Introduction: The Importance of the Heart

Weaver introduces the topic by contrasting concern over what is in one's wallet with the more important question of what is in one's heart, referencing Proverbs 4:23.

All right, it's a joy to see each one of you here tonight, and I'm thankful to be here. I appreciate those girls singing. I'm like Brother Crispin, I cannot sing. I said that to one lady, I said, "I can't carry a tune in a bucket." She said, "Oh, that's not true, you can carry it, you just can't dump it." Well, whatever it is, I surely can't, but I'm thankful to be able to at least make a noise every now and then. I want you to open your Bibles, now, if you would, please, to 1 Chronicles, chapter 29. 1 Chronicles, chapter 29. And we're going to be reading verses 17 through 20. 1 Chronicles, chapter 29, verses 17 through 20. The title of the message is, "What Do You Have in Your Heart?" What Do You Have in Your Heart? 1 Chronicles 29, verse 17, the Word of God says this:

And David said unto all the congregation, "Now bless the Lord your God." And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads and worshipped the Lord and the King. Years ago, there was a leading credit card company that had some very interesting commercials on TV. And every time the commercial ended, it ended with this question: "What do you have in your wallet?" And a lot of people are really concerned about what they have or they do not have in their wallets, that is for sure. But the truth of the matter is the more important question is what do you have in your heart? Our hearts are really and truly the most important parts of our being. As pastor said, I have preached for 52 years, and in fact, I was just asked this question this past week. Someone asked me, out of all the messages that you have preached over all these years, which do you think would be the one that you would nominate as number one that would be best for Christians to hear?

And I did not even hesitate. I said the message that I believe would be number one is the message that I preach from Proverbs 4 and verse 23, keeping the heart. The Bible says,

I have preached that message all over the country, but more importantly, I preach that message to myself practically every day. We are commanded in the Bible to keep our hearts with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. It's not my intent to re-preach that message tonight. However, if you've not heard it, I would encourage you to hear it. If you've heard it one time, I would encourage you to hear it several more times. I think it's that important. And I also have a series on heart preparation, which I would encourage you to hear as well. But we must understand that everything begins in our hearts. And without me going into a great detail, which I did in the message, "Keeping the Heart," let me just simply say this, that your heart is your mind. It is your understanding.

The Heart as the Fountain of Life

Explains that the heart is the mind and understanding, and all actions proceed from it, citing Luke 6:45 and Matthew 15:18-19.

However, if you've not heard it, I would encourage you to hear it. If you've heard it one time, I would encourage you to hear it several more times. I think it's that important. And I also have a series on heart preparation, which I would encourage you to hear as well. But we must understand that everything begins in our hearts. And without me going into a great detail, which I did in the message, "Keeping the Heart," let me just simply say this, that your heart is your mind. It is your understanding.

And let me show you how our Lord just kind of sets this up for us to understand. In Luke chapter 6, if you would notice, first of all, verse 45. Our Lord makes this very clear. Luke chapter 6, verse 45. Our Lord says,

So our Lord is just simply saying the heart is the fountain from which everything pours. Everything comes from the heart. A good man's going to bring out the treasure, a good treasure from his heart; an evil man's going to bring out an evil treasure from his heart. Everything comes from the heart. If you'd look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 15, beginning there with verse 15. Matthew chapter 15 and verse 15, notice if you would what our Lord says again to His disciples.

Now there are two statements here that we should pay exceedingly close attention to. First of all, our Lord says,

Whatever you say, however you act, is a revelation of what is in your heart. So your heart can be understood. Your heart can be seen by others because your mouth expresses basically what is in your heart and your life acts it out. I said it earlier. Your heart is the fountain from which everything else pours. Proverbs 4:23, "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." Everything is the outgoing of the life and it comes from the heart. The second thing I want you to notice, our Lord said in Matthew chapter 15, He said in verse 19,

Note if you would, He put evil thoughts first. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts.

And then He mentions murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Let me put it to you like this. You cannot commit an evil act without first having an evil thought. You always think about things before you do them. And so our Lord is saying that everything proceeds out of the heart. When you look back in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 29, you're going to see the context of this prayer that David is praying is found in the dedication of the wealth for the building of the temple. The temple was to be a most magnificent building built for God's honor and God's glory. Now, the truth of the matter is a lot of the wealth that came to build the temple came out of the spoils of war. If you would hold 1 Chronicles 29, but look back in 1 Chronicles chapter 26 and look at verse 27. Look what the Bible says, 1 Chronicles 26 and verse 27, because here the Bible says, "Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord." Now it is true that David acquired a great deal of wealth from his enemies, but also a lot of that money was given to the Lord and dedicated to the building and the maintaining of the temple.

