Keeping a Tender Heart
(NIV) Ps 95:6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
7 for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
Today, if only you would hear his voice,
8 “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,
as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness,
9 where your ancestors tested me;
they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
Have you thought lately about the condition of your heart? Do you still long to be in the Word as you did when you first accepted Christ, or have you allowed life to get in the way? You know what I mean—you miss reading Scripture and praying one morning because you have an early doctor’s appointment, or perhaps you slept in and you won’t make it to work on time if you keep your quiet time with God. A myriad of things can interfere with our morning devotions, but it is vital that we do not allow these interruptions to set up a pattern of neglect.
We are beginning a new study about the Parable of the Sower, and we looked at the first seed that fell upon hardened ground. The differing soil conditions, of course, are metaphors for the state of the heart. I mentioned that normally things are subject to breakage when they are brittle. Think about fine china or crystal.
Hearts, though, are different. It is not when a heart becomes hardened that it is in danger of breaking, but rather when it remains soft. Just like the pathway where the first seed fell had become packed down from people traveling on it daily, the burdens and cares of this world can begin to make us unfeeling or uncaring.
During our discussion the point was made that we should harden our hearts against Satan’s attacks but keep them pliable before God. But can we do both? What if we, instead of hardening our hearts, strengthen our resolve to stand against the enemy but at the same time keep our hearts soft by kneeling before God?
May we stay in communion with God daily, as we allow His Word to breathe life and light into us through the power of the Holy Spirit, keeping our hearts ready to receive and ready to give.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Enduring Love
(NIV) Psalm 107
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
Enduring love—in a time when love is often conditional at best, the everlasting love of God our Father is steadfast and true. Just as the people of Israel were redeemed from their sin, we look to God to deliver us from all unrighteousness.
Must we wander in the desert for forty years, or is there a sign showing a clear exit? The problem with the desert is that much of it looks the same with few identifiable characteristics. So it is with sin. Yet, there is an exit from a life marred by sin and it is marked by an old rugged cross.
May we allow Jesus to lead us from the desert of fear and uncertainty and into the marvelous light of His love. And, let the redeemed say so!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Let your Gentleness be known
(NRSV) 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Personalized scripture card:
“The Lord is near, Carol. Do not be anxious, but in everything through prayer and supplication and thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God, and His peace which passes all understanding shall guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.* Philippians 45-7
Years ago I began following a model of prayer by using the acronym “P.R.A.Y.” As a young Christian, I had little confidence in my prayers. By using this model to pray I began to gain the awareness of Who God was and who I was in Him. After all of these years I barely notice the order in which I pray because it has become so much a part of me.
I have been in a personal struggle over the past few months, making choices that hurt other people so that I could have peace. Then, in reversing those choices I hurt still more people. So today I share a prayer for restoration of peace, asking for mercy from God and forgiveness from those I hurt.
Father God, I come to You today with praise in my heart for Who you are. You are the One, True and Living God and my desire is with my dying breath that your praise will be on my lips. I have learned from reading your Word that you desire the praises of Your people, and you deserve all honor and glory because You are holy, holy, holy.
I repent of my sins, knowing that sin builds a wall between You and Your children, but the sacrifice that Jesus made tears down any walls, restoring us to a right relationship with You. And so I pray you would search my heart today, and if there be any wickedness in me forgive me. If I have been prideful or failed to show kindness, I repent before You. If I have acted hastily, failing to search out the answers in Your Word before making life-altering decisions , I pray not only for your mercy, but I pray you will soften the hearts of those I hurt.
I come to You on behalf of people I have hurt, not through malice or intent, but because their idea of how I should live out the rest of my life clashes with what I believe You want. I chose to return to a life that has yielded so much pain, believing the Holy Spirit has intervened and will continue to work miracles of faith. I pray with everything within me that my family whom I love and would never intentionally hurt will be surrounded by the peace that only you can give and that they will, through Your love and mercy, forgive me for what they consider a betrayal and that our relationship will be restored.
And finally, I ask for the strength to really mean it when I pray thy kingdom come, thy will be done. May I understand that praying in Jesus’ name is not just the way we were taught to end our prayers, but it is the admission that we are asking only for things that would honor our Savior and our Lord.
May we each spend time in prayer rejoicing, repenting and being restored in our relationship to God and to our fellow man.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
No Fear
(NRSV) 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 6 For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands;
7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
Personalized scripture card
*For God has not given you a spirit of fear, Carol, but a spirit of power, and love, and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7
Fear-Distressing emotion caused by feelings of impending danger
.
If I have any fear, it came from my mother who, because she lost her hearing at age 14, lived her life in fear. Ironically, my mother was also the greatest influencer of my Faith. There were many nights I heard Mama cry out to God, asking Him to watch over her children. But, like Job whose prayers for his children were based on the fear they would offend God, fear was a great motivator for my mother.
Timothy was a young man who Paul met while serving in Ephesus. There were many outside influences on the young church and Paul was instructing his protégé about the beliefs and behaviors to which Timothy should adhere. When we can go through our day filled with hope rather than dread, our outlook not only affects the way we approach our challenges, but also influences others around us.
May we face each day with the assurance that God is more powerful than our problems and His love is greater than any fear.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
What Must I Do to be Saved?
Acts 16:26-32 (NIV) 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved —you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
Believe and you will be saved. Was there ever a sweeter promise? In the midst of physical pain, Paul and Silas found a way to have a prayer meeting and share the pathway to salvation with nonbelievers. And the jailer, just seconds before taking his own life, found instead eternal life.
We know that we are each under the bondage of original sin until we accept the redemption paid for by Jesus. At first glance, it might appear that Paul is promising the jailer that his personal salvation would be extended to everyone living under his roof. But read further. Verse 32 says, “Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.” The gospel was shared with the jailer AND everyone in his house.
Just as we are not responsible for anyone’s sin but our own, we can not effectuate another’s salvation. When we hear the revelation of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, when we know, believe and understand that Jesus was the lamb for sinners slain, then we are reconciled to God the Father. Will a person’s salvation spread through their household? Certainly a life changed by Jesus will be noticed by others, but it is incumbent upon each of us to stand before the judgment.
May the lives we live be a testament to the faith we have in Christ, and may our willingness to love and forgive be an example to all.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 