brought up believing that if something "feels" right or good, it is. That is a lie. The bible says that God never lies, it's impossible for Him.

Numbers 23:19
New King James Version (NKJV)
19 “God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Hebrews 6:18
New King James Version (NKJV)
18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might[a] have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

The bible mentions who the "father of all lies" is:

John 8:44
New King James Version (NKJV)
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

The bottom line is that we ALL sin and fall short of God's perfection.

Romans 3:23
New King James Version (NKJV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

If we say we have no sin, we are lying.

1 John 1:8-10
New King James Version (NKJV)
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

If we can be truthful with ourselves and others, we could improve all of our relationships. Our "hearts" cannot be trusted. If you "feel" like something is right because your "heart" feels it's right, you may want to pray about it and ask God to reveal the truth to you. We live in a world where we put ourselves before others, thinking of ourselves higher than we ought to. We should be esteeming others and putting their feelings above our own. It's not easy but we are called to do so.

Philippians 2:3
New King James Version (NKJV)
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

If everything is so clearly spelled out for us in the bible, why are we spending so much time trying to figure everyone else out? I am guilty of doing the same. Today I pray for God to continue to show me my own flaws, which He does daily. He is very good at that! He never fails at revealing my sin to me. Although I know He will never stop revealing just how wicked my heart truly is, I also know that His forgiveness and grace are sufficient to cleanse me from ALL unrighteousness. Thank You Jesus!!! I am nothing without You!!!