A quiet heart

1 John 3:19-20 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. In verse 16, John wrote, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us,” so we conclude that God’s love dwells in us if we love one another as He loved us. In this verse, he wrote that we will know that we are of the truth by how we respond to our sin, namely, we trust that there’s no sin that God didn’t know when He justified us through the death and resurrection of His Son. Before someone trusts in Christ, he has no way to quiet his heart. His heart knows some of his sins and rebellion against God, and he may have tried to cope with the conviction, condemnation, and guilt by medicating it, drowning it out with activity, blaming someone else, or simply denying it exists. However, his heart doesn’t become calm and peaceful, it actually becomes more troubled when contemplating standing before God with nothing hidden. Deep down, he knows the truth is what God sees and nothing can be hidden from Him. This verse testifies to a reality for believers that successfully quiets the heart. The reality is that Jesus is God in the flesh, and when He died on the cross, He died with full knowledge of all of their sins. He knows more about them than they do. When a believer sins and his heart condemns him, the witness of the life of Christ in him assures his convicted heart with this glorious truth: God is greater than his heart and knows all things about him. He loved him when he was a sinner, so now that he is His child and has the security of His life in his mortal bod, can’t he be even more assured of His love and acceptance? The Holy Spirit bears witness of this reality in the heart of the believer and the heart has a firm basis for peace and contentment. The love of God flows through a contented, quiet heart. Have you experienced this ministry of the love of God? Have you shushed your heart when it condemns you and recalls your sins? I hope so. It’s impossible to love when you feel condemned, guilty, and rejected. May we be encouraged today to quiet our hearts, find satisfaction and contentment in God’s knowledge and love, so we can love out of the fullness of Christ.