Walking Through Ephesians
“Enlarge My Heart”
Categories: Seeing God Through the PsalmsEnlarge My Heart
“I will run the course of your commandments. For you shall enlarge my heart” (Psalms 119:32, NKJV). The opposite is, “Indeed for you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them” (Ezekiel 33:32, NKJV).
Ezekiel pleads, “Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord” (Ezekiel 33:30). But the people came, sat, heard, but did not do them. They treated the words of the Lord as a very lovely song but found no value in them. How sad!
By contrast, the Psalmist says the word of God will enlarge his heart. How is it one can see the word of God as enlarging his heart, and another hear the same word as a very lovely song but do nothing about it? Ezekiel says it is because, “with their mouth they show much love but their hearts pursue their own gain” (Ezekiel 33:31, NKJV).
The heart makes all the difference. If we want our heart to be enlarged by the word of God, it will be. If all we want to do is hear it as a lovely song that sounds good and is soothing, then that is all we will do. It is determined by what we will. We must will to do the will of God (John 7:17). The will to do the will of God makes all the difference. The Athenians told Paul, “Hey, we like to hear new things. When you come up with another new thing come and tell us about it.” But they were not going to do anything with what they heard.
We can pursue our own gain or we can pursue the will of God. Those attitudes do not end up in the same place.
“Seek the kingdom of God first.” (Matt 6:33) This is God’s word. Will it enlarge our hearts, or will we just say, “Hey that sounds lovely” and do nothing about it?
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church.” (Eph. 5:25, NKJV) Will that enlarge our hearts, or will we just treat it as a lovely song and walk away?
“Keep yourself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27) Seems plain enough. Will we will to do His will and enlarge our hearts, or listen as listening to a lovely song and then become world-stained.
This is not rocket science. The reason people do not do what the Lord says is because they will not to do His will. They pursue their own gain. On the other hand, when the word of God enlarges a person’s heart, their lives are much more successful and peaceful. Who and whom we pursue makes all the difference in eternity.
