Men of the HeartSample

A Believing Heart

To my brothers,

Now that we’ve established that your heart is central because everything in your life flows out of it, I want to discuss the first condition of the heart for a man to cultivate—one that believes the Word of God and its promises.

One of my favorite things about the biblical narrative is the people it depicts, many of whom we can look to as examples. For guys, it’s easy to look to an Apostle Paul or King David—strong, mighty men of God—as examples, which we absolutely should.

Yet, I want to continue our week together by suggesting that there’s something about the heart of Mary, Jesus’ mother, that men can also look to as an example.

Imagine being a teenager and having an angel tell you that the Spirit of God will overshadow you and give you a child who will be God’s Son.

At no point in history will anyone else in the world have heard that statement or promise being made directly to them. It’s completely outside the bounds of human reasoning about what’s possible.

Isn’t it fascinating, though, that many of God’s promises are exactly that?

The reality is that nothing—really nothing—is impossible with God.

Still, it’s hard to wrap our minds around…even for us, and we know how this story ends! Yet, here’s a teenager who simply accepts this truth with the simple faith of a child.

“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (ESV).

It’s an incredible response. To me, this is the “child-like” faith that Jesus looks for in Matthew 18:2-4.

I’d ask you to remember, as well, the moment that you entered the Kingdom of God by simply believing in your heart that Jesus is Lord—your Lord—who God raised from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).

It was a simple moment. A heart that believes in all of God’s Word and His promises is simple and childlike.

We live in a complicated world, so I’d urge you today to fight for a simple heart that is assured and convicted of all that we can hope for based on His Word, even if we can’t see or understand it (Hebrews 11:1).

Fight for a heart that believes Him at His Word, my brothers.

Prayer: Lord, I live in a time where there’s an overabundance of information and ideas. Yet, I ask that You teach my heart to simply believe in every one of the promises You have for me based on Your Word. Teach my heart to completely believe you like a child. Reveal to me where I’ve harbored unbelief, and fill it with faith instead. Amen.

Reflection: In what areas of your life have you let the complexity and concerns of life drown out the simplicity of faith? What are the promises that God has for you that you need to teach your heart to believe?