Context of David's Prayer in 1 Chronicles 29

Describes the historical setting of David's prayer during the dedication of wealth for the temple, highlighting the immense generosity of David and the leaders.

And then He mentions murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Let me put it to you like this. You cannot commit an evil act without first having an evil thought. You always think about things before you do them. And so our Lord is saying that everything proceeds out of the heart. When you look back in your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 29, you're going to see the context of this prayer that David is praying is found in the dedication of the wealth for the building of the temple. The temple was to be a most magnificent building built for God's honor and God's glory. Now, the truth of the matter is a lot of the wealth that came to build the temple came out of the spoils of war. If you would hold 1 Chronicles 29, but look back in 1 Chronicles chapter 26 and look at verse 27. Look what the Bible says, 1 Chronicles 26 and verse 27, because here the Bible says, "Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord." Now it is true that David acquired a great deal of wealth from his enemies, but also a lot of that money was given to the Lord and dedicated to the building and the maintaining of the temple.

"Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal: the gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?" Now, what most people do not understand is this. When David said, "I have given over and above, over and above what I had acquired in battle, of my own proper good, I've given to the house of my God 3,000 talents of gold." If you will do a little research in a Bible encyclopedia, or if you will go online and you ask a question, "How much did a biblical talent weigh?" A talent weighed approximately 75 pounds.

Now, if you took the monetary value of gold today, let's just say $1,200 an ounce, at 16 ounces, that means a pound of gold would be worth $19,200. If you multiplied 75 times 3,000, you're going to come up with 225,000 pounds of gold. And if you were to multiply the price of gold today with what he just gave in the gold, it would come out to $4,320,000,000. And that didn't count the silver. And that didn't count anything else he gave.

Now, I realize that would be today's money. But the point I'm trying to make is when he gave, he gave. I want you to notice something else. Skip down to verse 6. David was not the only one. "Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly, and gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents, and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the Lord, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite." So the interesting thing is this, David is giving tremendously and very generously to the building of the house of God. Remember, everything was overlaid with gold, even the walls. And the princes and the rulers gave willingly as well. So when you get to verses 10 through 16, what you're doing or what you're reading here is where David is praying, but he is also praising the Lord and worshiping the Lord because they were able to give to God.

And here's the interesting thing. If you look in verse 16, here's what David said in his prayer: "O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build Thee an house for Thine holy name cometh of Thine own hand, and is all Thine own." So here's what David is saying: "Lord, we can't give You anything because You gave all of this to us originally, initially, and all we're doing is giving back what You gave us. It was already Yours." Now, the interesting thing is, in this prayer, David gives a very specific request, and I want you to look at verse 18. He says, "Now, in just a few minutes, I'm going to be explaining this verse."

But let me just tell you, when I was reading through 1 Chronicles recently, and I read this passage, there was a certain phrase in verse 18 that caught my eye, that immediately brought another passage of Scripture to my mind. Because he said in verse 18,

And I thought to myself, I remember seeing that phrase previously in the Bible. And if you will turn in your Bibles, holding 1 Chronicles 29, but look in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5. Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5. I want you to see this contrast. Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5. Note what the Bible says concerning the wickedness and the depravity of man. Genesis 6:5:

Isn't that amazing? He's talking about the imagination of the thoughts of the heart at Genesis 6:5. In 1 Chronicles 29, verse 18, he's talking about the imagination of the thoughts of the heart as well. I want you to understand Genesis 6:5 is what man is by nature. 1 Chronicles 29:18 is what man is by grace. Genesis 6:5 is the work of man. 1 Chronicles 29:18 is indeed the work of God. Genesis 6:5 is the product of man's depravity. 1 Chronicles 29:18 is the product of God's saving grace. Thus we understand now on the one hand you have depravity and on the other hand you have grace.

Contrasting Depravity and Grace in the Heart

Compares Genesis 6:5 (every imagination evil) with 1 Chronicles 29:18 (imagination of the thoughts of the heart kept by God), showing the difference between man by nature and man by grace.

