Jeremiah 17:10
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.
*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 3629
Reins: kidney
From the Hebrew word 'kilyah' (pronounced kil-yaw'). Figuratively speaking, considered the seat of emotion and affection; where the character of a person is thought to originate; the mind, the interior self.
THE LORD IS MY JUDGE
Psalm 26:2
Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
Jeremiah 20:12
O LORD of Hosts, who examines the righteous, who sees the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You I have committed my cause.
Even before I meet Him face to face, God judges my heart and my mind now to see if I have been faithful to Him. He knows my thoughts, He sees my heart. Therefore, in my decision to follow Christ, I must also control not only what I think, but how I think.
Cursing the person who cuts us off in traffic is not Christ-like. And, yes, calling them names is not Christ-like either. Just roll with it. Getting angry at rude people is not Christ-like. Where is the compassion? Where is the mercy? Why condemn when we can forgive?
I am a slow-moving woman. While I do not drive any more, I am a passenger. And I have the tendency to be frustrated at other drivers. So, I need to watch myself. I need to be more prepared to be in the midst of rude, selfish, inattentive people and not be one of them.
This includes indoor traffic. Like, say, grocery shopping. People whip around me like I'm not even there. Because I'm slow. And my little scooter irritates them. Even here I need to show compassion and understanding. Why? That my witness, my testimony not be tainted. The Lord Is My Strength. He hears my thoughts. He knows my heart. And because I belong to Him I am accountable for both aspects to Him.
MY REINS
I don't always know what I'm thinking. I used to do things without thinking. Scary thought! Careful thought is given to how I may serve God and others, but seldom do I think carefully on how best to take care of myself. I'm still learning to not only think for myself, but to make wise choices after careful thought.
Psalm 19:12 "Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults." Hidden faults. There are hidden thoughts in me. Not always knowing my own mind how can I know what is hidden in my reins, my mind? So say I, too, "Lord, cleanse me from my hidden faults."
Job 13:23 "How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin." Show me, Lord, where I am doing You wrong, where my errors lie. Reveal the sin in me and remove it far from me. For I do not want anything to separate me from You.
MY HEART
Psalm 17:3 "You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress."
Psalm 39:1 "I said, "I will watch my ways so that I will not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are present."
What is in the heart comes out of the mouth. Again, many times without us even thinking about it. It is another reason we need The Lord to fill us with His Word, that His Word would take root and grow in us: filling our hearts and our minds with Himself. For He is a patient God. A loving God. A forgiving God. A just God. A compassionate God. A merciful God. A faithful God.
When God looks on our hearts, what does He see? Does He see His own image or does He see a deceitful heart? When God listens to our thoughts, can He hear us glorifying Him or are we displeasing to Him, causing Him to turn His face away from us?
David wrote in Psalm 26:1 that he had walked with integrity, that he had trusted the Lord without wavering. Have we walked with integrity, with uprightness of heart? Have we faithfully obeyed God, trusted in Him with all of our hearts, our minds, our souls the way He wants us to trust Him?
Deuteronomy 6:4, 5
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."
All our hearts. All our souls. All our strength. Is to be dedicated to loving The Lord our God. All of His people. All of the time.
THE LORD REWARDS
Job 34:11
"For according to a man's deeds He repays him; according to a man's ways He brings consequences."
Isaiah 40:10
"Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and His arm establishes His rule. His reward is with Him, and His recompense accompanies Him."
Matthew 16:27
"For the Son of Man will come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done."
Revelation 22:12
"Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done."
Think on this: will we be rewarded for our faithfulness and enter into the joy of The Lord? or will we be found wanting and sent into utter darkness, away from the presence of The Eternal God? It's actually our decision. We have free will, the ability to choose. Our decisions, what we think and how we behave, are ours to make. Let us watch and pray. Watch not only ourselves, but for His return. Let us open ourselves up to God completely, allowing Him to show us the error of our ways and surrendering completely to His ways.
My Portion by Mark Barlow
Let This Heart Not Wander by Young Oceans
Jesus At The Center by Darlene Zschech
I Give You My Heart by Hillsong
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