Spiritual EKG

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ecently, I went for an appointment with my cardiologist for a routine check up.  I have been a heart patient all my life and I visit the doctor routinely just to have a look under the hood and to make sure everything is working as it should.  The procedure is always the same when I visit the office.  They weigh me, take my blood pressure and my pulse, they do an electrocardiogram (EKG), and then hook me up to a monitor so the doctor can get a first-hand look at my heart’s performance.

The EKG has always fascinated me.  It is impossible to see someone’s heart, but when those little electrodes are place on my chest, everyone can see exactly what my heart is doing.  However, it takes a skilled eye and a vast knowledge of the heart and its mechanisms to know if it is functioning properly.  Any variation, no matter how slight, could signal the development of a serious problem now or in the future. Only the skilled eyes of the cardiologist can make that determination and prescribe treatment to address any difficulties.

It is amazing how much attention we devote to our health, especially when we are wired to a machine and the doctor gives us a thorough examination.  We hang on every word, making sure we understand what is expected of us in order to keep our hearts in excellent condition.  However, when it comes to the spiritual condition of our hearts, we tend to neglect what God’s word says about keeping in proper spiritual shape.

The Bible has much to say about the heart.  We are told to keep our hearts with all diligence in Proverbs.  Jeremiah reminds us that the heart is wicked above everything.  Jesus says that out of our hearts proceed all types of sin and immoral thoughts and behaviors.  It sounds as if we need to check in with our spiritual cardiologist very often doesn’t it?  There are so many things plaguing the heart of man that without God’s help there is no way we can ever hope to have a heart that pleases him.

Jeremiah 17:10 speaks to the importance God places on the heart.  "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."  There are two great truths embedded in this passage of scripture.  First, God searches our hearts. He alone knows how to read our hearts condition.  He alone understands the mechanisms of the heart and knows its most intimate secrets.  God will not leave sin undetected to damage our hearts but He will bring it to our attention by convicting us and calling us to repentance.  If we obey his command and repent, he cleanses and heals our hearts from all sin.

The second truth is equally important and sobering.  God will reward us according to our deeds: our actions, our thoughts, and our motives.  All these stem from our hearts.  Who we are will be revealed in what we do and in what we say.  If, therefore, God rewards us according to the condition of our hearts, what kinds of reward will we receive?  Unless we heed His commands and follow his instructions, we are doomed for spiritual heart failure.

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hat is the condition of your spiritual heart today?  Have you had your daily appointment with the Great Physician?  Only He can fix the heart of man and restore it to a perfect relationship with Himself.  Won’t you take time today to make an appointment with Him?  Won’t you let Him check your heart and prescribe the healing power of His love for you?  Won’t you let God perform a spiritual EKG to see how well your heart is operating?  He is waiting for you to do that today!