Facing Myself with God 

by: Carole L. Haines 

 Taking a journey deep into my own heart has been one of the scariest things I have had to do. After all, the Bible tells us: 

“The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9) 

Yet the lord has shown me this is only half the story. As I have been called to face my inner self, with all its selfishness, fear and the like, God has had to hold my hand and show me that the only way out is through. I had to see these things so I would know I couldn’t change myself. I would never venture into your own heart without holding the hand of God. But the only way out of our destructive patterns and choices, is to go through them with God. The other half of the “heart” story was shown to me in the Book of 1 John.
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. (1 John 3:18-20)

I have given the whole passage for context, but they key verse about the heart I have italicized. God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Since God is greater than my desperately sick heart, I don’t need to be afraid to journey there and see it with His Guidance and Mercy. The heart must be examined by God and we must look at what He shows us. The only way out is through, and we should never try to go through this journey alone. We need to walk with a few close companions who are also holding God’s hand and journeying through their own heart.  

God desires to set us free from all that keeps us from fully receiving His love. He desires to fill us up with His love so that we can spill out all over the world, this wonderful Love of God. But the journey cannot be completed without a trek through our own heart and this trek is scary.  If you have sensed that your heart is in need of some major God-surgery, but are afraid to venture there alone, good! You shouldn’t venture there alone.  The heart is desperately sick but God is greater than our heart and already knows what lies there to be discovered. Take His hand and walk the journey with Him.  Joy and freedom await on the other side. I know, I am walking that path right now and finding tremendous peace and freedom through facing myself with God.