Why Keep a Troubled Heart?

Before I begin my post, I wanted to thank the ladies of Jonesboro Baptist Church in Russellville, Alabama, for inviting me to share God's word with them on February 7. God's wonderful presence filled the room as we focused on how to examine the content of our heart and pour it out before our Father. On a different note, Shane and I will be leaving tomorrow for Boston to see my doctor. I would like to ask you to please pray for our safety as we fly and for Canaan's safety as he stays here with my parents (might want to pray for my parents too; they will be worn out by that little four-year-old, by the time I return!). And now for the post... "...For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him." Matthew 12:34-35 Have you ever said something hurtful to someone or about them, and later said, "I didn't mean what I said. I was just angry." I admit I have done this. Maybe you have too. The Bible is very clear on many things. Two examples of such clarity is the tongue and the heart. James chapter three gives us a good breakdown of how dangerous the tongue can be. We have become a society in which we must speak politically correct and never offend someone. We teach our children to say 'nice things' about others. While monitoring our mouths is important and even necessary, 'taming the tongue' begins with the out-pouring of the heart. Jesus said, in Matthew, what comes out of the mouth is only a reflection of what was is in the heart (I know. I don't like where this is going either!) Yes, He is saying that what we say (and how we act) is directly proportional to what is 'stored up' in our heart. How can you know what is stored up in your heart? You look at your conversations over a period of time. For example, when we have a heart that is full of anger, we tend to strike out at those who are closest to us; those who we think will never leave us (spouse/children/parents). When we have stored up hurt, we tend to build a very tall wall around our hearts, rejecting love from anyone, and then crying about why no one wants to be close to us. When we have stored up a heart full of anxiety and fear, our mouths pour out a constant babble of what terrible things might happen to us or our family. When we store up pride, we often say nothing to others, hoping they will figure out the meaning of the 'silent treatment' and apologize first. Storing up anger, hurt, fear, and pride all lead to a troubled heart, or that feeling of being unhappy but not really sure why. That feeling of not being spiritually content, even though you know lots of Bible verses. So, how do we get rid of a troubled heart? I found it interesting to know that Jesus gives two direct orders against having a troubled heart. In John 14:1 He says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." He doesn't say, "Try not to let your hearts be troubled." He says DO NOT!!! When I tell Canaan something and it begins with the words, "DO NOT..", he knows that what he is about to do is just not an option. We have a direct order from our Lord. I don't know about you, but I think it is worth finding out how to avoid a troubled heart. Let's go further. Jesus gives the order again in John 14:27 when He says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." So the answer to getting rid of the troubled heart (and correcting our tongue and behavior at the same time) is accepting peace from God. Sounds simple. I mean, who wouldn't want to accept peace into their life, right? Sadly, some of you who are reading this post have never accepted the peace of God into your life through His son by salvation. Some of us have accepted salvation but refuse and fight God on a daily basis to keep this troubled heart. He gives us proof day after day that He loves us and can give us peace but we choose to keep the uneasy feelings. I hope you will join me in getting rid of a troubled heart. After peace through salvation, having daily peace is all about the application of His word. To find peace, apply what God's word says about your heart's stronghold. Then, take His word and put it into action in your house, your marriage, your work, your body, ... in your heart. Then, we will have stored up the good that the verse talks about and guess what? It will come out of our mouths too! Don't go to bed tonight until you have exchanged your troubled heart for a peaceful one... Love, Corrie My prayer for today: Lord, I give you my troubled heart tonight. Forgive me for holding on to it longer than you wanted me to. I want to accept your word as true. I believe in you and I believe you. Let your word be my very breath. May the words of my mouth be acceptable to you because my heart is acceptable first...

