The Inner Disciplines

UV 1564/10000 The Inner Disciplines
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Jeremiah 17 v 10
A horse is said to ten times more powerful than a human being. Reins are used to control a powerful horse by a human being. If the rein is tugged a little to the right, the horse will move to the right and if tugged to the left, it will move to the left. But a man himself is not in complete control of himself. The reins of self control reside in the human heart. The Lord searches human hearts to check and know what is the motive behind the thoughts and actions of every human person. Nothing is hidden from His penetrating sight. His Word penetrates even the tiny space between marrow and bone. It is incisive and discerns the spirit or essence of the character of every man.

If the reins are not strong enough, a horse can break free and run amuck. Similarly, the reins that hold back a man or woman from doing wrong, from acting against his or her conscience or better sense ought to be strengthened from childhood. A person should develop restraints from doing something that militates against God. His own spirit will warn and remind him of what he ought to do and what he ought not to do. The Lord sends various tests and experiences our way to check our reins. He checks to see if our words match our actions and beliefs. He cannot be deceived. If we bring upon ourselves certain results on account of our actions or inaction, He lets us face the consequences thought He Himself is merciful and gracious. He rejoices when we rejoice in the things that are close to His own heart. When we make the Lord our first love or our topmost priority, He makes us the top or a “tabernacle of peace.” The alternative is that we will spin like a top and come to a standstill in due course.

We need to rein back our passions or emotions, especially the powerful ones that can ruin our lives like anger, lust, lack of self control, lack of tolerance of an opponent’s viewpoint, pride and arrogance. The Lord sees the constant battle that is happening in our hearts that pull us in opposite directions. He sees our natural inclinations and tendencies and how we rebound from our moral and other failures. He rewards us based on our deeds as well as the motivation that lies behind our actions and words. The Lord is just and discerning. As a man sows so he reaps: this is a spiritual law just as the law of gravity operates across the universe. If we sow or invest in spiritual priorities, we are rewarded spiritually both in this life and in the hereafter. If we sow or invest in the works of the flesh and trust in our own strength or the strength of man, we also suffer the consequences.

Prateep V Philip