If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened. (Psalm 66:18)
If you’re like me, you want to know that God hears your prayers. If I don’t have confidence that God hears and cares about my prayers, then what’s the point in praying? So I’m always on the look out for anything in scripture that will help me pray more effectively. That’s why this verse caught my eye as I read this psalm.
David says that if we “cherish iniquity” in our hearts, God won’t listen to our prayers. Interestingly, the context of this psalm is not David petitioning the Lord for deliverance, refuge, sustenance, or anything at all. Rather, this psalm is a psalm of praise.
Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name.” (Psalm 66:1-4)
The whole psalm reflects this same tone of praise and glorifying. And the immediate context of verse 18 is this,
I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on my tongue.
If i had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened. (Psalm 66:17-18)
What does it mean to “cherish” iniquity? I cherish my children. I have a loving affection for them and treat them with gentleness and care, cultivating their growth, nurturing their maturity. At least I strive for this kind of parenting. I’m not claiming to do this perfectly!
The point is, if I harbor sin or iniquity in my life, treating it with affection, loving it, cultivating and nourishing it to grow, then I am cherishing iniquity in my heart. The picture that comes to my mind is that of Gollum, from The Lord of the Rings, holding the ring close to his chest, stroking it, speaking softly to it, and calling it “My Precious”. He was cherishing that ring! And I imagine the ugliness we see in Gollum, is about how our hearts appear when we’re cherishing our own “precious” sins.
David’s point is, if I treat sin as “My Precious” and then turn around, especially in front of others, and “praise” God. Then my praise is vain and false, and God won’t pay any attention to it.
If I’m treasuring, in my heart, things God hates, but my lips are saying he’s wonderful, I’m a liar and a hypocrite, and God isn’t going to listen to my lies. He’s not impressed. He’s not fooled into thinking I really love him, when my heart is full of love for things he despises. God is smarter and more insightful than that. He knows when our praise is genuine, and he knows when it’s insincere.
Flattery will get you nowhere with God!
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