Beloved

"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine..." Song of Solomon 6:3 As I mentioned last week, God is leading my posts for February to be written on 'the heart'. With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I know of no better week to write about the emotion that the heart is best known for...love. Don't know about you, but in my 32 years, I have never really "checked into" why we celebrate Valentine's Day anyway. I do remember, though, that while in school, it was very cool to get something delivered to you on this day of love. As we become older, the Love Day is held to an even higher standard for a husband/wife to express their love for each other. When I began researching the origin of Valentine's Day, I found lots of 'tales' claiming to be the real reason behind the occasion. But one story, caught my eye. The story said that there was a priest by the name of (you guessed it) Valentine, who disagreed with a Roman law that young men remain unmarried. This concept was said to be created to use as a tactic to build up the Roman army by implying that "married men didn't make good soldiers". Valentine secretly began marrying soldiers and their fiances and was jailed for his behavior. While in jail, the priest befriended the jailers daughter. The legend goes that on the night before his execution, he wrote a note to the jailers daughter, whom he referred to as his beloved. The priest signed the note, 'from your Valentine'. Before you thank me for giving you such a happy story, I want us to examine the word beloved. Beloved, by definition, means 'dearly loved' or 'dear to the heart'. It is precious to me to know that God intends for His relationship with us to be compared to a romance. All throughout the Bible there are stories and parables that compare the love of a husband and wife to us and God. In fact, I believe He refers to us as His beloved. The song of Solomon is a good example. This book tells us of a Shulammite maiden who catches Solomon's eye because she is so very beautiful. Solomon takes her to his palace and tries to win her love. He cannot. Why? The maiden is in love with a shepherd... a shepherd who is away but is coming for her someday (sound familiar?). She refers to him as her beloved. My question to you is do you know that you are very dear to God's heart? If you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, He calls you His beloved. Perhaps, even as a Christian, you are longing for a relationship. A relationship in which you always know you are loved more than you can imagine. How sad it is for God to know that all we have to do is say, "Yes", but we say," No". "I have no time for you today, God. I promise I will spend more time with you tomorrow." We are His beloved. If you are reading this and you say that you have never known real love. I have good news for you. 1 John 4:10 says, "This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God's love for us in sending His Son to be the way to take away our sins." You see, God is our Valentine because we are His beloved. The verse says the real definition of love is not what or how we love God, it is accepting His love for us, His Son. He has sent us the most special Valentine's present of all... Jesus. He died so that you and I can not only have an eternity, but His death made it possible for you and I to have a relationship with God on a daily basis. I am so very thankful for that. I hope you will join me in forgetting about what we think we have to do for God, like we have some spiritual check list. But that we will spend time with Him, talk to Him, and listen for Him because we love Him and we accept that He loves us more than we can ever know. With this in mind, I believe our Valentine's Day, might just be the best one we've ever had... Love, Corrie My prayer for today: Father, I love you. Thank you for loving me through Calvary. Forgive me when I place anything and everyone in front of you. I want to spend time with you because you loved me first. I want to talk to you and tell you my fears because your love sustains me through them all. I am so happy you love me. Help me to accept it daily...

Satisfying God's Heart

"The Lord was grieved that He had made man on the Earth, and His heart was filled with pain." Genesis 6:6

When I think about February, I always think of Valentine's Day and everything associated with it; the candy (ya'll remember the chocolate one's that came in a heart-shaped box and you never knew what was inside the middle unless you poked your finger in the bottom first?---I didn't do that. Just wondered if you did:) ); the beautiful flowers, balloons, cards, and even stuffed animals. Everything given on that special day is to show someone just how much you love them. Or, if you will, an expression of what is inside your heart. Have you ever wondered about God's heart? Does He have a heart like us and can He feel emotions? How does He feel about you and I? Well my friends, you and I are about to find out. For the month of February, my posts will pertain to 'the heart'. We will open God's word and find out what makes a heart spiritually healthy and unhealthy. But first, let's begin with the first heart that ever existed...the heart of God. If you go back to Genesis, you will find that before there was anything, there was God. Sounds like a confusing statement but it just means what it says: God was always, infinitely here. We know that He began creating the universe and the animals. Next came Adam and Eve and then, well...sin. I guess when I look back at this story, I always seemed to focus on Adam and Eve's reaction to sin. They were ashamed, hid from God, passed the blame around. But I never really thought about how God must have felt. When I read this verse (Genesis 6:6), my heart felt like it was breaking into pieces. I did not like to read that later on, when sin had corrupted what God had made, it 'filled His heart with pain'. This verse shows us that our behavior can reach the very heart of God. So very often I hear people say, "No one cares about me," or "Nobody cares what I do." God cares. This verse offers us proof that God cares about who we are, what we do, and the choices we ultimately make. This is a very important concept to improving our relationship with God. In fact, understanding that our sin effects God's heart, is crucial in growing close to Him. Our society has become a very "accepting society". I often hear politicians and key leaders speak about how 'non judgemental' America is or how we 'accept everyone' and that we 'don't judge'. We have accepted, alright. We have accepted sin and behavior that breaks God's heart, according to Genesis. Most of you know that my ministry and my passion is devoted to finding out and sharing how to have a close, personal, intimate relationship with God. Maybe you desire this closeness to God. Maybe you long to converse with Him. I know it is possible. For this month, we will be looking at how to draw close to God's heart. I feel God impressing upon my heart for us to come to the simple realization that He feels. He wants us to know that what we do does effect Him and the relationship we so desire. Even as a Christian, we must daily identify the sin that is standing between us and God. Once forgiven, we should make a conscious effort to avoid that same sinful behavior. If you desire something different with God, it will require different behavior from you. Ephesians 4: 22-24 says, "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." I think, sometimes, we want our cake and eat it to. Meaning, we want to be close to God but we would also like to get away with not having to change any of our behavior. When I worked with people battling addiction, they called this concept insanity. To them, insanity meant doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Satisfying God's heart will not be done this way. What behaviors have made a rift between you and God? For me, I must stop asking forgiveness of not spending time with Him and change my schedule so that I can spend time with Him. What about you? Will you begin today to satisfy His heart? Do you desire to be closer to Him? I hope you will join me in satisfying His heart so that He can satisfy ours. I look forward to this month as God reveals more about the heart... Love, Corrie My prayer for today: Lord, I am so thankful for your heart. You are a God that is alive and feels so much emotion for His children. I am so sorry for allowing sin to stand in the way of a closer relationship with you. Forgive me. I want to change my behavior so that you and I can be closer each and every day...

