Open your heart to the Lord
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Mt. 15,8)
One soldier stayed on a post at the entrance to military unit. Suddenly he hears: there is a car, he looked and saw that there has arrived the person on duty, severe enough captain. The soldier has become straight and has risen on a rack "quietly". The captain looked at him and told: «Listen, the good fellow, your honor isn't necessary to me, open to me a collar that I could drive on military unit territory». The soldier ran to open gate.
So many people, calling the Christians, do the same with Jesus Christ. They salute Him in the different ways, but their hearts are closed for Him. They pray to Him, glorify Him, sing to Him, but the doors of their hearts are closed for Him. What for are our honors to Jesus Christ if we don't give Him a due place in our hearts?
In the Jewish language a word meaning "heart" not quite coincides with its value in modern European languages. The physiological meaning is, of course, identical. But other values are rather excellent. A word "heart" causes representation in us only about feelings. In the Jewish language a word "heart" designates «internal essence of the person» in very wide sense. The word "heart" includes not only feelings (Ps. 21,2), but also memoirs and thoughts, intentions and decisions. God gave a heart to people to think. Psalms tell about «thoughts of hearts» of God: “The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations” (Ps. 32,11). Width of heart (1 King 4,29) means width of knowledge, «give your heart to me» (Prov. 23,26) can mean «be attentive to my words and enter your heart for Me », and «fierce heart» speaks about a dull brain.
Jesus Christ wants, we give Him a due place in our hearts. He speaks: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3,20).
P.Shatrov