Heart Implants

Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem: and has extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD, my God was upon me. Ezra 7:27,28 KJV

Read through the Old Testament and you will find many occasions whereby God put things into the hearts of His servants. It may have taken years for those seeds to come to fruition but with time God brought it all to pass. He cleared away obstacles, crossed the paths of significant people, instilled talents and abilities, orchestrated events, and watched over every detail. His requirement for His servants was step by step obedience. Many could not have told you how God was going to do it, but when they looked back they could see His hand on them as well as on His plan for them.

For Ezra, it was the rebuilding of the temple. For Moses it was leading the nation of Israel out of Egypt. For Joshua it was leading the nation of Israel into the promised land. For Esther it was delivering her people from annihilation. For Joseph it was becoming Prime Minister of Egypt and preserving the lives of many. For Paul it was introducing many to Christ and writing much of the New Testament. The list goes on and on. Although each was a different era and drama I see similarities.

Each had a passion for something. Each went through a time of testing and waiting. Each faced difficulties and what seemed like death to their dreams. Each learned important lessons about themselves and God. Each were linked with specific individuals that played key roles in their lives. Each saw God’s involvement from start to finish. Each fulfilled the very thing God put within their heart. They are my examples. They are my encouragement. They are my guides.

I know the things God has placed within my heart. I feel a camaraderie with my biblical ancestors as I move closer to the fulfillment of those things. I am learning when to put my hand to the plow and when to “be still and know that He is God.” I am learning to develop the skills He has given me while keeping my ear open to His still, small voice. It is a cooperative effort between my Creator and myself. There is still much to do and much to learn but with God’s hand upon me I am strengthened. I may not see the completed picture for decades but in the mean time the path I am on will be rich with lessons and intimate fellowship.

Father, what You have put in my heart is meant to come to fruition and bring You glory. Much is new for me as I follow You. Fulfill Your dreams for me! Amen.

The Basis for Trustworthy Words

Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Psalm 73:23,24 NKJV

Words spoken to us are only as reliable as the person saying them. All of us can attest to a time in our life when something was said or promised that did not come to fruition. At the time, there may have been sincerity but over time things changed. Somewhere along the line either circumstances or the very heart of the person changed. How painful for the one who trusted what was said to them. Whether it happens in a marriage, a friendship, on the job, or in a church it is imperative that we bury our hearts and trust in God and His Word.

This morning I am being reminded of the faithful, consistency of God. The promises of Scripture do not change because the character of the One who spoke them does not change. He means them as much today as He did when they were first penned and the ink was still damp on the pages of the scrolls. They were not spoken in haste or with the inability to be carried out. Therefore they can be counted upon and trusted. No need to wonder. No need to ask if He still feels the same way toward us. What He said to our ancestors generations ago He says to us today. All that has changed is the audience He is speaking to. I still thank Him for the day I realized His words were meant for my ears as much as for anyone else’s ears. It was then that I could appreciate and accept God’s Word as His personal letter to me!

So when I find myself hurting over the change of heart in others. When the things they told me at one time no longer apply to me. When promises made no longer remain true. I have a place of safety and refuge to resort to. He still holds my hand and guides me with His counsel. He loves me with an everlasting love. Nothing and no one can be counted upon in the same way God can be counted upon. In this life I will face hurts and heartaches but I will also experience the healing touch of the hand that never lets go of me.

I want to experience today’s verse on a daily basis. I want to feel His hand holding mine, sense His guidance, and know that I am continually in His presence. That is security to me. It broadens the picture in my mind of Jesus’ words, “I will never leave you or forsake you. I am with you always.” It shows me God’s loving, consistent involvement and companionship in my life. What a personal God!

Father, there is always risk involved when I trust a person. Some have handled my trust with love and others have not. You alone remain a guaranteed place of safety for my heart. Amen.

Learning How

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. I Peter 2:1 NIV

I read this passage yesterday and my first question to God was “HOW? How do I rid myself of that which seems to be such a part of me so much of the time?” Within the list of things that needed to go, the one that jumped out at me the most and spoke the loudest was envy. I knew the feeling, I knew the reality, and I knew the times it came upon me. I didn’t like it, want it, or need it. And yet there it was! It was a part of me as much as my brown eyes, brown hair, skin, and bones. And now I was faced with a command that showed me God’s view of it. It had to go! But how? There is not a command in the Bible (whether for something to do or not to do) that God will not enable us to carry out. He gives no impossible orders! NONE! He will provide everything we need to walk in freedom and obedience to Him, including showing us how to do it.

