A circumcised heart

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked. – Deuteronomy 10.16

Circumcision is a topic we don’t often talk about in public, much less ‘mixed company,’ but it is an important part of the Law. We don’t have to go into detail, but here God uses it an illustration of a much more important spiritual truth.

Circumcision was a physical act that was a symbol of what was supposed to be an inward commitment. The cutting away of the flesh was supposed to show what happened spiritually in the heart.

God’s desire was for heart change – a flesh change was not enough.

The same is true today. There can be a perception that if we get the outside right, circumcise the flesh if you will. We are going to make God happy. I think we do that because it is easy enough to live in such a way that we want to impress other people. We can see them.

But it is easy to live in a way that we strive to please God because we don’t have to see Him. We can, if we want, ignore Him and please others.

But God wants our hearts to be pure and right and holy. Are we willing to let God cut away the sins and the lusts of our hearts so we can be believers fit to serve Him? If we do that the rest will fall into place.