Is Your Heart for Him?

 

I've always loved the story in 2 Chronicles 20 about King Jehoshaphat of Judah. Especially where it is written: "stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you." Five places in this chapter it is written: "stand in your presence . . . stood there before the Lord . . . stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you . . . stood up and praised the Lord."

But this weekend I listened to a sermon that included chapter 19 of 2 Chronicles that made me pause. Verse three, of chapter 19 says: "There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God."

Jehoshaphat had made a bad choice and the Lord was going to punish him. But God knew Jehoshaphat had a good heart and had done good in other matters. So He withheld judgment.

That is our God. He doesn't want to punish us unless we need to be punished. God looked at Jehoshaphat's heart and knew he loved God and had done good. So God relented on punishing him.

God does that for us too. We are all going to make mistakes and make wrong choices. It's our human nature. We will sin. But God takes everything into account when He decides our punishment. Just like He did with Jehoshaphat. "God does not treat us as our sins deserve, but takes note of a heart for Him." Gary Hamrick

Does God know your heart? Can He see that you are a faithful child? Or are you hiding your heart because you know it is not faithful? 

Another word Hamrick said that I like is "soul fattening." In regards to when we pray and fast, doing those disciplines, our soul is "fattened" with more of God to help us rest in Him during tough times.

If you've never read about King Jehoshaphat in Chapter 20 of 2 Chronicles, take a moment to see what he did and what God did. The Lord gave them victory and caused them to rejoice over their enemies. I think you'll be doing a lot more standing when you do!

By His Grace . . . 

Readings

 Checkout my other blog sites on the right side of this blog for new devotions to encourage and inspire your heart. Devotions to choose from: Hymn Studies with Scripture, Hymn Line Devotions, Scripture Verse Devotions and Timely Words from Saints of Old. 

A new devotion posted today on: Timely Words from Saints of Old: P. J. Wolz. 

My Very Best Thought!

 Women Made For His Glory Facebook Page

I've written about this hymn line before so please indulge me once again.

Last Saturday morning during my devotions I turned the page in my hymnal to the next hymn I would sing, and  I found one of my favorite hymns before me. I love to sing "Be Thou My Vision." The words are a delight to the soul and in the first verse it has one of my very favorite lines:

"Thou my best thought by day and by night."

God IS our best thought, the very best thought our minds can have. God’s love comes through to fill us and help us in our daily walk.

Colossians 3:1-2: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Enduringword.com: “The best Christian living comes from minds that are fixed on heaven. They realize that their lives are now hidden with Christ in God, and since Jesus is enthroned in heaven, their thoughts and hearts are connected to heaven also . . . The words ‘set your mind’ marks aspiration, desire, and passion . . . In order to seek these things, the mind must be set on them.”

Is God my best thought? Do I spend time with Him, rejoicing in His love and worshiping Him for His grace and mercy? Does He enter my mind during the day?

What about at night when I'm trying to fall asleep? Do I fulfill David’s words in Psalm 63:6: “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.”

There is no question. You can’t think about anything as great as our God and Savior, Jesus. The more we think about Him, the closer we become to Him. Make Him your best thought always!

This hymn prayer is rich with imagery of a high view of Christ, the unequaled treasure of finding Him, and our total surrender to His Kingship. 

The other verses are just as delightful! Read them slowly and with purpose.

                                               "Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord.

Thou my great Father, I Thy dear child;

Thou in me dwelling, with Thee reconciled.

"Be Thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;

Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.

Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tow'r;

Raise Thou me Heav'nward, O Pow'r of my pow'r.

"Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise;

Thou mine inheritance, now and always.

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.

"High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heav'ns Sun!

Heart of my heart, whatever befall,

Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

Let Jesus be your best thought always! 

By His Grace . . .

Feel Your Feelings

  

On her blog, “Love Songs to My Life,” Gloria Gather shared an interesting post from her friend, Kenna West. Kenna was sharing about a song from her childhood that made it possible for her to “feel my feelings” during turbulent years in her young life.

The phrase “feel my feelings” caught my mind and caused me to pause and remember turbulent times in my younger life. I believe it’s important to be able to express our feelings, let them out, in a good way, so that we can move forward and get past things that upset us.

I tried to recall the songs I clung to in difficult times as a non-believer, and then as a believer. But my memory just didn’t work well. I went through lists online and saw many titles I remembered but didn’t recognize words that had touched me. I'm just thankful there were songs I clung to during trying times in my life.

Since becoming a Christian, my comfort and release now comes from the Bible. Psalms provides an entire picture of happy and sad feelings, and how David and others got through them. I also find relief and comfort in hymns of old that tell the old, old story, and praise and worship songs that take us to the throne.

There are still songs written and sung today that we can relate to in sadness, praise and thanksgiving.

I encourage you to “feel your feelings” as you walk through each day and find Scripture, hymns and praise and worship songs that help you identify and overcome thoughts that keep you in bondage. Remember to choose songs that praise our Lord and God. For there is no other who understands your feelings but our Savior and God.