But let me just tell you, when I was reading through 1 Chronicles recently, and I read this passage, there was a certain phrase in verse 18 that caught my eye, that immediately brought another passage of Scripture to my mind. Because he said in verse 18,

And I thought to myself, I remember seeing that phrase previously in the Bible. And if you will turn in your Bibles, holding 1 Chronicles 29, but look in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5. Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5. I want you to see this contrast. Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5. Note what the Bible says concerning the wickedness and the depravity of man. Genesis 6:5:

Isn't that amazing? He's talking about the imagination of the thoughts of the heart at Genesis 6:5. In 1 Chronicles 29, verse 18, he's talking about the imagination of the thoughts of the heart as well. I want you to understand Genesis 6:5 is what man is by nature. 1 Chronicles 29:18 is what man is by grace. Genesis 6:5 is the work of man. 1 Chronicles 29:18 is indeed the work of God. Genesis 6:5 is the product of man's depravity. 1 Chronicles 29:18 is the product of God's saving grace. Thus we understand now on the one hand you have depravity and on the other hand you have grace.

So the question automatically arises, what do you have in your heart? You're either going to have depravity or you're either going to have grace. And even as a Christian, if you answered, "Well, I have grace in my heart," but you must remember that we're sinners. And even as Christians, we can still have some depravity in our thoughts, just like we can have grace in our thoughts as well.

Now, I want you to look back at verse 18 of 1 Chronicles chapter 29, because David is giving this specific prayer request. He says, "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people, and prepare their hearts unto Thee." So, what is David asking for? Let me answer it generally, because I'm going to come back and answer it specifically. We could say that David was generally asking God to keep all of those good dispositions that were being revealed at this particular time in the hearts of his people. In other words, he was asking God to keep the spirit of generosity, the spirit of unselfishness, the spirit of cooperation, the spirit of willingness to worship and pray, to keep all this in their heart. David is asking God to fix in their lives, in their hearts, a holy disposition, a holy attitude, so that they will continually and consistently worship Him and Him alone. Interestingly, in verse 18, he ends that: "and prepare their heart unto Thee."

God Must Prepare the Heart

Teaches that God prepares the heart for prayer, study, repentance, and salvation, yet man has the responsibility to seek God's preparation, illustrated by Rehoboam, Jotham, and Ezra.

Now, I want you to look back at verse 18 of 1 Chronicles chapter 29, because David is giving this specific prayer request. He says, "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people, and prepare their hearts unto Thee." So, what is David asking for? Let me answer it generally, because I'm going to come back and answer it specifically. We could say that David was generally asking God to keep all of those good dispositions that were being revealed at this particular time in the hearts of his people. In other words, he was asking God to keep the spirit of generosity, the spirit of unselfishness, the spirit of cooperation, the spirit of willingness to worship and pray, to keep all this in their heart. David is asking God to fix in their lives, in their hearts, a holy disposition, a holy attitude, so that they will continually and consistently worship Him and Him alone. Interestingly, in verse 18, he ends that: "and prepare their heart unto Thee."

Has it ever dawned upon you that God has to prepare our hearts? You know, the Bible says in Proverbs 16, verse 1, "The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord." The preparation of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. It's absolutely true that God must prepare our hearts. Now, let me just say it plainly. If your heart is ever prepared to pray, God prepared it. If your heart is ever prepared to study, God prepared it. If your heart is ever prepared to witness, God prepared it. If your heart is ever prepared to repent, God prepared it. If your heart is ever prepared to come savingly to Jesus Christ, God prepared it. The Bible does tell us in John chapter 6 and verse 37, our Lord said, "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." Yes, the Bible does say that, but the same Lord that said that in John 6:37, also in John 6:44 said it like this: "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." What did He say? Yes, if you come, I'll not cast you out, because the only way you can come is if the Father draws you, because you have no ability on your own.

So if our hearts are prepared to come savingly to Christ, then He prepared it. Now, the interesting thing is this. We have a duty, we have an obligation, we have a responsibility to seek Christ to prepare our hearts. Let me say it like this. His is the ability. Ours is the responsibility. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to two passages. I want you to turn, first of all, to 2 Chronicles chapter 12, and then we're going to 2 Chronicles chapter 27. I want to show you a contrast here. 2 Chronicles chapter 12, and then we'll go to 2 Chronicles 27. In 2 Chronicles chapter 12 and verse 14, you're going to read about Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the son of Solomon, who was the son of David. So Rehoboam then is David's grandson. And Rehoboam was a fool. He was a tyrant. Look, if you would, 2 Chronicles chapter 12, verse 14. In fact, if you look at verse 13, just so you can see Rehoboam is in the context. "So King Rehoboam..." that's who we're talking about.

