Tuesday’s Devotion: Voices of the Heart

Luke 2:33-35  The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.

One day last week as I walked around the ball fields I noticed the bark was partially off a tree, exposing the inner part of the trunk. It brought me back to Simeon’s prophesy about the thoughts of hearts being revealed and Matthew 15:18 …”But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.”  I try hard to continue to move towards Christian perfection but sometimes it seems like I take two steps forward and one step back. I work to speak kindly to people but controlling one’s tongue is different than controlling one’s heart.  I think that only comes when we live in Christ and Christ lives in us.  I don’t know about others but I measure myself, not by my words or actions but by where I sense my heart is.  To quote one of my good friends, “Progress, not perfection.”  I am making progress.

Come into our hearts, Lord Jesus, we need you every hour. Amen.