33 But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death."
34 Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me."
We must be on guard against presumption of our actions lest, like Peter, we fail to follow what we so adamantly espouse. Scripture gives us the following advice regarding making vows to God:
2 When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said. Num 30:2 (NIV)
21 If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. 23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth. Deut 23:21-23 (NIV)
33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34 But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matt 5:33-37 (NIV)
12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned. James 5:12 (NIV)
Peter, as confident as he was in his own heart and actions, was not; as yet, ready to go to prison and death with Jesus as he was as ready to cluck with the chickens. Are our own hearts deceitful or what??? Let’s give Peter his credit, this occurred prior to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit’s power – the flesh is flawed at best, nevertheless we are to be on guard against the deceitfulness of our own hearts:
9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Jer 17:9-10 (NIV)
The Lord is the only true discerner of man’s heart – of his innermost thoughts and motives behind his actions. This is particularly important for us to acknowledge in the spiritual realm:
“Private loop-holes, sinful lusts, can hide themselves at times so well as to seem quite dead; but if we grow careless, they spring up again on a favourable occasion, and sometimes appear in a spiritual shape, and take a fine spiritual name. Thus, though the flesh exceedingly likes sensual indulgences, yet to flatter its lust of pride, and the vanity of being thought a perfect man, it will sometimes endure great mortification. Therefore we ought always to be jealous of ourselves, and guard as much against self-righteousness as licentiousness; for the flesh is never more fleshly and dangerous than when it has the most spiritual appearance, and covers its lusts with the holiness and spirituality of angels.” K. H. Von Bogatzky
How do we go about searching and guarding our hearts so as to equip ourselves for the high calling of discipleship? Like King David we must ask God to continually search our hearts – pointing out to us what needs to go and what needs to be fanned into flames. We must seek His ways fully through the diligent study and application of His Word, through prayer, through praise and thanksgiving and through hiding His Word in our hearts:
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23-24 (NIV)
“The wiser we are in our own conceits, the more negligent are we in prayer, the more destitute of true wisdom and faith; for the Lord gives sight only to the blind, and to the babes, who pray for it. Therefore the deepest humblings go before the greatest blessings. O my blessed Saviour! Since I am always blind and ignorant of myself, if I am not guided by thine eyes, I desire always to look up to thee, and do everything under thy direction.” K. H. Von Bogatzky
“Assist and teach me how to pray; incline my nature to obey; what thou abhorrest let me flee; and only love what pleases thee.” K. H. Von Bogatzky