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Monday, April 7, 2008

My Desperately Wicked Heart

"The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?"
(Jeremiah 17:9, ESV)

This past weekend was the "spring retreat" for my youth group. From the sessions to the food to the games, I had a wonderful time! However, I frequently found my heart wandering from where it was supposed to be. I might zone out here or there in a session, or think of myself before I thought of others, or do something with the wrong motive. The above verse came to mind more than once over the weekend as I battled with my flesh.

"Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin." (Romans 7:24, 25, ESV)

This is how I feel about 95% of the time. I just can't do anything right, but Jesus Christ has graciously paid the penalty for my sin.

"All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all."
(Isaiah 53:6, ESV)

How true of my own life just in the past few hours! I constantly go astray from what the Word says and turn to my own sinful way, and yet my God sees fit to punish His own Son for my sin.

This post is kind of "jumblely" and hard to understand, but I guess my point is that I am so very thankful for the love that God bestows on me every second of every hour of every day! I cannot sing His praises enough, nor can I do anything to remotely repay Him for what He has done for me and my wretched, wicked heart.

Lord, help my life, my thoughts, my words, and my actions be pleasing to you! May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer! Help me show your love in everything that I do, and do everything for Your glory, and Yours alone. In Your Son's holy name, Amen.