Now look in verse 14:

In other words, he did not ask God for faith or repentance or anything. He was just living his life, totally ignoring God, doing his own thing. If you look in your Bibles to 2 Chronicles chapter 27 in verse 6, here's another king, King Jotham. And the Bible says this, 2 Chronicles 27:6: "So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God." Well now I know the Bible says he prepared his ways, but you cannot prepare your ways before the Lord unless you prepared your heart before the Lord. Unless your heart is prepared, you're never, ever going to have your ways prepared. It's just that simple. So on the one hand, Rehoboam did not prepare his heart. On the other hand, Jotham did. Now you say, "I thought the preparations of the heart in man are from the Lord." That's true. But Jotham is the man who besought God to order his steps and direct his ways and to keep his heart.

Let me give you an illustration. Ezra in the book of Ezra chapter 7 in verse 10. The Bible says this:

So Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord. Well, how did Ezra do that? Well, I know the preparations of the heart in man are from the Lord, but on the other hand, what Ezra had to do was put aside everything else and say, "God, You have to give me understanding. You have to give me light." I'm going to sit here and I'm going to study. And by Your grace, I'm going to be able to teach Your law. You see, Paul told Timothy like this, 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 7: "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." Understanding is God's gift. But God does not give that gift willy-nilly. You don't go to bed dumb and wake up smart. You don't go to bed ignorant and wake up all of a sudden knowing the Word of God. No, no, no. You must consider what He said. And as you consider and as you study and as you meditate, you ask God to open your understanding and give you insight and to give you illumination and to give you truth.

That's how Ezra prepared his heart. You remember the passage in 1 Samuel chapter 7. Samuel was talking to Israel because the Israelites were fearful of the Philistines, and Samuel said this: "And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve Him only: and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." Now, how were they to prepare their hearts if the preparations of the heart in man are from the Lord? Well, the answer is very simple. They had to put away their false gods. If they didn't put away their false gods, it's very obviously they did not want God and they did not want Him to prepare their hearts to serve and to worship Him alone. So we have to come to the Lord and say, "Lord, I know only You can prepare my heart, but Lord, I have a duty. I have a responsibility to come to You and ask You to prepare my heart." That is our obligation, and God is not going to study for us. He's not going to turn from sin for us. He's not going to do that which He's commanded us to do.

First Request: Keep in Mind that God Tries the Heart

Explains that 'triest' means to examine, scrutinize, and test. God tests hearts to reveal what is in them, and believers should live conscious of His omniscient scrutiny.

Well, the answer is very simple. They had to put away their false gods. If they didn't put away their false gods, it's very obviously they did not want God and they did not want Him to prepare their hearts to serve and to worship Him alone. So we have to come to the Lord and say, "Lord, I know only You can prepare my heart, but Lord, I have a duty. I have a responsibility to come to You and ask You to prepare my heart." That is our obligation, and God is not going to study for us. He's not going to turn from sin for us. He's not going to do that which He's commanded us to do.

Now, David, in 1 Chronicles chapter 29, undoubtedly was asking God in this passage to confirm their hearts and to establish their hearts and to keep these people in constant faith and obedience. There can be no doubt of these desires. But I want you to watch verse 18 again, and then I want to show you what I have in mind tonight. Look in verse 18. He says, "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people, and prepare their heart unto Thee." So what is he asking when he says, "Keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people"? In order to understand what David is asking God to keep in the hearts of the people, you have to go back to verse 17. Look in verse 17. David said, "I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things."

"And now have I seen with joy Thy people which are present here to offer willingly unto Thee." Now here are two things that David is specifically asking God to keep in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of these people. First of all, in verse 17, he said, "I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart." In other words, here's what David is saying. We need to remember that God tries the heart. The Hebrew word for "triest" is the word "bachan," which literally means to examine, to try, to prove, to scrutinize, and to test. Has it ever dawned upon you that God scrutinizes your mind? He scrutinizes your understanding, and He will test that. He will examine that. He will prove what is in your mind and in your heart.

Not just for His knowledge, He already knows. He's omniscient. He knows everything. But you and I don't know what's in our mind sometimes. We think we do. We don't know what we're going to do under pressure. We don't know whether we will cave or not. We don't know whether we will stand or not. And other people may not know, but God will test us and God will try us and God will prove us to reveal to ourselves and to others what we're made of. Just read the book of Job. What did God say to Satan? "Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth?"

"A man that is upright and escheweth evil." Do you remember that passage in Genesis chapter 22 and verse 1? Where the Bible says, "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am." Notice if you would, the Bible said it came to pass that God did tempt Abraham. Now the word "tempt" there does not mean to entice or seduce into evil. God does not do that. You remember that passage in James chapter 1: "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." So God does not tempt anyone to do that which is wicked and wrong. So the word "tempt" there literally means to test. If you would hold 1 Chronicles 29, but look in your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1. And all through the Bible, we read about the trials and the testing of our faith. So look at it in 1 Peter 1, beginning at verse 6.

