It’s A Heart Condition – The Standard. . .

by Alissa Lynne Griffith
(Pittsburgh, PA)

Isaiah 59:19 - So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

As I watched the movie “The Bible” made by John Huston, the scene where God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac came on and I had to stop the movie to write because the scene hit me hard. It showed Abraham crying out “NO” to God as he allows it to register what God just asked him to do, to give up his only son for God.

The actual bible (Genesis Chapter 22) makes no mention of Abraham saying anything, just obedience but I felt moved on the aspect of the heart.

It was a trying day, I did not want to go to my home church because of my own thoughts and just been feeling some kind of way, yet God has been working on my hearth through these lessons, and all week has been a rough week in our home as the battles of the heart have been raging.

God does not give me a word without going through the test of the word, so as we went through the week things have been attacking so hard, but the heart keeps pumping. It was a week when I knew it was nothing but the attack of satan because of the tasks that lie ahead and the lessons that were needed to get there. It was part of changing the heart from the heart of man to the heart of God.

At church our Pastor started her heart series, I already knew it was coming due to our conversation a month prior as she confirmed this series of lessons for me too – for God told me a month prior and I was dragging my feet because who really wants to look into their own heart. The word went forth and I was thankful that it did not cut too deep but motivated me to dig more – UNTIL the ride home!

The words came and went, but the pain abided. It was clear that this is yet the tip of the learning to change ones heart from the heart of man to the heart of God. My Pastor during her sermon showed us two apples – one was shiny, read and whole – it represented a heart – a good one. The second one was the same until you turned it around for it had a bite out of it and she said she needed a third one that was just the core.

Now let us go back to the movie, as I saw the scene in the movie, it became clear to me that we can have the heart like the first two apples and still say “No” to the Lord for the tasks that lay ahead as we will do what He asks of us just like the parable of the two sons in Matthew 21:28-32 for as long as we have the heart of the first son we do His will and our hearts will heal. Yet the heart of the second son is the apple ate to the core and we risk never returning from that.

Matthew 21:28-32 (KJV) - But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

The Lord reminded me that He has given us a measure of faith for us to move past the things in our lives – to live the word of God. He has given us the ability to raise the standard in Him when the enemy comes in like a flood to steal what God has given us – He has created n us a clean heart with a renewed spirit and mind for Him daily if we allow Him to do so.

Romans 12:2-4 (KJV) - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office

It is not always going to be easy to do so and sometimes we will find ourselves looking in the mirror unsure whom that person is, wondering what is coming next, trying to figure it out and not knowing what is yet to come. It is then that we must really rely on our faith, trust in the Lord and know that looking into our own hearts is a task that we may not want to do, but God provides us with the ability to do just that and when we do, our hearts shall change to be more like Him.