During one of the times I woke up in the night, I heard this song playing on BBN, “Mine Eye Affects My Heart.” The thought for this song is taken out of Lamentations 5. Verses forty-seven through fifty-one say, “47Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction. 48Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. 49Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, 50Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven. 51Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.”
When we see the heartache, fear, and destruction of people, does our eye affect our heart? One thing that comes to mind is the recent terror attack in Manchester, England. At the end of a pop concert, as people were leaving, there was an explosion that took the lives of at least twenty-two people and injured more than fifty others. This was apparently done by a suicide bomber, who also died in the attack. It appears that the bomb was a nail bomb, which is especially effective and deadly. More details about the attack can be found here.
Now some may say, “Well, they were attending a pop concert, a place to fulfill desires of the flesh. They deserved the judgment of God.” Think a minute. Do we not all deserve the judgment of God because we are all sinners and the wages of sin is death? (See Romans 6:23a) And do we not like to fulfill the desires of our flesh too? For example, suppose I want a piece of chocolate cake. There is nothing wrong with that in itself, but what is my attitude toward it? I want that piece of cake, and I want it right now. Why? Because it tastes good and makes me feel good. It fulfills a craving and a desire. Going to pop concerts, and many other such things, fulfills cravings and desires as well. We may argue that some of these are wrong in themselves. Nevertheless, it does not change the fact that the cravings and desires for these things have the same pull on the flesh. If the people doing these things are lost, then it should not be shocking or a surprise that they should want to do them.
As believers, the thing that should break our hearts is that lost people who pursue the pleasures of sin and die in their lost state are lost forever. Each one is a soul that enters a Christless eternity. Each soul that died in the Manchester attack is a soul that went out into eternity somewhere. Where did they go? How many of them entered into a Christless eternity?
Another thing, particularly in certain areas of our own nation, is the influence of alcohol and drugs. The wasting of a life on such empty pleasures brings with it many heartaches – loss of friends (some because they got killed), broken marriages, neglected children, violence and fighting, and much more. Why do people do these things? Because they do not know the Savior, and their lives are empty. They are trying to fill them, but the vain pleasures they pursue each day to fill up the emptiness in their hearts only leaves them more empty than before. Does our eye affect our heart when we realize that each one of these people is a lost soul on their way to a Christless eternity?
What about the homosexuals and lesbians and transgenders? Do we as Christians look at them as if they were sinners above others? Have we forgotten that if we had not repented we would all likewise perish? (See Luke 13:3,5) Many of these folk have grown up hurting and starving for love. They are looking and longing for true love. But, since the love they are partaking of is a love outside of God’s plan, they cannot find a love that satisfies. Have we thought of telling them about a God who is love and who has a love that satisfies? Does our eye affect our heart as we realize that each of these individuals is a lost soul on its way to a Christless eternity?
Does our eye affect our heart when we see the condition of the church and of those who claim to be Christians? In our neighborhood, there are many who have connections with “religion.” Some even go or have gone to church. They may have relatives who are preachers. However, they have a wrong view of several things:
A wrong view of true Christianity
A wrong view of righteousness,
and most importantly,
A wrong view of God.
Why do people have this wrong view? Is it because some who claim to know Christ have shown them this wrong view? Or perhaps we have failed ourselves to show them the right view so they continue to believe the wrong view?
Does our eye affect our heart when we realize that some people in America are religious and think they know God and think they believe in Jesus but really are lost souls headed for a Christless eternity?
Does our eye affect our heart when we realize how much the church, we as Christians, have become cold and apathetic and think that we are rich and in need of nothing and have forgotten that we need God? “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13) Though we have an endless supply of Living Waters as a source of satisfaction, we continually drink from our own supply. Are we lacking joy? Are we lacking strength? Are we lacking courage? Are we lacking a desire to know God more and more? Do we think we have enough spiritually? Then we are drinking from our own cisterns.
Does our eye affect our heart when we see the church and our own hearts in such a state?
Does our eye affect our heart when we see that God’s people have worked to establish their own standard of holiness and that we have forgotten God’s command, “Be ye holy; for I am holy”? (See I Peter 1:15,16) Holy, pure, undefiled, clean. Does that describe us as Christians in America?
Does our eye affect our heart when we see that we have soiled our garments and have a false sense of holiness?
Is it any wonder that our land is filled with desolations and destructions? Think of all the things that have happened in just the last couple years – fires, floods, tornadoes, shootings and increase of violence. The lost are still lost. The wicked are still wicked. They have always been this way. But when a society fails morally, is it because the lost have become more wicked, or is it because the people of God have left their first love and pursued after the desires of their own heart? Is it because we have started leaning on our own strength and forgotten that we need God? Just like the lost person, we who have not walked in the fear of the Lord and have leaned unto our own understanding are in need of the Holy Spirit to convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment. And we need to get right with God.
Does our eye affect our heart when we realize how far away we have gotten from God?
Does my eye affect my heart? What do I plan to do about it?
Here is the answer and here is hope, “21This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD… 56Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. 57Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. 58O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.” (from Lamentations chapter three)
First, I must remember the LORD’s mercies. They are new every morning. He is full of mercy and compassion. That is why I am not consumed. I could be dead, but I am not because God is full of compassion and has mercy on me every morning.
God is faithful. Great is His faithfulness. No matter how I fail, God never fails. God is faithful.
The LORD is my portion. He is what satisfies my soul. He is enough. Therefore I will hope in Him.
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him. The LORD is good to the one who seeks Him. When I remember this goodness, I can both hope and quietly wait for the LORD to bring salvation. I can have assurance. He has heard my voice. He will not hide His ear from my cry or even from my breathing (a quiet prayer that has no words). He hears it all. When I call to Him, He draws near and assures my heart saying, “Fear not.” God is the One that pleads the causes of my soul. God is the One who redeems my life.
Lord, help me seek Your face and call upon You because You hear, You care, You answer prayer, and You satisfy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
I’ll Lend A Hand
1. I’ve heard the call ringing far and wide,
“Who’ll come and work for the Lord today?
Who’ll feed the hungry and clothe the poor?
Who’ll find the lost that are gone astray?”
Chorus:
I’ll lend a hand in the work of the Lord;
I’ve heard the call, and ready I stand;
Gladly to seek and to rescue the lost,
I’ll lend a hand, lend a hand.
2. I’ll lend a hand in the church of God,
Some work is waiting for me to do;
Ready for service or sacrifice,
I’ll join the ranks of the faithful few.
3. O let us work while the days go by,
Striving to lighten the world’s despair,
Winning the hearts that are filled with sin,
Leaving the joy of salvation there!
~Lanta Wilson Smith
“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” (John 9:4)
Turn Again to the Lord