How to Live Close to God's Heart

Samantha, my dog, an Irish Setter, is stubborn. I call her and she trots in the other direction, nose to the ground. You could conclude that she is deaf, but I know better. She hears me, but the scents in the yard are just so interesting, she  ignores me until she sees me walking toward her. Then, she decides to trot quickly to the door!  Kid learn to be selective in their hearing, too.  Isn’t it amazing how they cannot hear Mom’s voice when she is telling them to come and clean up their mess, but they can hear a whisper about weekend plans to let them go stay at Grandma’s house?

Does the Holy Spirit find you readily obedient or are you taken up with your own plans and desires, conveniently ignoring the voice of the LORD?  To be sure there truly are times when the pace of life makes you and me spiritually hard of hearing! We do get taken up with ‘’stuff” sometimes, immersed in trials and troubles, struggling through sickness, or feeling so depressed that it can be difficult to discern the clear leading of God. But, most of the time, we are rather like Sam, the setter, or that kid who just wants to keep watching his TV show. We know what we are called to do, we just do not have the desire to yield to the will of the Father.

Our Father in Heaven looks for obedience, not because He is a tyrant, but because He ultimately leads us in paths where our best and His glory merge! Moses told the people of the Lord “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God: Your towns and your fields will be blessed." (Deuteronomy 28:1-3, NLT) "The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul." (Deuteronomy 30:10, NLT)

Do not read that as God saying, “If you’re a good boy, I’ll be nice to you and give you rewards.” The richer meaning is that a life aligned to His plan, readily responsive to His directions, both enjoys His favor and avoids so much pain of consequences of sin! We are His children and in ready obedience we discover His provision for our lives – natural and spiritual. Those who love the Lord, their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength discover that the "path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter ‘till the full light of day." (Proverbs 4:18, NIV) 

I can tell you from first-hand experience that even obedient Christians live in a world where there are hurricanes, financial reverses, children who make poor choices, temptations, and bodies that age!  But, as children of God we experience even those difficulties differently. We need not fall into despair and bitterness. Instead, we are led by His hand, even through the valley of the shadow of death.  When our true desire is to love Him, to live obediently, we are privileged with daily ‘fellowship’ with Him, a place where we sense Him near, where we are enveloped by His love and enjoy peace.  Yes, we learn to live close to God’s heart.

Are you listening to the Spirit, obedient to the Word? Are you delighting in His way, dying to Self, discovering grace on grace?

Here’s a word from the Word. Will you receive and live in the promise?

"You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways.

But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved?

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you;

for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins.

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure,
O LORD; do not remember our sins forever.
Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people." (Isaiah 64:5-11, NIV)

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Near To The Heart Of God

There is a place of quiet rest

Near to the heart of God

A place where sin cannot molest

Near to the heart of God

O Jesus blest Redeemer

Sent from the heart of God

Hold us who wait before Thee

Near to the heart of God

There is a place of comfort sweet

Near to the heart of God

A place where we our Savior meet

Near to the heart of God

There is a place of full release

Near to the heart of God

A place where all is joy and peace

Near to the heart of God

Hold us who wait before Thee

Near to the heart of God

Cleland Boyd McAfee | Russell Mauldin

© Words: Public Domain

How to become overwhelmed and discouraged

The phone call delivered some disturbing news, a situation over which I have little control, yet for which I am held responsible. In that moment, I sinned!  Angry words spilled over from my frustration. Like an animal that was cornered, I snarled and snapped.  As I settled into a sullen mood, the Spirit of God ministered grace and conviction. “Jerry, why won’t  you trust Me? Why won’t you accept my invitation to present your need to Me and seek My wisdom?”   “Yes, Lord,” I prayed, “I’ve done it again.” And then I took the situation to Him in prayer.  A subtle conceit can find us, no matter what kind of service we perform, the very moment we begin to feel even a little bit competent.  We think that we can handle it, that we can produce results, and - then turn life upside down. Instead of serving God, we think that God should serve us. 

