Category: Blog Post

Lately I’ve thought a lot about what it means to have a heart for God, to know the heart of God and what it meant for David to be called “a man after God’s own heart”. “And when He had removed him, He raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also He gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.” Acts 13:22

Each morning as I seek to spend time in God’s word I find my heart yearning for more; more time in His word, more of Him in me, more of His heart in mine, more of a heart for God.

With this desire, my heart cries out for God to help me make this a reality in my life; but then I feel my own smallness and inadequacies. I feel my unworthiness rise up to remind me of who I am and who I am not. My failures come before me taunting me; and thus within my brokenness, I seek Him pouring out the desires of my heart before Him wanting a heart for Him as never before.

Where better to turn than to the scriptures from a man after God’s own heart.

In my heart’s longing to be near Him: “My soul longeth, yea, even fainter for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.” Psalms 84:2

In my heart’s acknowledgement of my inadequacies: “For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.” Psalms 40:12

In my heart’s daily need of who He is: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” Psalms 19:14

In my heart’s desire to be pure before Him: “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me: try my reins and my heart.” Psalms 26:2

In my heart’s seeking to be near Him: “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.” Psalms 27:8

In my heart’s desire to glorify Him: “I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.” Psalms 86:12

Each day is a new reality of the continual process of seeking to have a heart for God. Each day I desire to have Him living within me and through me; as I continue to pursue a heart for Him. “I will put my laws into there mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.” Hebrews 8:10b

With each new phase of life we find ourselves looking back remembering special moments and special people that made our lives better by just being who they were in their own uniqueness. We remember what they taught us and how they made us feel. Then on the other hand we remember those that hurt us, those who betrayed us or those that destroyed a piece of our world that can never be replaced.

Each of us looked back yesterday in remembrance of that fateful day on the morning of September 11, when the world we knew as Americans changed all together. We felt pieces of what we thought to be torn from us, the sense of security we had felt in our own homeland ripped from us leaving our lives forever changed.

The lives of those that were taken from us touched an entire country altering the way we viewed those around us. We began to love each other as we were, not as we thought we should be. Color, race, gender, socioeconomic status: none of that matter because we saw each other as people, lives that could be taken in one brief moment of time. But, all too soon we forgot those moments and returned to our own practice of destroying each other through our own selfish desires and prideful natures. We failed to remember.

The children of Israel exhibited this same sense of forgetfulness in the book of Malachi. Just last night, out pastor shared with us of the turning of the Israelites from all that God had done for them, all the love He had shown them, all the promises He had kept. They doubted His love, questioned His motives and grew to despise Him. They failed to remember.

But, there were those who did remain faithful, those who never forgot God’s goodness. Those who remembered all that He had done for them. Then comes the exciting part, God said that those were the ones He would place in His book or remembrance. He promised to remember them. How truly amazing to be remembered by God, to be placed in God’s book of remembrance.

“Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name.” Malachi 3:16

I want to remember God’s goodness in my life, I want to remain faithful. I want to be remembered by the one who made me and gave me life. The one who has forever remained faithful in His promises to me. I want to be remembered and I never want to forget.

One morning I paused, breathing in the rays of sunshine that filtered their way through the blinds as if inhaling would capture the radiant essence of their brilliance. Today was a new day full of positive energy and potential. Already the list of items on the day’s agenda were flooding through my mind an ever beckoning reminder of the ticking of the clock. In that moment I felt a lingering thought of yesterday and the chaotic madness that had erupted. In the quiet of the morning I felt a deafening silence as for a brief moment the pendulum between yesterday and today stood still, waiting to see if I would allow yesterday to spill over into today.

Each today brings with it a remembrance of yesterday. How we address that remembrance makes the difference between what was yesterday and what will be today. Yesterday is not today and it’s up to us to see the difference. We can allow the pains and struggles of our yesterday’s to become the weights that hold us down or we can leave them in the past allowing God to provide us with wings to reach new heights today. His forgiveness covers the past of our yesterday’s and His grace gives us new hope for today.

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching unto those things which are before” Philippians 3:13

As you greet today remember . . . Yesterday is not today !!!

In a world that stands in such need of prayer, we often find ourselves engulfed in the overwhelming noise of busyness that we fail to step aside to pray. Throughout His life, we see time and again where Jesus stepped aside to pray.

“And in the morning, riding up a great while before day. He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed“”.” Mark 1:35

“And He withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed.” Luke 5:16

“And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone.” Matthew 14:23

“And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” Luke 6:12

“And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed.” Luke 22:41

“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit here, while I go and pray yonder.” Matthew 26:36

Following in His example we can see the importance He placed on stepping aside to pray. He knew that in order to be able to focus on His conversation with God, He needed to separate Himself from the noise of the world.

He rose early to seek God and He closed His day in earnest prayer with His Father pouring out His burdens before Him. He made His time with God a priority, removing Himself from all that would distract Him.

If Jesus in His perfection saw the importance of stepping aside to pray, how would we in our imperfection consider anything less as acceptable before God? How do we expect Him to hear us, when we attempt to multitask during our prayer time with Him?

