Does God place things on our hearts?
My fellow WELS friend and I have been discussing an array topics lately. She is very skeptical of non-denominational churches, and their seemingly emotional basis of faith and God. She is very turned off by the mystical terms that many of them use about feeling God, and their relationship with God, based on their own human emotions and feeling. I agree with her, mostly. Lately, though, we were discussing the phrase that "God placed this on my heart" (to do or carry out some Christian task). She feels that this is another non-denomination emotional response. I agree that I don't believe God will whisper what I should make for dinner in my ear. But I do feel that there are certain life events that we pray for guidance about, and God answers our prayers about what we should do and how we can serve him best. I feel like I have felt God's hand in my own life, directing me to certain decisions in the past. I know that God has a perfect plan in place for each of us, so does he ever reveal that plan by "placing an urge to fulfill his plan on our heart?"
The prophet Jeremiah was a person who had reason to speak along the lines of “God placed something on my heart.” But in the twentieth chapter of the book that bears his name he put it a little differently. “You deceived me, LORD, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, ‘I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot” (Jeremiah 20:7-9).
God had called Jeremiah to relay messages to the people of Judah. Many of those people rejected Jeremiah’s messages. Consequently, the prophet was tempted to reduce his rejection by keeping quiet about God. But you notice Jeremiah couldn’t do that. When he thought of stifling God’s message, he noted that God’s “word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot” (verse 9).
God’s word was the driving force in Jeremiah’s life and ministry. God’s word moved the prophet into action in life. We could say the same thing about God’s word being a motivating force in our lives. Let me provide a few examples.
We know that God wants us to share his word with all people. Perhaps I read an article in Forward in Christ about our synod’s world mission work. Perhaps my reaction to the information in the article, then, is more fervent prayer for the Holy Spirit’s blessing on the spread of God’s word and increased personal mission offerings. Did God place something on my heart, or did the living and active word of God (Hebrews 4:12), planted in me (James 1:21), move me into action? I would opt for the latter.
We also know that God wants us to help others as we can, as opportunities arise (Galatians 6:10). Suppose I see news reports of people losing their homes to wildfires and raging floods. Suppose my reaction is a gift to our synod’s Christian Aid and Relief. Did God place something on my heart, or did the living and active word of God move me into action? Again, I would opt for the latter. God certainly provides opportunities for doing good works (Ephesians 2:10), but it all comes back to his word.
Whether it is confessing sin to someone I have wronged or sharing a word of encouragement from God’s word with my neighbor, I can trace godly actions to God’s word which provides direction and motivation. Whether my actions were prompted by something I read this morning in the Bible or by something I remembered from Sunday’s sermon, I can link my acts of Christian love to God’s word.
It is definitely God “who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13), and he works in you and me through his word.