This is a very general passage, but the truth is here. 1 Peter 1, verse 6, he says, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations," or tests, or trials, "that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." So he's talking about the trial of your faith. That is the testing of your faith. Wow. Well, God did test Abraham. And God tests us. He tests all of His people. In fact, you're going to read about this testing over and over in Scripture. This trying of the heart. In fact, there's another word that's connected with the heart that you may not be familiar with. Let me show you. I want you to hold 1 Chronicles 29, but go back in your Bibles to the book of Psalms, or go over, I should say, to the book of Psalms.

Psalm 7 to begin with. Psalm 7. We'll look at several passages here. But I want you to see a word that probably you do not understand what it really means. You may, but here it is. Psalm 7, look in verse 9, one of my favorite verses, where David prays and he says,

What in the world are the reins? And why are the reins always connected with the heart? Look in Psalm 26 and verse 2. Psalm 26 and verse 2. David is praying and he asked God to examine him. He says this: "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart." Wow. Look in Psalm 73 and verse 21, and I'm just showing you a few passages. There are plenty more, but look in Psalm 73, verse 21. Here Asaph says it like this: "Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins."

Wow.

What are your reins? Look in Psalm 139 and verse 13. Psalm 139 and verse 13. Here it is again. David, in this beautiful psalm, says to God, "Thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb." So whatever the reins are, you had them ever since you were conceived, ever since you were born, or before you were even born. If you'll look in Jeremiah chapter 17, Jeremiah chapter 17, then I'll quote the last one for you. But look in Jeremiah chapter 17, and verse 10 at what God says specifically. Jeremiah 17, notice if you would please verse 10. Jeremiah 17:10, he says, "I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." Wow, you better think about this. "I, the Lord, search the heart. I try the reins." Why? Why will God test you? Why will God prove you? Why will God scrutinize you? "To give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."

Now, this word is used in the New Testament but it's a Greek word in the New Testament in Revelation 2 in verse 23. God says, "I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works." It's the same truth. God searches the hearts and the reins, that He might give to everyone according to their works. Every time you see the word "reins," R-E-I-N-S, in the Old Testament, each time it is from the same Hebrew word, "kilyah," and it literally is translated "reins," but it means kidneys. Kidneys. Sometimes the word is applied to the actual organ, a kidney, but most of the time the word is used to express the innermost feeling and the innermost thoughts and the innermost being of man. We do things differently.

than they did in Bible times. We think differently. One of my favorite Greek words is "splagchna." Usually, it's "splagchnizomai" when it's used. That's a part of the simple, "splagchna." The word "splagchna" means bowels. The Orientals always believed that the innermost being of man was in the bowels. Now for some reason Alice doesn't think it's romantic when I tell her I love her with all my bowels. She tells me she prefers the word "heart." But the Orientals use the word "bowels." And you'll find it translated like that in the Bible.

And so when God says He searches the hearts and the reins, He's just simply saying that everything that is in you, He searches, He scrutinizes, He tries. Now, let me tell you something, folks. If you want something that will change your life and will change your life on a daily basis, you keep in the imagination of the thoughts of your heart: every time a thought enters into your mind, God is scrutinizing my thoughts. He understands my thoughts. In fact, in the book of Ezekiel, God says this: "I know your thoughts, every one of them, even before they enter your mind." God knows what you're going to think before you ever think it. And He knows every thought that comes into your mind. If this truth never leaves you, it's going to change the way you live. It's going to change the way you think. In fact, you will understand what the Apostle Paul meant in Romans chapter 2 and verse 16 when he says, "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."

He says the secrets are going to be judged. Those secret thoughts that no one else knows that we have, God knows them. He knows every one of them. Every thought. And He knows when you entertain evil and wicked thoughts. He knows when you fight against evil and wicked thoughts. He knows when you turn from evil and wicked thoughts. He knows when you desire evil and wicked thoughts. The Bible says in Proverbs 17, verse 3, "The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts." The Lord tests, He scrutinizes, and proves, and examines the heart. David said, "O Lord, keep this in the understanding and the thoughts of the heart of Your people. You keep it in mind, let them keep in their minds that You search their hearts." I never will forget a story I read years ago about Mel Trotter. Mel Trotter was a drunk.

But the Lord tried the hearts. The Lord test his tests and scrutinizes and proves and examines the heart. David said, Oh, Lord, keep this. And the understanding and the thoughts of the heart of your people. You keep it in mind that let them keep in their minds that you search their hearts. I never will forget a story I read years ago about Mel Trotter. Mel Trotter was a drunk.

