Have you ever been so overwhelmed w/ truth and revelation that it becomes difficult to make sense of it all and come up with some sort of action plan? Well, that’s me right now. I’ve been seeking God’s truth like never before, and He is delivering it full force. It’s interesting to me how the more I learn, the more I want to learn. The more I receive, the more I seek. I’m feeding on the very truth of God, and am still so hungry to hear, learn and experience more of Him. (Read Johnny’s blog for some interesting thoughts on being “fed”.) I would love to share with you all the things I’m learning (although most of it is what I’ve known for a long time and it is being reinforced by God in a big way). However, I’m afraid I could never cover it all in a way that you’d actually have time to read, so I’ll try to just connect the dots. I’ve been drawn to Proverbs 4:23 – “Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (this verse comes under the heading of “Wisdom is Supreme” – how interesting is that?! Another verse I’ve been drawn to is Psalm 91:3-5 (it’s about the arrows that pierce our heart.) So, we are to guard our hearts. We also need to know that guarding our hearts is not an easy thing. Our hearts, by the way, are how we connect w/ God – they are the part of us that God wants the very most because they are “the wellspring of life” – the part of us from which everything else flows. I’ve been convinced of the faithfulness of God (there are so many verses God has given me over the last 6 months to attest to this).
God is faithful, that I well know. But God’s faithfulness (and His grace – more on grace later) requires something from me as a response. I’ll talk about that response in the next post.
God
Blessed Assurance
I was reading Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotional today, and although it is not evening – the evening devotion was particularly gripping – here’s a little taste:
You are standing at the foot of his cross, trusting alone in the merit of Jesus’ precious blood, and no rise or fall of the markets can interfere with your salvation in him; no breaking of banks, no failures and bankruptcies can touch that. Then you area child of God this evening. God is your Father. No change of circumstances can ever rob you of that. Although by losses brought to poverty, and stripped bare, you can say, “He is my Father still. In my Father’s house are many mansions; therefore will I not be troubled.”
You have another permanent blessing, namely, the love of Jesus Christ. He who is God and Man loves you with all the strength of his affectionate nature-nothing can affect that. The fig tree may not blossom, and the flocks may cease from the field, it matters not to the man who can sing, “My Beloved is mine, and I am his.”
Our best portion and richest heritage we cannot lose. Whatever troubles come, let us play the man; let us show that we are not such little children as to be cast down by what may happen in this poor fleeting state of time. Our country is Immanuel’s land, our hope is above the sky, and therefore, calm as the summer’socean; we will see the wreck of everything earthborn, and yet rejoice in the God of our salvation.
Immediately I started to sing (in my head, of course) that old tune:
Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.
Oh what a foretaste of glory divine
Heir of salvation
Purchase of God
Born of His Spirit
Washed in his blood
I know it’s an old song – but those old songs often have deeper meanings than most of what we sing today.
What blessed assurance to know that I am an heiress of God himself, and there is nothing that will ever change who I am in Christ!! In Christ I am righteous and holy. In Christ I am strong and courageous. In Christ I am special and in Him I am loved.
The Heart Factor
I have just started reading a book called “The Sacred Romance” by Brent Curtis and John Eldridge and had to share a piece of it with you:
“In the end, it doesn’t matter how well we have performed or what we have accomplished – a life without heart is not worth living. For out of this wellspring of our soul flowers all true caring and all meaningful work, all real worship and all sacrifice. Our faith, hope, and love issue from this fount, as well. Because it is in our heart that we first hear the voice of God and it is in the heart that we come to know him and learn to live in his love.”
It is often interesting to me, although not suprising, that when God is trying to tell me something He will continue to tell it to me in as many ways as possible until I get it. Well, God – message received. In the beginning of the book I am reading, the author mentions that all of us – no matter our relationship with Christ, are always wanting more. More love, more emotion, more meaning – More Heart. I can definitely relate to the desire for more out of life – as I’m sure you can. I have been overwhelmed with the feeling lately that there is so much more than I am getting. I seek God – but do I seek Him hard enough? I praise God – but do I praise him often enough? I worship God – but do I worship with ALL of my life, or simply with my song? I have to confess that everything I could ever give would never be enough. So, how do I get more? I’m not exactly sure. I suppose that just knowing that there is more will force me to seek harder and praise more often and try to learn how to worship with everything that is me. At least I hope that is the case.
kimewells 