Painting the Heart
“Take to heart all the words…”
A good painting contractor was hired to paint an old building. The first thing he did was to remove all the layers of old paint with a very potent water compressor. Secondly he covered all the holes with new concrete, until the entire exterior surface was smooth again.
Having done all this preparatory work, he began to apply a special paint called “sealer” for weather protection. Finally, he applied several coats of paint, and the old building now looked brand new, and extremely beautiful.
Our hearts can sometimes be like that old, ugly building. The “walls” of our souls become tarnished by sin, and even after confession there are scars from our shortcomings and trespasses.
Confession is the spiritual compressor that God uses to remove our daily impurities. Even though we are positionally forgiven from all sins, the fact is that we still sin often; and that sin adheres so firmly to our hearts, that only true confession can get rid of it.
After confession comes the application of God’s Word to our lives. The Holy Spirit, who is the seal of our eternal salvation (Ephesians 1:13) cleanses and restores us with the Word. As the Israelites were commanded to “take to heart all the words…” so must we, the true believers in Christ, allow God to “paint” or renew our hearts with the Word. But remember that we must apply all the words of the Lord, not only those we like or prefer.