Prayer Fest

Just a note to say what a wonderful time I had with the ladies that attended the Prayer Fest on January 24, at New Prospect Baptist Church in Haleyville, Alabama. The theme was "The Wedding of the Lamb" and was taken from Revelation 19:7. How exciting it was to talk about how we, the Bride of Christ, can begin making ourselves ready for the coming of our Bridegroom, Jesus! Love, Corrie

How to Wait for God

"Then the Lord replied: Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time, it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." Habakkuk 2:2-3 I must tell you that I am excited to hear how God will use this particular post to speak to you. I have had a really bad day and it seemed to have everything to do with writing this post. Every time I sat down to write or research this, something happened. First, I went to check on my laundry and a pen (that SHANE had left in his pocket...which will somehow end up as my fault?? :) had exploded in my dryer. Cleaning that out took time away from my writing. On my way back to continue, the heat repair man came, only to hand me a bill of $170.00! Next, I needed to take a break from researching the post to go and get a few groceries for Canaan. I then locked my keys, purse, and phone in my car. Needless to say, Canaan and I spent alot of time talking to my neighbor and playing outside until Shane came home. So, I have concluded that Satan really doesn't want me to share, 'What to do while we wait for God.' I don't think I have ever met anyone who liked to wait. I guess this anxiousness begins when we are children. When children know that there is a surprise coming, they become more and more impatient. God began to use this analogy to show me something very important. Habakkuk 2:2-3 talks about a revelation that will come from God at an appointed time. One of the definitions for revelation is, "a pleasant, often enlightening, surprise." This feeling of happiness is often how we feel when God comes through for us and answers our prayers. It makes us feel just like we have just received a surprise! But how do we feel when we are waiting on the surprise or 'revelation'? I often find myself feeling sad, depressed, anxious, and even scared when I am waiting. What does all of this mean? Do we, as humans, have the justifiable right to feel these negative emotions while we are waiting on the Almighty God to answer us? God's word tells us, "NO." There are countless scriptures that tell us that we do not have to worry for one moment that God will not be faithful to hearing His children. The Bible tells us that we can rest to know that whatever God does for us is always (not sometimes) for our good. So, how do we wait on God without being so anxious or sad? I wondered this very same thing. I began to look at someone in God's word that had an extraordinary relationship with God but had to do alot of waiting. This is none other than David. David waited for over 20 years to be king! Can you imagine? I think alot of us can imagine what it is like to plead with God daily to answer you. We often look at the 'before and after' David became King. God prompted me to look at how David waited. One thing David did while He waited on God, was to remember God's promise. Psalm 119:148 says, "My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises." Have you ever been so anxious about what was going to happen that you couldn't sleep? David tells us that the way he dealt with this was by meditating (focusing) on what God had promised. As humans, we tend to focus on the negative, (or what isn't being done) rather than what has been or is going to be done. When you read God's word, find out what He promises to do for your situation and then focus on that alone. "My comfort in suffering is this; Your promise preserves my life" (Psalm 119:50). I also noticed that David kept God close to Him to prevent anxiousness. Psalm 16:8 says, "I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right had, I will not be shaken." The right hand symbolizes the dominant hand; the hand of which we would reach out with if we needed help or to be rescued. David knew to stay as close to God as he could when He was waiting. We often drift farther away from God when we wait. Maybe we become angry with God because He is not answering as quickly as we'd like. Maybe we feel sorry for ourselves, to say that "God just isn't listening." We must stay in constant communication with God to keep Him at our right hand while we wait. Last, I found that David recalled, to his mind, past examples of when God had helped him. God had always come to help David and David knew this. Psalm 118:13 says, "I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me." David had evidence of past examples of how powerful God was. Don't you and I have those examples too? Can't you recall at least one time in your life when God came to you and rescued you? I have no evidence to prove otherwise. He has never failed me, yet I worry that He might? My sweet friends, I know that some of you are waiting. You are waiting for answers. You are waiting for the end to come to your trials in your marriage, your family, and your work. You are looking for that 'revelation', that surprise! I must tell you that we are not just waiting on anyone. We are waiting on the King! Jehovah! The very one who beat death! Habakkuk says that the revelation will only come at the appointed time. You and I can know that God hears us when we confess sin that is between us and Him. He has an appointed time for the answer that He will give. I am learning from David that what I do while I wait is critical to the help I will receive. If you are tired of your trial and desire rest, take the focus off of your trial and focus on God. Psalm 61:1 says, "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him." It was enough that God allowed His son to die for me, but He didn't stop there. He allows me to ask, seek, and knock daily, and can give me the very desires of my heart... simply because He loves me. May we wait on Him with excitement and confidence! Love, Corrie My prayer for today: Lord, I am amazed at your power and your love for me. You know every hair on my head, yet I doubt your focus on so many of my trials. Forgive me Lord, and help me to focus on your promises you have given me, to keep you at my right hand, to recall of your mercy in my past, and to praise you for saving my soul. I will wait on you Lord, because you waited on me...

