Proverbs 23:26, "My son, give me thine heart,
and let thine eyes observe my ways."'
Isn't that a strange request? God is using the words
"Give me.'' Usually, we are the ones who say, "Give
me,"' and now the table is turned. That is not
the creature saying to the Creator, "Give me,''
but rather the Creator saying to the creature, "Give
me.'' The great Benefactor becomes the petitioner. The
great Giver becomes the receiver. The Landlord becomes
the tenant. The Provider becomes the beggar. The Satisfied
becomes the seeker. The Door seeks entrance. The Living
Water thirsts. The Bread of Life is hungry. The Way
gropes for your heart. The Prince of Peace fights to
get you. God wants your heart.
Why does God want our hearts? There is only one possible
reason: He loves us! There is nothing that He needs
that we have apart from our love. He is too rich for
us to make Him richer. He is too great for us to make
Him greater. He is too good for us to make Him better.
He is too strong for us to make Him stronger. He is
too glorious for us to give Him more glory. If we gave
Him all of our goodness, it wouldn't make Him any better.
If we gave Him all of our riches, it wouldn't make Him
any richer. If we gave Him all of our strength, it wouldn't
make Him any stronger. If we gave Him all of our wisdom,
it wouldn't make Him any wiser. If we gave Him all of
our knowledge, it wouldn't make Him any smarter. If
we gave Him all of our glory, it wouldn't make Him any
more glorious. If we gave Him all of our greatness,
it wouldn't make Him any greater. If we gave Him all
of our power, it wouldn't make Him any more powerful.
He simply seeks after our love. That is why He made
us. He wanted somebody to love Him and to fellowship
with Him voluntarily. It seems so strange that we should
not gladly accept this offer when the great omniscient,
omnipresent, and omnipotent God wants our hearts.
It is so necessary that the Christian give his heart
to God first. To give wealth without giving the heart
is abomination. To pray without giving the heart is
mockery. To sing without giving the heart is sounding
brass and tinkling cymbal. To work without giving the
heart is insult. To teach without giving the heart is
ignorance. To preach without giving the heart is hypocrisy.
To serve without giving the heart is fraud. To witness
without giving the heart is perjury.
Years ago I faced the reality that I would never be
a great orator or scholar and that I did not have great
talent. I did, however, realize that I could do one
thing as well as anybody. I could give God all my heart.
He has a right to my heart and He has a right to your
heart, for He gave His heart to us. When He died on
the cross, a soldier pierced His side, and the Bible
says there came forth blood and water. Doctors tell
us that this means the heart had ruptured. He died of
a broken heart. He gave you His heart; He wants yours.
He says to you today, ``Give me thy heart.'' The happy
Christian responds in the affirmitive.
