The Rev. Marsha Parrish ’12, Spiritual/bereavement Coordinator, Jameson Hospice, and Pastor, Oak Grove and Mt. Hermon Presbyterian Churches, New Castle, Pa.
Scripture
Romans 10:8b-13
8b “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11 The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13 For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Devotional
Today is Valentine’s Day, a time when the main focus is on matters of the heart.
In Romans 10:8b-13, we find the word “heart” mentioned three times. The directed heart, in verses 6-7, reminds us that righteousness is by faith in Christ alone. We cannot save ourselves. Verse 8 names the word-filled heart and teaches us that faith in Christ is not unattainable but readily accessible. The believing heart is illustrated in verses 9-11. Saving faith takes inward belief and outward confession. To confess from the mouth and believe in the heart are not two separate steps to salvation; they must be united. We need a heart of faith because the place of faith is the heart.
Our heart has been created with a truly amazing capability, the capability to believe, and most wonderfully, to believe in God. It is in the heart that faith springs up, dwells, and works. God speaks to our hearts because our heart is not only the center of our physical and psychological life; it is also the center of our spiritual life.
Prayer
Lord, in every moment of every day, may our hearts be open to the leading of your Holy Spirit. Amen.