By His Grace . . . 

Slowing down

 

"Remind me that my worth is not measured by how much I accomplish, how well I perform, or how tirelessly I keep moving, but by the simple grace of abiding close to You with a trusting heart.” Daily Devotion

A friend sent me a post from Daily Devotion a few days ago, and the above words caught my attention. I’ve slowed down. Some because of my age. Some because of family caring responsibilities. And it took me awhile to accept that I wasn’t doing as much as I used to.

I've been adjusting to this new season for two years. I’m sure some of my friends are experiencing this also, as many are close to my age. I wonder if they are feeling the change that we go through in our senior years.

Everything takes longer. Everything is harder. My favorite expression is: “Why is this so hard?” It is amazing that everything you do is harder than it used to be. Everything.

Often it has caused me to feel like I’m not doing anything. If you are used to accomplishing a lot, it’s hard to accept that you just can’t do it anymore.

I was still accomplishing fine when I turned 75, but last year and this year, now at the age of 77, there's been a big difference. I was upset at the beginning, missing my ability to do more, but slowly I’ve accepted the reality and do my best to do what I can and forget about the rest.

Jesus is with us even in our senior years. He still thrills our souls. He still is within reach when we call. And He helps us adjust to this season in our lives.

One thing I do know. I abide close to my Savior, and I trust Him completely. I am worthy to Him because He loves me and continues to care for me even when “it’s too hard.”

Think about the words in the above quote, my older friends. Abide close to our Lord, and trust Him even though it is hard. You are worthy in His eyes. And that’s really all that counts.

By His Grace . . . 

God's Gift to Me

  

Baby leaves continue to thrill my heart.

Following is my annual post in the Spring. A gift for my encouragement and yours! I wrote this article in the late 1990s, and it was published in the early 2000's in Woman's Touch magazine.  

"The blistering wind hit my face as I opened the door. Winter was here. 'Come on, Sparkie,' I said. 'You have to go for a walk.'

"Sparkie, our 11-year-old dog, slowly walked through the door. 'Do we have to go out in this weather?' his eyes pleaded. That's how I felt too.

"The wind slapped my face and tears dropped from my eyes. 'Its been a difficult year, Lord,' I thought. Winter has harbored in my heart leaving me cold and dead, just like the trees. My eyes traveled around the yard taking in the bleak appearance. Problems had multiplied and left me drained of all my strength. 

"Again, I noticed the trees. Once full of foliage, they now stood bare before me. And the remains of our productive garden now showed hard, cracked earth. 'Even the geese took a detour on their way home,' I told the wind.

"Yes, the year had left stains, and the ache in my heart hurt. 'I know I should be thankful, Lord,' I whispered. 

"'Hurry Sparkie,' I yelled. 'I want to get back inside.'

"My eyes fixed on the maple tree behind our house. Stripped of all its colorful clothing, it looked dead. 'Just like my heart,' I thought. And then, I remembered the baby leaves.

"Last February, I began watching the buds develop on the maple tree. I couldn't remember ever taking the time to watch leaves grow, and decided I'd see firsthand how God gave them birth.

"Sparkie and I would stop every evening on our walk to look for any development. It was a slow beginning, but finally--one day in April-- the buds opened.

"Long tentacles reached out, as many as 10 or 15 from each bud, as I remember. At the end of the tentacles were blossoms and at their base were leaves. The leaves were bound together, just like the cold buds had been. As the weather warmed, they began to unfold.

"My heart tingled with excitement when the leaves began to open. My husband, Jerry, was at the garden, and I remember yelling excitedly to him, 'Come quick! the leaves are opening.'

"Half-inch baby leaves, perfectly shaped, stretched their little frames for all the earth to see.

"In one week, some leaves had grown to 3 inches in length. My eyes couldn't believe the transformation. As the leaves grew, the blossoms were blown to the ground. I walked on yellow drops of sun splattered all over the place. I had witnessed the birth of one of God's creations.

"The cry of a lone bird brought me back to the present. Chilled, I headed back to the house, shivering But my heart was no longer cold.

"You see, it's February now--just the time I began watching the frozen buds last year. When everything looked dead, and no life was visible, God was working. And now I knew God was working in me.

"Its been a long year, but I know my heart will feel the warmth of God's love again. Why, in just a couple of months, He'll bring me baby leaves.

"Come on, Sparkie,' I said. 'Let's go tend the fire.'"

Here we are in April once again, and baby leaves are beginning to open on the trees. It will always be a special time of year for me, for you see, God gave me baby leaves, His HOPE to me.

By His Grace . . . 

Readings

Checkout my other blog sites on the right side of this blog for new devotions to encourage and inspire your heart. Devotions to choose from: Hymn Studies with Scripture, Hymn Line Devotions, Scripture Verse Devotions and Timely Words from Saints of Old.