Yes, there is value in talking to God as we go about the different tasks associated with our day; but somewhere in our day there needs to be time where we step aside and seek God’s face in prayer. God deserves time with us during which our heart is solely fixed on Him. When we come before Him in this manner, following the example of Jesus, then and only then can we experience the true fellowship of time spent with our Heavenly Father.

With all of the ever present noise that fills our lives it becomes increasingly difficult to find “quiet time“. Each morning’s alarm finds us with a to-do list that screams immediate attention and the chores from yesterday that did not find their way to completion thunder with an ever present reminder that time is never sufficient. Our lives are filled with noise that bombards our mind with its incessant demand to be appeased. It becomes increasingly difficult to step aside and find even the briefest of moments of quiet solitude in which to listen to the still small voice of God. All the while He is there waiting just beyond the horizon of the chaos, waiting for us to seek time with Him. It becomes a necessity for us to “demand quietness” in which to listen to Him in the stillness.

“Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the Earth.” Psalm 46:10

“The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.” Isaiah 14:7

We run full tilt from sun up to sun down, always pushing to accomplish more and more within each 24 hour period of time. We fill our days with appointments and projects, finding ourselves spent and worn. We often come to the end of the day only to find our to-do list longer for tomorrow than where we started today and often, at the start of the new day we wake feeling far less than our best. If only we paused long enough to remember the source of true rest that has been promised when we come to Him with our never ending list of tasks and allow Him to give us rest.

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. ” Matthew 11:28

In His rest we find strength, renewal of spirit and a fresh outlook to guide us as we seek to accomplish the tasks of each new day.

In the quiet of the morning, just before the dawn. I sit and hear you whisper words my soul longs to hear. The day is barely waking, as your words I gently hear, giving peace in the moment with new strength for the day. Outside the sounds of life are stirring as the birds greet the day, another day is dawning with a sense of new wonder, yet to be revealed. The anticipation of the new day, all fresh in what might be; another chance to write the story as it was meant to be.

“Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning: for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk: for I lift up my soul into thee.”

Psalm 143:8

“They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness. ” Lamentations 3:23

The way ahead can be unclear, the moments all a blur. The days become weeks in time, as months unfold to years. I often feel as if I’m standing still, as tomorrow becomes a fleeting memory of yesterday. Who I am becomes who I was, till I no longer recognize the me I am today. Each person I have met, each moment I have shared, becomes a part of who I will become as tomorrow is revealed. The dreams I held so close, the goals I tried to reach; they seem to become a reality when I found myself the avenue by which others achieve the vision that they seek!!

We often find ourselves experiencing moments that leave us unable to see a way beyond our current circumstances. The heaviness of it all causes us to stumble beneath the weight.

As Jesus faced the cross He fell upon His knees in utter agony, knowing what He was about to endure. He knew the suffering that He would face and He bowed beneath the weight of fear that beset His fleshly body. He cried out to the Father seeking release from what lay ahead, yet He did not find what He sought. “He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” Matthew 26:42

As He faced the cross before Him, we see the example of accepting God’s plan even when we do not see the way.

“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;” Hebrews 5:8

Christ took upon Himself our sin, knowing what that meant for Him. He saw the agony ahead and still He remained faithful to what God had called Him to do. We do not possess the knowledge of the future, but we do possess the knowledge of who holds our future. By the things Christ suffered we have assurance in tomorrow. In this knowledge we are to remain faithful as He calls us to follow paths we do not understand.

“And I will bring the blind by the way that he knew not, I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them and not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16

With each new year we often pause to reflect on our accomplishments from the previous year, sometimes we feel a sense of pride for having reached a set of goals we established for ourselves. Possibly our sense of pride comes in knowing that we had the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those we met along the way; however, we often look back with feelings of inadequacy as we ponder days that became weeks and weeks that became months without any real monumental moment that held true eternal value.

The wonderful thing about starting a new year is not that we get to look back with mournful regret, but that within the scope of internally examining our heart within the lens of the new year we have the opportunity to look forward with a clearer understanding of purpose. We have the opportunity to live the new year before us “for His purpose“, so that when this new year becomes a closed chapter we can look back knowing our lives held meaning, the days that became weeks were filled with moments that made an eternal difference. “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.” Romans 9:17 Just as God had a purpose for Moses’s life, He has a purpose for our lives.  He will raise us up and fill us with His power so that we can declare His name to those we meet along the way, in this way we can live our lives “for His purpose“.

God has placed us in this moment in time to fulfill that for which He has called us to do. Even within the life of Saul who we know as Paul, God brought him to the end of one chapter so that he might fulfill the purpose God had planned for his life all along. “But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;” Acts 26:16. We do not come to be who we are, living where we live as a surprise element within God’s universe. He has a planned purpose for each of us knowing exactly where we will be at any given moment in time, but it’s up to us to trust in Him so that we might live “for His purpose“. It becomes our choice to chose His purpose for our lives. “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. Ephesians 1:11-12

I want to purpose in my heart to live “for His purpose” in 2019, I want to trust Him to fulfill that for which He hath purposed within me.