They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and undoubtedly, we’ve all encountered images that leave a lasting impression. On my first visit to Forgiven Ministry, I remember walking up the stairs to the offices and being profoundly moved by a particular portrait of the Lord. With a love only He can manifest, the Lord embraces this young man whose clothes are soiled with the muck of the world, still holding the hammer responsible for the nails in the Lord’s hands and feet. Powerful!
What’s so striking to me is how the Lord is depicted embracing the man’s chest, essentially holding his heart. While we understand that the biblical heart refers to one’s mind, we often point to our chest as the center of our being. It’s here that we physically feel strong emotions—our hearts can race with excitement or may ache with sorrow. When I see the Lord holding his young man’s chest, I am struck by a very simple, yet profound truth: all the Lord truly desires is my heart.
Growing up in the ’80s, one of the country bands I enjoyed listening to was Restless Heart. Their songs, like “I’ll Still Be Loving You,” “The Bluest Eyes in Texas,” and “When She Cries,” were fantastic. As a believer reflecting on my life, what truly resonates with me about that band is not just their music, but their name—Restless Heart. What a thought-provoking name! To me, it speaks to the longing and restlessness that I feel from time to time, and the longing we have for something that only God can satisfy. Have you ever had a “restless” heart?
Isn’t it remarkable how we often recognize what is true and right, yet still struggle to follow through? Perhaps you, too, have wrestled with doing what you know you ought to do. If so, know that you are not alone in this struggle. The apostle Paul, one of the Lord’s most courageous and faithful servants, spoke of this very tension: “For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me” (Romans 7:18-20). Who among us can’t relate to that—the challenge of “keeping our heart”? (cf. Pro. 4:23)
While we are hardwired to conquer, create, and find fulfillment in life’s accomplishments, only the Lord can truly satisfy the longing of our hearts. A friend once explained it perfectly: “It’s like that yellow shape-sorter toy we used to play with as children. It had holes cut into various shapes—squares, triangles, circles, and so on. Each shape fit perfectly into its corresponding hole. Similarly, our hearts have a unique void that only God can fill. People often try to fill this space with worldly things, but true fulfillment can only come when we allow God to fill that emptiness.”
So back to the aforementioned image. This is what I know: the Lord desires my heart, and He desires your heart too. He will transform our hearts if we allow Him. As Ezekiel wrote, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). This divine transformation calls us to surrender our deepest longings and struggles to Him, trusting that He will renew us from the inside out.
God has given you a gift of writing. Your blogs speak loudly to the readers and give praise to our Lord. Keep sharing your gift and let our Lord speak through you.
Thank you so much. I feel so honored to be a part of the Forgiven Family.