Check My Heart

 “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.”

Proverbs 3:27 (NIV)

    The check in the mail was made out to me in the amount of $700.00. All the extra work on a project had paid off, and the company had rewarded me well beyond what I had expected.  My mind raced through all the spending possibilities. The thought of putting it in my savings account only lasted two seconds. New clothes kept popping up in my mind along with several other purchases. It was at that moment that I noticed I had also received another letter in the mail, this one from a missionary I supported.

    Her note, always full of hope and encouragement, had one sentence that jumped out at me: “We are in need of Bibles for the families and are praying that if God puts it on your heart, you would give whatever gift you can. Our goal is to raise $700.00,” the letter went on, but I didn’t see what else was written. My eyes could only see the amount: $700.00.

    I would like to tell you I knew exactly what to do AND did it immediately. I would like to, but I can’t. Oh, I absolutely knew that God had blessed me with the $700.00 check and had allowed the request for $700.00 for Bibles to come in the mail at the same time for a reason. But, sadly, arguments I shared with Him as to why I needed to keep the money for myself began to surface:

“You know my bank account, Lord, and you know it’s very, very low.”

“Someone else will give the $700.00. In fact, I am sure that several will give money so that the goal will be met. I don’t want to deprive them of being blessed.”

“I will send a little bit, to do my part, Lord. That should be good enough.”

   All excuses, all hollow reasoning for what I knew in my heart the Lord was showing me. The missionary was not asking for money to buy herself new clothes. She wasn’t even asking for rent or food donations. No, she was asking that we, her supporters, consider sending money for Bibles. God’s Word. Truth. Hope. Forgiveness. Jesus.

   I turned to Proverbs and read what I already knew in verse 27 of chapter 3. “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” Deserve it? Absolutely, the missionary did!  We all need to know Jesus. In my power to act? Absolutely. But here is the point: if I had sent $20 or $30 - if I had sent $10 - she would have thanked me with all her heart because, unlike me, her heart was focused on sharing the Gospel, the Good News. My heart was focused on me. 

   

    I deposited the check in the bank and wrote one for the same amount to the missionary, along with a simple note: “For the Bibles.” All the extra work DID pay off . . . for eternity.

    Father, I want you to be master over my life instead of money. Show me where I can worship you by giving, as you have given so generously to me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever felt that you needed to give generously to the Lord’s work but didn’t follow through?

• What reasons did you give for not giving as you felt led to do?

Apply

• Journal all the reasons that you feel keep you from giving above and beyond to those in need.

• Beside each reason, write a Scripture that encourages you to share and memorize it.  

Power

• Proverbs 3:27 (NIV) “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.”

• Luke 3:11 (NIV) “John answered, ‘The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.’”

• Deuteronomy 16:17 (NIV) “Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.”

Does God Grade My Prayer?

 “Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!”

Psalm 66:20 (NIV)

 

       The first time I had to give a speech at school in front of the whole class, I was in the 4th grade, and I was scared to death. There were certain requirements on a speech checklist. Each of my classmates had that list, pens in hand, ready to mark either “yes” or “no” in the box beside each bullet point, depending on how the speaker did. A total of 30 points was possible.

         Some of the questions included “Does the speaker capture the attention of the listener?” and “Does the speaker use logical transitions to move from one point to the next?” plus “Will the audience understand the main points of the speaker?”

               As I sat waiting for my turn to speak, a million thoughts ran through my head: “What if I forget to stand up straight or mispronounce a word? What if they don’t like the subject I’m talking about, or what if they don’t like ME? Is my outfit a good choice for what I am doing, or should I have worn something else? If everything isn’t just right and they don’t approve of me or what I am saying, they will give me a low score, and I will fail! I have to get this right the first time – no second chances!”

 

               The time came for me to speak, and I walked to the front of the classroom, smiling bravely on the outside but anxious and worried on the inside. Thankfully, I was able to complete my speech and breathed a sigh of relief as I received each list with a majority of check marks in the “yes” box.

               Have you ever come before the Lord to pray and felt a bit like I did as I shared my speech? What if my words aren’t right when I pray? What if God doesn’t approve of what I am saying? What if my prayer is too long or too short? Does God ever see me as a failure in my prayer time? Does He get tired of me praying the same thing over and over or stumbling over what I want to say?

 

               How thankful I am for Psalm 66:20. I never have to dread meeting the Lord in prayer because I don’t know how to express myself to Him with the right words. I don’t have to wonder if He will still love me if I share all my thoughts and fears, or if He will check the “no” box. The truth is this: He hears me when I call. He sees my heart. He understands what I say, what I don’t say, and what I am trying to say. Completely. 

 

               No matter what, God does not withhold His love from us, nor will He reject us or grade us when we come to Him in prayer. That truth gives us the confidence to simply say “Father” or “Daddy” or “Jesus” and know without a doubt that He listens, loves, and answers.

