It almost feels like a set up.

At least that’s the way it feels to me. I’ll be out and about minding my own business when a total and complete stranger will start up a conversation with me. At first, I’m completely oblivious to what’s about to happen, but then “WHAM!”… and I remember what my job is.

Halfway through my conversation with this (or any) stranger, the topic will suddenly make a made dash to the right and I find myself smack dab in the middle of a witnessing opportunity that I didn’t ask for, didn’t go looking for and, quite frankly, wasn’t prepared for.

On this particular occasion, the subject of God’s judgment popped up out of nowhere. The man proclaimed, “Only God knows my heart”, shortly after exposing himself as a less than trustworthy businessman.

I don’t make this stuff up people!

What he really was saying goes something like this, “I know I shouldn’t be running shady business deals, but God sees that I’m really a good person. I would prefer you wouldn’t judge me. I know I’m better than most people and God looks past my continually underhanded dealings.”

Well, what would you say?

At the time, I didn’t say anything. If that was a test, I failed it!

The truth is that we don’t even know our own hearts. The Bible says that the heart is “deceitful and wicked”. Nobody really knows your heart except the Lord. Thankfully, we don’t have to know someone’s heart to make a decision about their character.

If I had an apple tree in my back yard, I wouldn’t have to cut it down and examine the heart of the core to figure out it is an apple tree. To figure out if I’ve got an apple tree in my backyard, I just look for the fruit.