Ben Patterson, sharing authentically and transparently about his journey of faith and ministry, tells about a time when his conceit was revealed to him.

• "For 6 weeks I was totally out of commission. During that time I crossed a frontier in my prayer life... toward the end of my convalescence, I had a conversation with the Lord that went something like this: 'These times of prayer have been sweet. I've actually had time to pray for every single person in this congregation, every day. It's too bad I won't have time to do this when I get back to work.' The Lord's reply was quick and blunt. 'Stupid, you have the same 24 hours when you're well as when you are sick. The trouble with you, Ben, is that when you're well, you think you're in charge; when you're sick you know you're not.' " 

If we forget to serve with submission to the will of our Father, we risk becoming burnt out, ill-tempered, and ineffective. We might blame God for asking too much of us, but He never does.  In truth, He has every resource we need for every day, strength to match each challenge. He will not ask too much of me, but so often I fail to ask enough of Him!  Where pride rules ugly things happen.

In Psalm 127:1-2 teaches us about trust. The passage calls us to complete dependence with the reminder of the limits of our skill and effort.
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; 
Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, o eat the bread of sorrows; 
For so He gives His beloved sleep. ( NKJV) 

Whatever callings and gifts we may have, they are of little use and less effect apart from the grace and power of God!  

 God called Moses, a failed prince and fugitive murderer, while he was living in exile, tending a flock of sheep. The LORD told him to go back to Egypt and to prepare the people to return to the Promised Land. It was a tough assignment!  How would he inspire a people enslaved by a powerful nation to leave behind the lives they had formed for centuries in the land of Egypt? Creating a new vision for a nation is a daunting challenge!  How would he get the Pharaoh to let the people go? There was no earthly reason for the king to release his work force! Moses focuses on himself at first, seeing only his inadequacy. Then hands himself the Lord, asking a question that intrigues me: "Who should I tell these people has sent me? What's your Name?" The LORD reveals His majesty saying, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ (Exodus 3:14, NKJV) The Self-Existent One, The One Without First Cause, commissioned Moses. 

We are in the service of the great 'I AM.' We must not forget that. Oh, yes, He asks much of us; our very lives! He requires that we use the gifts He's given to us diligently, and that we press on to do His work and His will. BUT, He doesn't not leave us without resources, orphaned, or desperate. Jesus promised to be with us, by the Spirit, "day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20, The Message)

Are you snarling, snapping, complaining, and whining about life? Are you, in fact, telling God that He is asking too much of you?  Let’s repent, turning our eyes from ourselves to Him.

Here is a word from the Word. Live the promise.  "Three different times I begged the Lord to take it (Paul’s weakness) away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:8-10, NLT)

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CAST MY CARES

When fear feels bigger than my faithAnd struggles steal my breath awayWhen my back's pressed up against the wallWith the weight of my worries stacked up tallYou're strong enough to hold it all

 I will cast my cares on YouYou're the anchor of my hopeThe only one who's in controlI will cast my cares on YouI'll trade the troubles of this worldFor Your peace inside my soul

 This war's not what I would've chosenBut You see the future no one knows yet And there's still good when I can'tSee the working of Your handsYou're holding it all

 I will cast my cares on YouYou're the anchor of my hopeThe only one who's in controlI will cast my cares on YouI'll trade the troubles of this worldFor Your peace inside my soul

 I’m finding there's freedomWhen I lay it all on Your shoulders

 Cast my cares I willCast my caresI willCast my cares on You

Publishing: © 2014 Universal Music - Brentwood Benson Publishing (ASCAP) / Songs Of Emack (ASCAP).

Do you like me now?

The conversation with the young woman was fascinating. Her life was shaped around being ‘pretty.’  Her evaluation of others was about their style of clothing, haircut, make up, and overall attractiveness.  She appears to be thoroughly immersed in that part of our culture defined by the Kardashians, celebrities who are famous for their superficiality. Life for people like them is defined by the ‘likes’ on Facebook, the followers on Instagram, and the attention that they can attract. I find it such a sad, empty way to live.