The answer did not come right away but it also did not fall on deaf ears. This morning He showed me the “how to.” It came while I read some verses from Psalm 73. Asaph is the writer of this Psalm and his prayer was the answer I was seeking. In 73:2,3 he says, “But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” God instantly brought my question back to me and whispered, “That is how you rid yourself of envy. Confess it to Me. Own the truth about yourself. Ask for My forgiveness, cleansing, and transforming work. Draw near and open up.”

This I know! If I ask God a question and He gives me an answer I would be foolish (and unchanged) to not act upon it. So I began to list for Him the people I was envious of. I gave Him the names as well as the reasons. I began to see how the envy was chipping away at my quality of life as well as hindering me from seeing those people in the right light. My confession and repentance opened the door for forgiveness, freedom, and change. While envy will continue to make itself known, I now know what to do to rid myself of it and its effects. God never reveals a truth to me that is limited to one use only. His intent is that I now take what I have learned and use it on a continual basis. He also desires for me to realize that this works on any internal heart issues of which I need to divest myself.

Once again, Father, Your Word has shown itself to be alive and powerful. May I continue to take the questions to You and know the answer through Your Word and prayer. You are my wise Counselor and Guide as I venture through the mine fields of life. Amen.

Fount of the Caller

Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi. Judges 15:19 NIV

We often have no trouble knowing when we are physically thirsty. Our throat gets dry, our voice may sound hoarse, and our energy begins to wane. Samson knew the exhaustion that followed a battle whereby he killed a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. His thirst was so great he felt he was going to die. One cry to God and a spring of refreshing water was miraculously provided. Oh the change that came about when he took a drink of that water! He drank deeply and the results were astounding. Not only was his thirst quenched but his strength returned and he was revived.

Throughout each day I develop a spiritual thirst. I am familiar with the symptoms. Things start to bother me, my attitude begins to plunge, I react negatively to people and circumstances, I battle emotions and feelings, and internally I just don’t feel well. I use to not know what to do at that point. I simply waded through and waited for something to come along that would perk me up. I did not know the solution lay in crying out to God for a drink! I was in need of my own spring…my own En Hakkore (the fount of the caller).

In Jeremiah 2:13 God told Israel they had forsaken Him, the spring of living water, and dug broken cisterns that could not hold water. I, too, have dug my fair share of broken cisterns. So desperate to have my internal thirst quenched I looked to people, activities, and distractions. What little satisfaction I could derive was usually temporary at best. In doing that I was avoiding the only One who could give me a life changing drink. No longer!

I now turn to Him at the first sign of thirst. With each drink from His spring I too regain my strength and experience a life-giving revival. The drink may be as simple as saying, “God, I am lonely but You are my companion, Meet me here.” Or “God, I am frustrated make me aware of the peace You have already given to me.” Whenever I look to God to quench my thirst and meet my needs I am never disappointed. Thirst is inevitable but it does not have to turn into dehydration. I now know who to run to for every thirst quenching drop of water.

Father, You are my Spring of living water. Throughout today may I drink my fill of You and experience renewed strength and satisfying hydration! Amen.

Deliverance Within

The righteous cry, and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:17-19 NASB

There is not a person reading this that cannot attest to experiencing troubles, a broken heart, a crushed spirit, and afflictions. Without even hearing the stories, Jesus’ own words tell me it is true. He said that in this world we would have trouble but Psalm 34 wraps that truth in hope. As long as we live in this world we will experience pain, loss, disappointment, sickness, distress…..TROUBLE! It is those outward circumstances that so drastically affect our internal world. The effects of trouble in health, finances, relationships, circumstances, etc… can be huge. Whether the trouble is temporary or long term we are promised deliverance. Whether or not the outward deliverance is near, there is an internal deliverance we can experience instantaneously.

There are times in life when we can grieve a loss and be done with it. We can get through a storm and move on. We can live through a difficulty and learn from it. But I want to address the times we seem to be stuck in a capsule of pain that leaves us with a persistent sense of sadness, ache, and hopelessness. We come to the place where the worst part is no longer the trouble but the pain it is bringing about. I was in that place and can attest to God’s deliverance. For me it came in stages but it was well worth it.

