By F. D. Adkins
A couple of years ago while we were still building our house, I hopped off of the front door threshold to the ground where our porch is now. I thought I had only twisted my ankle, but since the swelling and bruising were so extreme, I finally went to the doctor. I had never had a broken bone before, so I had no idea what the symptoms would be.
In the beginning, the doctor believed it only to be a sprain as well and had already given me instructions on how to care for a sprained ankle. Yet, when the results came back from the radiologist, the x-ray revealed a cracked bone in the top of my foot. Apparently, when I landed, the bone in my foot cracked, which led to ankle twisting and my collision with the dirt. Without the x-ray, even the doctor could not determine if it was a break or a sprain.
However, when it comes to the state of our hearts, God knows all. When Jesus returns for His children, no X-ray or technology will be required. He knows all, and no one can hide from the Father. In Luke 16:12, Jesus says to the Pharisees who were deriding Him, “…Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (KJV).
My Bible verse for last week was Mark 8:38, in which Jesus says, “Whosoever therefore be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when He cometh in the glory of the Father with the holy angels” (KJV). As I studied and memorized this verse, my mind scanned through the number of circumstances in which we find ourselves in today’s world: those circumstances where we have to decide whether we will accept the world’s norm and blend with the crowd or if we will shine for Jesus and stand up for His Word. According to the Word of God, we cannot ride the fence. We are told in Revelation 3:16, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” We cannot live to please the world and please God. We cannot half-heartedly give our lives to Jesus. This behavior makes God sick.
When Jesus returns, there will be no hiding the true status of our hearts. So, are our hearts truly on fire with the love of Jesus? Can others visibly see us bearing spiritual fruit? Are we standing for Him in this dark world?
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15 KJV