The Cross in the Water

Still water: " As the deer pants for the streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. (vs2) My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" Psalm 42: 1-2 Slow rising water: "I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold. I have come into deep water, where the floods overflow me. Psalm 69:2 Water that hits hard:"For the waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 2 Samuel 22:5 Throughout the week, I had been praying for God to show me what to write for a new post. I could feel in my heart that the Holy Spirit was drawing me toward a topic on 'water'. Between my Sunday School class and our worship service at my church yesterday, God pulled it all together for me. During the worship service, I was singing and looking up at our screens for the words to a particular praise song. Someone had placed a background on the screen that caught my eye. It was a picture of an ocean. There was no land in sight...just water...as far as the eye could see. But out in the water stood a cross. Nothing else. Just a cross. The cross in the water... I have always loved the beach. I like to go in the summer time and lay out on the sand. I like to swim in the ocean (only in water that I can see the bottom! Afraid those small minnow-looking fish will kill me I guess!). I love to look at pictures of the ocean. But I do know that the sea can be a very dangerous thing. Water can do great damage. As I read God's word, I noticed that so many of Godly men and women compared their trials to forms of water. In Psalm 42, the Priest compares his thirst, his need, for God to a deer panting for water. Sometimes, our life is as smooth as glass. Nothing is really happening that is bad, and nothing is really happening that is good. We are just there. I find this is a time that I become most distant from God. To maintain that relationship with Him, I must put forth a daily effort to spend time with my Lord. How many days go by without a word from us or a simple "I love you" to the One who gave up His life? We must know that even in the 'still water', the cross is there. God is still waiting for that conversation we promised to get to tomorrow. I also know that sometimes, our trials gradually pile up. It's like, we can almost feel the water, or trial, rising. This is the worry and the fear we feel about what is yet to come. It is the fear of the unknown. In Psalm 69:2, the Psalmist says he sinks deep in mud where he can't get a grip. He knows the waters are coming. How often do we look ahead and worry that we won't be able to survive because we are so very deep in the mire? Perhaps addiction, constant running from God, or a never-ending feeling of worry or fear keeps you 'deep in the mire'. God wants us to know that the cross is in the water here too. God is always within our reach. I often forget about the cross to grab onto. I am to busy worrying about the rising floods around me. Sometimes, trials don't just rise; they knock you down. 2 Samuel 22:5 talks about the worst trial of all...death. People we love die. It seems to hit like a strong wave that crashes over us. But if I have learned anything about the crashing waves, I have learned that the cross is more visible here than any other place. Perhaps you are going through some form of 'water'. Maybe you are experiencing water that is smooth as glass but you are thirsty, not content with just "existing". Maybe you are stuck in a trial that is getting worse every day and you watch in fear as the water seems to rise higher and higher. Perhaps you have been hit so hard by a 'wave' of trouble, that you were completely knocked down. I have to tell you that God remains the anchor in all forms of trials. Hebrews 6: 19-20 says, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf..." The cross is the one thing that will not move in any storm or wave. Psalm 107:29 says, "He makes the storm calm, so that its waves are still." So what is this cross in the water? It's giving God complete and total control your heart and then your trial. It's trusting Him that His way is the best way. It's giving up "your way" of doing things. In order to be rescued from any form of trial we have, we must look to God. This involves a relationship with Him. If you have asked Him into your life and received Him as your Saviour, He's waiting for you to begin this wonderful relationship that will change your life forever. We are living in times of hardship. We are fearful of what is to come. But, we don't have to be. I, too, have many trials in my life right now. But tonight, I will sleep peacefully. Why? Because I know there is a cross in the water... Love, Corrie My prayer for today: Lord, how thankful I am for you. You stand there in front of me throughout each trial I walk through. I have no evidence that you will leave me. Help me to see you in my trial. Help me to reach toward your power that will anchor me. Your love is the steadfast love I need every day. Thank you for continuing to show me your patience and willingness to walk with me...