It is a question worthy of reflection as we being a new year: 
who or what do we think gives value to our existence?

Is it being liked? Is it being able to buy brand name products? Is it having others take note of our face or figure? Is it our title, the popularity of our kids, the college we attend . . .   
Or, will we go to another level, to the quality of character, to our work to improve the world in which we live . . .
Or will we go yet deeper to the things of spirit, the pursuit of the Holy?

Superficiality is not an invention of 21^st century America! Jesus told a story about it, asking us to think about what we love in life. “The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: ‘What can I do? My barn isn’t big enough for this harvest.’ Then he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods, and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!’ “Just then God showed up and said, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?’ “That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.” (Luke 12:16-21, The Message)

That story is not about success or wealth, by the way! There is nothing sacred or holy about poverty, ignorance, or failure. God is the Creator of beauty, the giver of good gifts, and He desires that we make the most of what He has invested in us for His glory.  Jesus’ story is about that rich man’s response to his success.  He thought only of himself. He considered his life done, full, successful because his 401 (k) overflowed and gave him the freedom to live just as he pleased with no regard for God.

The great danger of health, wealth, and prosperity is the illusion of self-sufficiency that it can create. Thousands of years ago, Moses spoke to a nation of refugees who were totally dependent on the Lord even for their daily manna!  He told them that a day was coming when they would settle, when their hard work would be rewarded, when life would be ‘good.’  In this word from the Word there is wisdom for us in our time.

"When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. 

For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. 

He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath." (Deuteronomy 8:10-18, NLT)

God, give us ears to hear what the Spirit is saying so that we will be preserved from a life spent pursuing things of little value.  Amen

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Lord I Need You

Lord I come I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
And without You I fall apart
You're the one that guides my heart

Lord I need You oh I need You
Ev'ry hour I need You
My one defense my righteousness
Oh God how I need You

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me
Where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay

Lord I need You oh I need You
Ev'ry hour I need You
My one defense my righteousness
Oh God how I need You
My one defense my righteousness
Oh God how I need You

Christy Nockels | Daniel Carson | Jesse Reeves | Kristian Stanfill | Matt Maher © 2011 sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Sweater Weather Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) CCLI License # 810055

Don't Travel Alone

Bev and I were blessed to travel to Israel back in 1999. The trip was one of the highlights of our lives, walking the ground where the stories of the Bible took place, standing where Jesus prayed, walking Mt. Carmel where Elijah encountered the prophets of Baal and called down fire from Heaven, standing in old Jerusalem’s streets, and looking out over the Lake in Galilee.  

But, it was a man that made it all so much more meaningful. I don’t even remember his name, but he met us at airport in Tel Aviv and each morning for the next 9 days.  He led us from place to place, told us the stories (He was not a Believer!), and left us at appropriate times in our own reverie.  He was our guide; experienced, informed, and committed to making our trip the best we could hope for.  Without him, we would not have seen half of what we did, nor understood nearly as much.

Here on the cusp of a new year - opportunities stretching out in front of you, unseen challenges waiting for you – do you have a guide?  Most likely you have people who advise and counsel – a physician who helps to keep you well, a financial advisor who makes your investments perform best, a pastor who teaches you eternal Truth, and some friends that are part of your team. But those people are not who I am thinking of at this moment. 

I am talking about doing life with an awareness of God’s Spirit, a readiness to let Him lead, to seek His counsel.  Jesus gathered the men with whom He had shared 3 years of life around Him the night before He went to the cross.  Over the Passover meal, He told them that He was going to leave and that He would send the Counselor!  "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you." (John 14:16-17, NLT)  "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me." (John 16:13-14, NLT)  

All Christians receive God’s Spirit when they accept the invitation He extends to believe in Jesus as Savior. But, not all Christians are ‘owned’ by the Spirit. Some live as though Jesus is a distant Friend or a kind of insurance for Eternity.  They stumble through life, bumbling from one sin to another, their prayers feeble and infrequent, convictions all but invisible, claiming to be loved but yet not living in love.  Others live with an undeniable love for God, not superficial religiosity but heart deep conviction. They endure the storms of life with hope, experience the hatred so common in the world without becoming haters, and have a rock solid hope.  It is the Guide that makes the difference.