Second Request: Keep in Mind that God Has Pleasure in Uprightness

Defines uprightness as that which is straight, right, and His due. Pleasing God involves obedience and walking worthy, as seen in Colossians 1:10 and 3:20.

But the Lord tried the hearts. The Lord test his tests and scrutinizes and proves and examines the heart. David said, Oh, Lord, keep this. And the understanding and the thoughts of the heart of your people. You keep it in mind that let them keep in their minds that you search their hearts. I never will forget a story I read years ago about Mel Trotter. Mel Trotter was a drunk.

And he had slipped into where his baby was sleeping and stole the shoes off his baby and was taking them downtown to trade them for a drink of whiskey. And he passed a mission where people were singing. And the singing caught his attention. It was cold. He went in, sat down, listened to the singing. Then the preacher preached, and God opened his eyes and opened his heart and saved Mel Trotter. And Mel Trotter began a rescue mission for folks like him. But Mel Trotter got under conviction about a bunch of folks who were using an area for Lover's Lane. And so Mel Trotter would go down there at night and start preaching and banging on car doors and car windshields and preaching and tell people, "You're sinning against God, you're doing that which is wicked and wrong." And some would laugh, some would pay him attention, some would leave, most wouldn't. So Mel Trotter had a neon sign posted in that area, he had it put up.

And all it was, was an eyeball that blinked. And every time it blinked, the words came up, "Thou God seest me. Thou God seest me." And within a week, Lover's Lane was empty. You keep it in your mind that God knows everything, even that what you do secretly. It'll change the way you live. If you look back in 1 Chronicles 29, here's the second thing. This is what he wants kept in the people's mind. Notice if you would in verse 17, he said, "I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightness." God has pleasure in uprightness.

Let me tell you something. We are a pleasure-oriented people. We do what we do because it pleases us. It satisfies us. It makes us happy. But let me ask you a question. Have you ever purposely, deliberately, willingly acted in such a way to do something that you knew would please your Heavenly Father? Have you ever stopped to think that there are certain things that please God? When the Bible says in verse 17 that God has pleasure in uprightness, the word "pleasure" there is "ratzah," and it means that which is acceptable, that which is pleasing, that which is delightful, that which is favorable, and that which is approvable. So there are things that God approves of. There are things that delight God. There are things that are very favorable to God. Let me show you.

I want you to turn in your Bibles, holding 1 Chronicles 29, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Colossians chapter 1. Then we're going to Colossians chapter 3. I want you to see this. Look in the book of Colossians chapter 1. Paul is praying for these Colossian Christians. And here is just one of his prayer requests. Watch this. Colossians 1:10: "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." Now, wait a minute. "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." Have you ever really thought about pleasing the Lord? Have you ever really thought about giving Him pleasure? Have you ever thought about delighting His heart? Have you ever thought about rejoicing Him? Have you ever thought about doing something that you knew would please God, and you did it just to please Him? Wow. He said, "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God."

Now, I want you to look in Colossians 3 and verse 20. I want you to think with me now. We're talking about God having pleasure in uprightness. In Colossians 3 and verse 20, the Word of God says this: "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord." Wait a minute. Did you read what I just read? "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord." In other words, God has extreme delight when children are obedient to their parents. Wow.

Now, let me ask you a question. Well, the Bible says the Lord has pleasure in uprightness. What is uprightness? Well, the Hebrew word is "yosher," and it literally means that which is straight, that which is upright, that which is right, and that which is His due. Now, wait a minute. I want you to stop with me and think about this, please. If walking in uprightness pleases the Lord, how do we walk in uprightness? Well, the answer should be absolutely obvious.

We owe Him obedience and honor. It is His due. The Bible says, "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name." In other words, you have an obligation. You have a duty. You have a privilege to honor and to glorify God. We owe Him obedience. We owe Him submission. How much do we owe Him?

Now, look back, if you would, at verse 20 of Colossians chapter 3. Watch carefully. "Children, obey your parents in some things." No. "Children, obey your parents every now and then." No. "Children, obey your parents when you feel like it." No. "Children, obey your parents in all things." Why? "For this is well pleasing unto the Lord."

Now, let me ask you a question. If it is well pleasing unto the Lord if our physical children obey us in all things, how much more well pleasing is it to the Lord when His spiritual children obey Him in all things? If fleshly, earthly children owe obedience to their parents, how much more do we owe obedience to our Heavenly Father? And if earthly obedience to parents pleases Him, well pleases Him, how much more should our obedience to His Word and to His law please Him as well?

