Day 7/15 – The Inquiring Heart

Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man by Walter A Henrichsen (“Walt”)
The Inquiring Heart
Day One Hundred Ninety-six

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” 1 Peter 3:15

Your self-denial does not attract a watching world. Many walk around in self¬ deprivation, scaring those who meet them. Nor do your ethics attract people; many fine people live outside the pale of God’s grace. Rather Peter says that it is the object of your hope that will attract. Your focus is on the eternal promises of Christ rather than the temporal inheritance promised by the world.

Satan pushes the pendulum. If your proclivity goes in the direction of asceticism, he will encourage you; if in the direction of greed, he happily helps you here also. In either case your focus is on the temporal, and that is all he cares about. If you focus on the eternal, you will be forced into moderation by virtue of your lacking the time and inclination to worry about temporal matters. Ethical questions take care of themselves in that you are not trying to protect yourself from the greed of the world.

Don’t focus on power, fame, or the accumulation of the world. You are a pilgrim and our Lord expects you to act like one. To the degree that you do, those who know you will “ask a reason of the hope that is in you.”

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Psalm 13-15 Acts 19:21-41 (New King James Version)

Psalm 13-15
Trust in the Salvation of the Lord
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
13
How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2
How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3
Consider and hear me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes,
Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
4
Lest my enemy say,
“I have prevailed against him”;
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
5
But I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6
I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Folly of the Godless, and God’s Final Triumph
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
14
The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.
2
The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
3
They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
4
Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call on the Lord?
5
There they are in great fear,
For God is with the generation of the righteous.
6
You shame the counsel of the poor,
But the Lord is his refuge.
7
Oh,[a] that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord brings back [b]the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.
The Character of Those Who May Dwell with the Lord
A Psalm of David.
15
Lord, who may [c]abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
2
He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
3
He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he [d]take up a reproach against his friend;
4
In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5
He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.
Footnotes:
• Psalm 14:7 Lit. Who will give out of Zion the salvation of Israel?
• Psalm 14:7 Or His captive people
• Psalm 15:1 sojourn
• Psalm 15:3 receive

Acts 19:21-41
The Riot at Ephesus
21 When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22 So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.
23 And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. 24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of [a]Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. 25 He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. 26 Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. 27 So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and [b]her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.”
28 Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” 29 So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions. 30 And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him. 31 Then some of the [c]officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater. 32 Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people. 34 But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”
35 And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: “Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess [d]Diana, and of the image which fell down from [e]Zeus? 36 Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. 37 For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of [f]your goddess. 38 Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a [g]case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. 40 For we are in danger of being [h]called in question for today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.” 41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
Footnotes:
• Acts 19:24 Gr. Artemis
• Acts 19:27 NU she be deposed from her magnificence
• Acts 19:31 Asiarchs, rulers of Asia, the province
• Acts 19:35 Gr. Artemis
• Acts 19:35 heaven
• Acts 19:37 NU our
• Acts 19:38 Lit. matter
• Acts 19:40 Or charged with rebellion concerning today