In Your Heart Know There is God

Notice how I phrase the title, “There is God”, not “there is a God”.

“¹The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;

there is none who does good.”

— Psalm 14:1

The verse above speaks of the “fool” keeping in his heart that “There is no God”. I found it interesting that the Hebrew word “fool” here means, according to my ESV commentary, “someone who stubbornly rejects wisdom”. It does not mean, as we would generally think, someone who is just not that bright. The writer is referring to people who consciously reject God’s existence in holding people to account for their actions. As such, they feel free to act in whatever manner they like without consequence.

This is not a “luxury” that I afford as a follower of Christ. I know in my heart that there is God and He will deal with me and my actions. I have escaped the wrath of God thanks to my salvation, but I am not immune to consequences of my actions. I still have to obey or be subject to accountability.

The LORD is looking down on me to watch over me. I can only imagine how, when I fail Him, He sneers knowing that He will have to hold me to account. But, He loves me too much to let me slide on those things. He ensures that I am aware of my faults so that I can work to avoid them in the future and carry on teaching others about Him.

Love is an emotional and actionable thing. The emotional part overlooks all accountability, where the actionable leans on accountability. I hold love for the LORD in my heart as He holds love in His heart. Both of us emotionally love one another as well as actionable. The actionable love I have for the LORD is in that He is to hold me accountable to my actions. The LORD’s actionable love for me is to hold me accountable for my actions. We are aligned here and should always be. But that alignment cannot be if I do not know in my heart that there is God.

How do you know there is God? Are you like the “fool” who chooses to reject his existence for accountability? What if you know on you heart that there is God and love him emotionally and actionable?

Agree with the LORD in your Heart

Recently I had a conversation about how our team of three at the office may disagree on actions, yet once we decide to take an action, we are behind it fully. Where I carry out the actions fully in expectation of success, I admit to having doubts and look for moments when I can come back and indicate that I thought there was another way when thing do not go as planned.

“²¹Agree with God, and be at peace;

thereby good will come to you.

²²Receive instruction from his mouth,

and lay up his words in your heart.”

— Job 22:21-22 (ESV)

When it comes to the LORD, our agreement cannot be on the surface. We may go along with God’s required actions of us, but there is no room for us to doubt. It is imperative that we lay His words on our heart and not just on our minds.

“²⁷You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you,

and you will pay your vows.

²⁸You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you,

and light will shine on your ways.”

— Job 22:27-28 (ESV)

Expecting success is different than knowing of success. With the LORD, we can know of success and not just expect it. When we have His words on our heart, He will hear when we call. He will make success happen. No, maybe not the way we wanted things to go, but He will make success. It is in our trust of Him from our Heart that makes it so.

With the LORD, there is no room for doubt. When we are looking for the way out, we will surely find the way to failure. Maybe not in the moment, but in the end. I have to remember to be all in with the LORD. I have to hear His words. I have to agree with Him. I have to take His words and place them on my heart to ensure that I am fully on board with Him. Here I will know that success is imminent. I cannot fail with the LORD. I will not look back and have those what if thoughts. I must agree and will succeed.

How do you agree with the Word of God? Are you expecting success but holding out for the what if? “What if” you were agree with the LORD and place His words on your heart to know He will lead to success?

The LORD is Always Protecting You

It may seem hard to understand in the moment, but the LORD is truly always protecting you. This morning I am again in Genesis and am reading the passage of God protecting Hagar and Ishmael. If you remember the story a bit, Hagar was the slave of Sarai who gave birth to Ishmael to Abram. Hagar was shunned by Sarai and even in this, the LORD cared for Hagar and Ishmael through Abram. Fast forward to the birth off Isaac to Abraham and Sarah. Sarah again looks upon Hagar with disdain as she is irked that Ishmael and Isaac are now of the same lineage and by extension are heirs together.

Here is where God’s continued protection comes at a time when we may not understand. You see, God approved of and advised Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away into the wilderness. The two of them were sent out with some bread and water.

“¹²But God said to Abraham, ‘Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’” “¹⁴So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.” – Genesis 21:12 & 14 (ESV)

Things were looking bleak for Hagar and Ishmael at this time. And of course the water and the bread ran out and Hagar basically gave up. But God.

“¹⁹Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. ²⁰And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. ²¹He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.” – Genesis 21:19-21 (ESV)

The circumstances were dire and the LORD stepped in to protect. Although, when we look at the story God was always protecting, even as Hagar and Ishmael were cast out from Abraham. Hagar just did not know it at the time as I am sure that she was devastated as she departed.

The LORD knows what we need and will provide and protect us in our time of need. We are to obey Him with the understanding that He is protecting us, even when we may not see it or understand all of the reasons or timing.

What is your view of protection from God? Are you of the thoughts that all of His actions of protection should be overt and plain for us to see? What if we approached God with understanding that no matter the circumstance, He is always there protecting us?