The Talking Donkey and the New Year

"Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground. (v32) An the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary because your way was contrary to me. (v33) But, the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live." Numbers 22:31-33 I am writing you from the Great Smokey Mountains, as I celebrate the New Year's day with my family. God has been leading me all day today to write a post...a post dedicated to what He wants us to know for the future, especially 2009. I feel that if we, His children, want to stand firm without fear for what is yet to come, we must know the following... A year or so ago, I did some reading on the story of Balaam and his talking donkey in Numbers chapters 22-24 (I recommend that when you have your quiet time with God, read the entire story). I figured it would be interesting. I mean, who doesn't want to know what was up with a talking donkey? I remember I wrote about it in my journal. But today, God has called it back to my mind to write a post. I feel it is almost an urgency that we read this and take away from it what God needs for us to know. I will sum up the story the best I can. Balaam was a Gentile prophet whose prophesies were recorded over the entire Bible. Yet, even though Balaam started out knowing God and His ways, Balaam began to become a lover of the world. He began to love the world and its ways more than he loved God. He became known as the worldly prophet who betrayed Israel for fame and fortune. In a commentary by Larry Wood, Balaam is said to have wondered off course from God and becomes spiritually asleep. One day, Balaam gets on his donkey and begins to take a trip. God tells Balaam that if he takes this trip, he must do specifically as God directs him. During the trip, God reveals himself to Balaam as an angel guarding paths that Balaam attempts to go down. Balaam fails to see God. However, strangely enough, the donkey sees the angel and stops each time. Rather than see what is really before him, Balaam hits the donkey out of anger. This happens three times. Finally, God allows the donkey to speak to Balaam, asking him about his violent behavior. At last, Balaam sees the angel of the Lord. The Lord tells him that if it had not been for the donkey, Balaam would have died. So, what's the moral of the story? To me, it's two-fold. First, we often pray for God's will but can't follow Him because the desire of the world consumes our hearts. I feel this is what God needs us to know today so that we can depend on Him for what is, to me, the end times. We must die to the world daily. Because of our sinful nature, it is within us to desire the world. Even as His children, we say we want Him but our actions say differently. Then we wonder why our prayers are not heard and our hearts are empty. God's spoken word says that He checks the motives of the heart (Proverbs 16:1-2). As I was sitting here in this cabin looking out toward the mountains, I am humbled to see His majesty all around me. How silly we are to think that the right career will complete us; how absurd it is to think that more money will make us happy; how offensive it must be to Him to think that we must have the perfect mate or the perfect family to feel as if we are content. No, it is only in God alone will that empty void be filled. This is nothing new that I have figured out. God's word already tells us that. The book of Ecclesiastes is basically an interview, if you will, with King Solomon. When the richest man that has ever lived is asked what insight he can share, Solomon says this: "I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun (Ecc. 2:10-11)." Even Solomon knew that you are nothing without God in the center of your heart and dreams. Balaam fell because he became consumed with all he could have in the world. The second point of the story of Balaam is knowing that God speaks by using those around us. But in order to hear Him, we must constantly be aware of His movement. How is this done? By maintaining a daily intimate relationship with Him. How often has God spoken to me through other people but I was too arrogant or too defensive to hear Him. What about you? Are you struggling to hear God? I hope you will join me in preparing for His return by striving to focus on our Lord rather than what is in the world. We must know that what we see before us will all be lost. What we have with our Lord is eternal. What do you have? Begin today. It is the first day of the new year. It doesn't matter what you have done. God is waiting for you to just simply utter the name "Jesus". To simply speak His name stirs the very heart of God. He will come to where you are. He can forgive us of placing the world before Him if we ask. I hope you will join me in this new focus for 2009... Happy New Year, Corrie My prayer for today: Lord, I ask forgiveness of placing so much emphasis on things around me and not you. Help me to focus only on the relationship between you and I. Help me to hear, see, and follow you. Thank you for those you use to help me to find you...