In the midst of what seemed like an ongoing battle of emotions, God purposefully removed ALL the human support I would naturally turn to. I could not email anyone, call anyone, or talk to anyone. The words were not there. I couldn’t seem to voice to anyone what was tearing me up on the inside. Books were not helping, music was not helping. It seemed that every prop was gone. That is when I finally cried out to God and said, “What is wrong with me?!” His answer was simply, “Come to Me. Talk to Me.” And I did. It was in honesty and openness with my Creator, Redeemer, and Healer that I was freed from the sadness that had taken hold of me for far too long. NOTHING changed as far as what brought the sadness on. What changed was that it no longer had the effect on me. That which had a hold of me has lost its grip and I walk in welcome freedom!

His intent is that I learn to rely upon Him more and more. What I am finding is that the more I turn to Him, confide in Him, and embrace Him the more lasting and profound the changes are!

Father, I stand in awe and appreciation for what You have done. I am changed! I am free! I am Yours! Amen.

Harmful Or Helpful Mentoring

And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 2 Chronicles 24:2 KJV

How influential are the people in your life? How much do you depend upon them to keep you aligned with the things of God? Read through the book of Proverbs and you will find verse upon verse that warns of wrong companionships and the wisdom that marks the life of one who is connected with godly people. And yet people can only influence us to a certain point. At some stage in our life, our walk must become so connected to and dependent upon God that we continue in His ways long after the most influential person is gone.

Joash is a reminder to me of the necessity of seeking out an individual relationship with God and allowing Him to carve out my belief system and my life. For if I do not transfer the connection from a person to my Creator I open myself up to a fall. For forty years Joash had an incredible record of right living. He was used of God to repair the house of the Lord. He turned a nation from idolatry back to true worship. His personal mentor was Jehoiada the priest and under his influence he flourished. But when Jehoiada died, Joash listened to the wrong people and spiraled down until his own life was eventually taken. 2 Chronicles 23 and 24 show the amazing rise and tragic defeat of a king who never learned to allow God to be his main influence. While Jehoiada was certainly meant to be a godly influence on Joash, something was amiss.

As one who has had the opportunity to be mentored in my Christian life I know two things. The temptation to cling to the human source and the growth that comes when I finally take hold of God with all my heart, soul, and mind. Until that happens, I am not standing on my own spiritual legs and living dependent upon God. Mentors are meant to point us to God not to replace Him. My mentor knew that and I painfully learned it. It has taken over a year to wade through the issues and learn to take hold of God’s hand. There are still days I want to be under the nurturing care of a mentor. But I know God’s intent is to complete the transfer. My growth depends on it, my relationship with Him depends on it, and my involvement in His kingdom work depends on it. Today is another day of taking the steps that lead to that end.

It is in the experience of isolation that the Lord develops an independence of life and of faith so that the soul no longer depends on the continual help, prayers, faith, and care of others. Then we realize that He has done a new work within us and that the wings of our soul have learned to soar in loftier air. ~ Streams In The Desert

Father, may the only hand I grab hold of with permanence be Yours. Amen.

Continually Connecting

Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come….my praise is continually of You….my mouth is filled with Your praise and with Your glory all day long….I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. Psalm 71:3,6,8,14 NASB

I cannot survive on chance meetings with God. Quiet times in the mornings will not carry me through my day. My needs are continual therefore meeting with my “need Meeter” must be continual. Problems arise, life gets hard, tears fall, frustrations mount, the enemy never rests, and my propensity toward sin is always existent, therefore praise and dependency upon God is a continual necessity. From the time I get up until the time I retire for the evening (and even as I sleep) my connection with God must remain a priority for me. After all, when in the course of a day do I not need Him? When is He not worthy of my praise? When can I afford to do or be without Him? The answer is…..NEVER!

God never intended for any of His children to exist independent of Him. He never tires of hearing our voice, answering our questions, calming our fears, or directing our life. He has no limits to the number of times we can cry out to Him or sit at His feet. Nothing in our life is considered insignificant to Him. I will never reach the point that I just don’t need Him as much. He is as vital as the air I breathe!

With the number of things in my life that change I welcome His continual invitation to me to live in His embrace, His company, and His strength. I simply cannot afford to distance myself from Him. My memory is still fresh with the decades of living otherwise. Times when His Word was rarely opened, prayers were rarely spoken, and practicing His presence was unfamiliar territory. I knew Christ as Savior but kept Him at arms length, not knowing it did not have to be like that!

Now I want God included in every decision I make, every conversation I have, every dream I dare to dream, and every part of my life. No one else is capable of being in all those places with me. No one else can be that attentive. No one else deserves my continual attention and praise! May I go to Him, think of Him, seek Him, and speak of Him non-stop!

Father, You invited me to live life like this. You waited patiently for me to see that. I have been won over by You! Amen.