Sprinkle My Heart

^NAU 1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen ² according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

2 Corinthians 6:16 For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

Observation: At the heart of the sanctuary is a cleansing of the heart. The apostle Peter tells us we were chosen by God's foreknowledge and by the sanctifying work of the Spirit to be obedient to Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood. And, the writer of Hebrews tells us specifically that it is our hearts that are to be sprinkled with the blood of Christ:

Hebrews 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Hebrews 10:19-22 ¹⁹ Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

In the sprinkling of the heart comes the cleansing of the conscience. Christ tells us that it is out of the heart that "evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and slander" comes (Matthew 15:19). It is God's desire to change all this by sprinkling our hearts with the blood of His son Jesus. Cleansing our conscience through His perfect life. And a cleansed conscience means new cravings, new priorities, new decisions.

In the sanctuary we find provision for the cravings of this life… For the hunger of our hearts, the table of shewbread (Hebrew leḥem pānīm, literally 'bread of the face (of God).') points to Jesus the bread of life. For the longing of our eyes, the 7 branched candlestick points to Christ, the light of the world. For our ceaseless quest for intimacy, the alter of incense points to the Lamb of God who loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. And, for our undying pursuit of success and significance the ark of the covenant points to our hearts, that Most Holy Place within us (Proverbs 4:23), where our Most Holy God desires to dwell:

Proverbs 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

1 Peter 3:15-16 sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; ¹⁶ and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.

Colossians 3:15 ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Application: I am God's temple. My heart, where my conscience is found, is the Most Holy Place in which He desires to dwell. My heart is where my desires are born; it is that part of me where my cravings and longings seethe. And it is here, at the heart of my hunger, my longing, my thirst, and my devotion that Jesus Christ desires to reign as Savior, Priest, Lord, and King.

His promise is: ^NRS Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. He is calling me hunger for Him; longing to see His works in my life. He offers me the thirst quenching waters of His Spirit. And invites me to the deep, soul satisfying communion of His presence. His guarantee is new desires as I delight in Him.

Prayer: Father I don't need what I desire. I need the desires You want to place within me. Desires for truth, righteousness, and self-sacrifice. I long for goodness to be my greatest longing, and purity to be my grandest hope. I want to hunger for health, balance, and simplicity. I want to celebrate kindness, compassion, and unselfishness in my life. The heart of my need is a matter of the heart - a pure and clean conscience that is attentive and obedient to Your voice.

Wash me Jesus. Cleanse me. Cause me to walk in Your ways and long for Your will to be accomplished in me no matter the cost.

Let the Words of My Mouth...

Closely connected with Christ's warning in regard to the sin against the Holy Spirit is a warning against idle and evil words. The words are an indication of that which is in the heart. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." But the words are more than an indication of character; they have power to react on the character. Men are influenced by their own words. Often under a momentary impulse, prompted by Satan, they give utterance to jealousy or evil surmising, expressing that which they do not really believe; but the expression reacts on the thoughts. They are deceived by their words, and come to believe that true which was spoken at Satan's instigation. Having once expressed an opinion or decision, they are often too proud to retract it, and try to prove themselves in the right, until they come to believe that they are. It is dangerous to utter a word of doubt, dangerous to question and criticize divine light. The habit of careless and irreverent criticism reacts upon the character, in fostering irreverence and unbelief. Many a man indulging this habit has gone on unconscious of danger, until he was ready to criticize and reject the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." The Desire of Ages, p. 323

Observation/Application: From early childhood God has sought to speak to me about words. The first verse of Scripture I ever remember being taught was Psalm 19:14:

Let the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

My Grandmother Moon taught me this verse... I called her Nani. She was a woman of kind words and caring works. She fed me lentils, she rubbed my head, she prayed with me. It's sad to think she is gone. But her legacy lingers. It is a legacy of faith. A legacy that reminds me to watch my words. A legacy that speaks to my heart this morning with a message of humility: Speak with thoughtfulness. Speak with reverence. Speak honor to your Father in heaven by the way you speak to your brethren.

Prayer: O Jesus I thank You for Nani. Thank You for the kind words she spoke to me in my formative years. Thank You for the days I sat at her table and ate of her grace toward me. Thank you for her rough hands rubbing my scalp. Thank You for the love you extended to me through her. Thank You for her gentle rebuke when she would say to me "O Jimmy!" When I was in her presence I knew I was loved.

Father I confess to you that my words have not always been loving. Many times they have been critical, harsh, doubting, and bitter. Lord, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks!" I yield the bitterness of my heart to you this morning. Lord take my fears... Father take my distrust... Lord Jesus change my heart. Restore unto me the joy of Your salvation and let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy Sight. Forgive me I pray.