Sep 1 2019 I Kings 8: 22-30

Then hear in heaven your dwelling place, forgive, act, and render to all whose hearts you know-according to all their ways, for only you know what is in every human heart

King Solomon is appealing to God. He’s praying that if there are famines, locusts, blight or any number of calamities that befall the people because they distance themselves from God, that when they turn and make a plea to God, that God would hear them and respond accordingly. He prays that God alone knows our hearts, and as a result, God alone should render judgment.

I am grateful that God can see into human hearts. God knows our intentions, and God forgives and acts based on what’s really in our hearts. I am grateful that God knows. I am frustrated that I do not. That I’m not given insight into intentions. That I’m not the final judge of all.

My sick loved one has ideas that they’re an internet star, an influencer. Unfortunately, that’s sort of become true. In online conversations with a social media ‘influencer’ and musician , my loved one has become the brunt of a viral video, with 750K views. The original conversation wasn’t horrible. but the video was copied, and shared and reshared and reshared, and the comments are less than kind. My loved one is ecstatic, as their personal social medial presence is ‘exploding’, with thousands of new followers in the past 2 days. And they are an influencer now. It’s hard to tell how much of the negative comments are hitting home; I don’t believe many are. The story they’re telling themself is so positive, and good, and absent any illness. I’m extremely grateful for their happiness. And I’m feeling a little judgmental about all the people commenting and laughing. 

Today, I’m feeling like I should be able to judge. And yet. I genuinely believe God is the only one who can see into human hearts, and render judgment. It’s definitely easier to believe in my heart when life is rosy. But today it’s all the more important to hold fast to that belief. God is the only one who can see into human hearts. God is the only one who can appropriately judge. God is the only one who can turn hardened hearts back to love.

To be sure, it’s hard to fully embrace that idea, when I’m feeling a bit of righteous indignation. But honestly, there’s something very freeing, to hold tight to that belief – today of all days.

This morning, I’m thinking about how liberating it is to loose the weight of being the judge and jury, and about how wonderful it is to be challenged by those statements of faith precisely when it’s hardest to hear. Because I have faith in a God that can see into everyone’s hearts, and profess that Christ is in all people, it’s oddly easy to let the deep desire to judge go. God will do a much better job than I can do anyway. And today, I need to know and believe that God can see into my heart and my intentions.