Now, if you look back at verse 10 in Colossians chapter 1, go back there. Look what he said: "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." Now, wait a minute. "Being fruitful in every good work." How can you be fruitful in every good work without obedience? And then he says, "and increasing in the knowledge of God." How can you increase in the knowledge of God without obedience? The truth is you can't. You can't.

Now, I want you to go back to 1 Chronicles 29, look in verse 17. I want to tie this together for you. I want you to watch this. Look in verse 17. Here's what David is saying. He said, "I know also, my Lord, that Thou triest the heart." You scrutinize, You test, You examine. "And I want that kept in the imagination and thoughts of the heart of Thy people." And he said, "I know that You have pleasure in uprightness. I want that kept in the thoughts and imagination and heart of Your people."

And then he makes this statement: "As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things." What? What did he just say? "As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart, I have willingly offered these things." Here's what he just got through saying. "Lord, You examine the heart. You scrutinize the heart. You test, You know everything. And so, Lord, I can stand before You and honestly and truthfully say in the uprightness of my heart, I've done this for Your pleasure, for Your honor, and Your glory." And then he goes on to say, "And now I have seen with joy Thy people who are present here to offer willingly unto Thee." In other words, they were doing exactly the same things. That's why he said in verse 18, "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this, keep this, this truth that You try the heart, that You have pleasure in righteousness and uprightness, keep this in the imagination of the thoughts of their heart forever." Wow. Have you ever done what David did?

Application: Praying for Self-Examination and Walking Uprightly

Encourages praying Psalm 139:23-24 for God to search the heart, and emphasizes that awareness of God's scrutiny leads to upright living, with comfort for the godly and terror for the wicked.

And then he makes this statement: "As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things." What? What did he just say? "As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart, I have willingly offered these things." Here's what he just got through saying. "Lord, You examine the heart. You scrutinize the heart. You test, You know everything. And so, Lord, I can stand before You and honestly and truthfully say in the uprightness of my heart, I've done this for Your pleasure, for Your honor, and Your glory." And then he goes on to say, "And now I have seen with joy Thy people who are present here to offer willingly unto Thee." In other words, they were doing exactly the same things. That's why he said in verse 18, "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this, keep this, this truth that You try the heart, that You have pleasure in righteousness and uprightness, keep this in the imagination of the thoughts of their heart forever." Wow. Have you ever done what David did?

Or have you done what David did, I should say. He evidently did it more than once, but if you will look in your Bibles to Psalm 139—in fact, we read about it a little bit earlier, but look if you would in Psalm 139 beginning there verse 23. Psalm 139 verse 23. Look what David prays. Now, here's the question. When is the last time you have prayed this prayer? David prays in Psalm 139, verse 23: "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Have you ever asked God to search your heart? Have you ever asked God to show you what is in your heart? I usually tell people, there are two prayer requests you should always make. And you should never make one without the other. The first one is this. You could pray, "Lord, show me myself." I want to tell you something, folks. If God ever opens your eyes to your sinfulness, your disobedience, your wickedness, your depravity, if God ever allows you to see what you are in and of yourself, it would be enough to drive you absolutely insane.

Do you remember what Isaiah said? Isaiah chapter 6: "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple." And you remember the seraphim with six wings? "With twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory." When you get down to verse 5, what does it say? "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." Woe is me! I am undone. If you ever see yourself, you'll say, "Woe is me." The second one you need to see and you need to pray is, "Lord, show me Thyself."

Because when you see His beauty, His grace, His mercy, and when you see the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin, now you're not in despair. Now you know that He is your hope, your only hope. David said, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts." You know, so many times, folks, listen to me. So many times we think we're really serving God. We're doing His business. And God opens our eyes. And we're only serving ourselves. We think we're doing something for His honor and His glory. Next thing you know, God opens your eyes. You're doing it for the praise and the recognition of man. You're not doing it for God.

Remember, the Bible says in Jeremiah 17, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins." Lord, show me myself. Lord, show me Thyself. You know, David said it like this in Psalm 51 in verse 6, and that's when he was confessing his sin. He said, "Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom." Thou desirest truth in the inward parts. I tell people, I've had people come to me and say, "Brother Weaver, you know, there are times I just don't feel like praying. There are times I don't feel like studying." There are times, you know, they go by their feelings, but that's the tone they use. And you know what I tell them? I said, "You know, you might as well go ahead and pray and just tell God about your feelings and about your reticence and about your coldness and about your hardness, because He already knows it. So you might as well be honest."