Paul tells us that we need to be ‘filled with the Spirit.’  Interestingly, in the Greek text, the verb helps us to know that it is an ongoing, not a once and done experience.  We need to be being filled with the Spirit!  Here the context - " So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts." (Ephesians 5:15-19, NLT)  Paul did not write that to nonbelievers. He wrote to baptized Christians, urging them to drink deeply of God, the Spirit, in order that they would live wisely.

This transformative life is not for an elite group of Christians, for religious professionals, or even for those who gain esoteric knowledge.  God, the Spirit, wants to fill YOU, to be your daily Guide, to make you a beautiful, loving, wise Christian.  Will you allow Him to do that here in the opening days of 2017 or will you try to go it alone?

You do not have to go to a spiritual retreat, find a special preacher, join a specific congregation, or turn into a religious zealot. Many will push those things as ‘the way’ to ‘get the Spirit.’  (I hate that phrase, by the way.)  Just listen, nod, and let God lead you as He will.  The truth is that the Holy Spirit is here now, available to you, and waiting for an invitation. 

Oh, when He comes to you in His fullness, life will change. Jesus said He would convict of sin. Yes, when the Holy Spirit is invited into your life personally, presently -He won’t let you keep doing some things that you once did. Ready to change?  And, you will find yourself experiencing things you really can’t explain; inspired moments of when you say, ‘how did I know that?’  You will find new delight in prayer and worship. You will begin to know love that you never knew existed, a deep kind of love that goes far beyond romance and roses!  I am not overselling. This is the promise of the Spirit.  Of course you will still have difficult days, find yourself tempted and tried, and go through spiritual deserts; but you will know (beyond knowing) that you never walk alone.

Hungry for more of God in 2017? Confess that promise that Jesus made, telling you that the hungry will be filled. With a simple faith, in a quiet place, do some real business with God. Tell Him you are hungry to be filled with His Spirit.  Wait! Listen! Engage your heart.  Perhaps you would want to use Paul’s amazing prayer for us, but make it first person.  I have changed his words a little to show you what I mean.  "I am thanking God.  I constantly, ask You,  God, my glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for spiritual wisdom and insight so that I can grow in my knowledge of Who You are.  I pray for my heart to be flooded with light so that I can understand the confident hope You have given to those You called— Your holy people who are Your rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray to come to understand the incredible greatness of Your power for us who believe, the power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at Your right hand in the heavenly realms." (based on Ephesians 1:16-20, NLT)  He can and He will come to YOU.  Let HIM!

That amazing guide who accompanied Bev and I across the landscape of Israel made all the difference in our experience of the “Holy Land.”  Our Guide, the Spirit, will make all the difference in our journey called life.  

Here is a word from the Word. May it be an invitation to a whole new way of living for you. Don’t try to go it alone.  "On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”" (Acts 1:4-8, NIV)  Come, Holy Spirit!

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Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah

Guide me O Thou great JehovahPilgrim through this barren landI am weak but Thou art mightyHold me with Thy pow'rful handBread of heaven Bread of heavenFeed me now and ever moreFeed me now and ever more

 Open Thou the crystal fountainWhence the healing stream doth flowLet the fiery cloudy pillarLead me all my journey throughStrong Deliverer strong DelivererBe Thou still my strength and shieldBe Thou still my strength and shield

 When I tread the verge of JordanBid my anxious fears subsideDeath of death and hell's destructionLand me safe on Canaan's sideSongs of praises songs of praisesI will ever give to TheeI will ever give to Thee

John Hughes | Peter Williams | William Williams
© Words: Public Domain