"Thou desirest truth in the inward parts." Certainly one would desire truth and uprightness in his heart and mind if he understood and if he kept in mind that God searches the reins and the hearts. God is searching you tonight. He never ceases. He is omniscient. He is omnipresent. He is omnipotent. He is infinite. He is immutable. He is eternal. He is the sovereign God of heaven and earth. You cannot escape Him.

David said, "Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me." You can't escape God. And you can't escape the searching eye of God. I want you to turn to Isaiah 33. I want you to see this. I could read it to you. I could quote it, but I want you to see it. I want you to look in Isaiah 33. If you want to be blessed of the Lord, you better remember that God searches your heart and your mind. You better remember that God has pleasure in uprightness, and you better order your life accordingly. If you look in Isaiah chapter 33, and let's begin reading there, Isaiah chapter 33, and let's begin reading there with verse 14. Watch what he says. "The sinners in Zion are afraid," and they should be if they understand that God searches the hearts and God has pleasure in uprightness. "The sinners in Zion are afraid."

"Fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Those are good questions. And now notice what he says in verses 15 and 16: "He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; he," that man who is obedient, that man who obeys God, "he shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off." And the only way you're really going to ever obey verses 15 and 16 is to remember that God searches your heart and that God has pleasure in uprightness.

of defense shall be the munitions of the rock, bread shall be given to him, his water shall be sure, thine eyes shall see the king and his beauty, and they shall behold the land that is far off." And the only way you're really going to ever obey verses 15 and 16 is to remember that God searches your heart and that God has pleasure in uprightness. Now let me make just a couple of applications. I want you to listen. It is a great satisfaction to a godly man to know that God scrutinizes and examines his desires and motives. And I've got news for you. There have been a number of times in my life that I fell back upon the omniscience of God. There have been times that I've actually tried to help people, and it blew up in my face. I've tried to do what was right, and it turned out wrong.

And what I have to do is this. I have to come to the Lord and say, "Lord, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it to happen like this. I didn't mean it to turn out like this. It was not my desire. Lord, You know my heart. You know my motives. You know my desires. And Lord, it's just You. I would not have had that to happen for the world."

I had no control of it. I tried to do what was right. It turned out wrong. You can't live for everybody else, and you can't make anyone do that which is right. You just can't. And you can try to do what's right, but if they want to do what's wrong, it's going to backfire. That's all there is to it. You know, Peter understood this. You remember Peter denied the Lord three times. You remember that? And when you get to John chapter 21, three times, our Lord asked Peter, "Peter, lovest thou Me more than these?" "Yea, Lord." "Yea, Lord." The third time, Jesus Christ said, "Peter, lovest thou Me more than these?" The Bible said, Peter, being grieved, said, "Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee."

There's the omniscience of God. "Lord, You've examined, You've tried, You've scrutinized my heart. You know that I love You." I want you to understand something, folks. This truth absolutely terrifies the wicked. When a wicked man ever perceives that God scrutinizes him and that God knows his every desire and every motive and that God will hold him absolutely accountable and answerable in the day of judgment, it'll terrify him. This truth is a comfort and consolation to the people of God and a consternation to the enemies of God. Here's a second application. If we desire to please God,

we must learn to walk uprightly in our lives. We have to do what's right. If everybody else does wrong, it doesn't matter. The Lord has pleasure in uprightness. So let me ask you a question. What is in your heart? Depravity or grace? And you say, "I'm a Christian. Grace is in my heart." Do you ever see him? Do you ever have an evil thought? You ever have an unbiblical motive or desire? Oh, yeah. So you have to ask yourself, whenever any thought comes in your mind or any subject comes up, what is in my mind?

Is it something that is humanistic and wicked and depraved? Or is it something biblical and scriptural and righteous? You know something, folks? You can't think about but one thought at a time. That's all. And you have to find out whether that one thought is biblical or unbiblical. You can deal with yourself one thought at a time. I have dreamed things that were not right. And I would wake up, and in the middle of the night, I would say, "Oh Lord, I don't know why I dreamed that. I don't want that. I refuse that. I will not think about that. Lord, control my mind even while I sleep. Do not let those thoughts come into my mind." You can only think of one thought at a time.

So you have to determine, is it depravity or is it grace? What is in your heart? What is in your heart is more important than what is in your wallet. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. O Lord, help us to remember that You search our hearts, You scrutinize us, and that You have pleasure in uprightness. Lord, keep this in the thoughts and the imagination of the hearts of this Thy people, that they may walk uprightly and fear Thee and honor Thee and glorify Thee and worship Thee in spirit and in truth. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.