               Father, thank you for hearing me when I call, listening to my simple words, and answering me with love. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Have you ever felt like you were being critiqued by the Lord as you prayed?

• What led you to believe there was a list of right and wrong ways to pray?

 

Apply

• Underline Psalm 66:20 in your Bible and memorize it.

• Pray this Scripture at the beginning of your prayer time, thanking the Lord for hearing what you are sharing with Him.

 

Power 

• Psalm 66:20 (NIV) “Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!”

• Romans 8:26 (NIV) “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

• Isaiah 65:24 (NIV) “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” 

Everyone Needs A Hiding Place - Where Is Yours?

  “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”  Psalm 32:7 (NIV)

   “Come find us, Grandma! Bet you can’t find us!” the voices giggled, followed by immediate silence. I stood at the back door of my daughter’s house and looked around the yard. Not in the playhouse. Not behind the shed or in the loft of the swing set.

    I scanned once more, and then I saw it: a small chunk of dirt at the top of the huge dirt pile that my son-in-law had deposited by the fence, tumbling to the ground, evidently knocked loose by an “unseen force.” 

    I pulled back the green lid from the sandbox that had been moved over the dirt pile to find a rather large hole and two dirty little faces grinning at me. “How do you like our hiding place?” they asked me together. “I love it!” I replied. “Tell me how you did it.”

   Ella and Jude explained that they had used two small buckets and a shovel to dig a hole wide enough for them both to fit in, and then pulled the lid to their sandbox up the side of the “mountain” to cover the hole.

    “You know why we did that? It’s ‘cause of that crazy dog that keeps coming around. We know we can hide in there, and we are safe from that dog!” explained Ella. “And bad guys! Don’t forget the bad guys!” Jude chimed in. “They can’t find us in our hiding place!”

   I love Psalm 32:7. The Lord is my hiding place. I know without a doubt that I am safe with Him and that He will protect me. He delivers me from “crazy dogs” and “bad guys” every single day of my life.

   What is your hiding place? Where do you take refuge when tough times slam into your life? Some will hide in their careers or their wealth; others will choose drugs, including alcohol. Still others will hide behind an outward appearance of indifference to whatever is going on around them. These hiding places may seem to help for a while, but they are just temporary and will only protect from the “crazy dogs” and “bad guys” for a short time.

    On the other hand, a permanent hiding place with the Creator of the Universe will provide a refuge for us to heal, receive His mercy, and give us strength for what lies ahead.

   Don Moen wrote a song based on Psalm 32:7 that begins this way: “You are my hiding place. I run to You. I need Your mercy and grace to see me through. So I run to You.” Where is your hiding place?

   Lord, I long to hide in the shelter of your wings when everything around me seems to be falling apart. Thank you for covering me with your love. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• When situations come up that are difficult, where or to whom do you turn first? 

• Is that refuge temporary or permanent?

Apply

• Memorize Psalm 32:7 and sing it as praise to the Lord.

• Journal Scriptures that talk about the hiding place that the Lord has offered to you, each and every day.

Power

• Psalm 32:7 (NIV) “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

• Psalm 31:19 (NIV) “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.”

• Psalm 31:2 (NIV) “Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.”

What If Jesus Gave His Some?

                   “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)

   

    The town that I live in made some incredible football history a few years ago. The season ended with a win at the state championships - the first time our high school football team had ever gone all the way to the state level and won!  

This was not the result of half-hearted working out at weights early in the mornings or learning part of the plays at each practice, and it was not because of luck. Rather, several young men heard the words of their coaches loud and clear: “We will lead you where you need to go, but you have to give your ALL in everything you do off the field as well as on the field.”

And because they listened and obeyed, the young men gave everything they had to become the best football team that they could ever be . . . they gave their all.

Have you ever noticed in God’s Word that He demands your all? In Jeremiah 29:13, He says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with ALL your heart.” Proverbs 3:5 reads “Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart . . . ” (My emphasis on the ALL). Why is that? Simply put, He refuses to compete for your love. And He shouldn’t have to. His death on the cross for each of us proves that He should be first in our lives.

  But wait! What if His words to us were a little different? In Matthew 11:28 (NIV), Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” What if, instead, Jesus said, “Come to me, a few of you who are weary.”  What if Jesus really didn’t mean it in Mark 10:27 when He spoke these words: “all things are possible with God,” but really meant to say “SOME things are possible with God.”

But He didn’t. He spoke Truth in all He said. If you are going to follow Him and allow Him to direct your life, you have to empty your heart of anything that does not glorify Him or focus on His love for you.

What is in your heart that is crowding God out? Let’s see: a career, hours searching on the internet, exercising, hobbies. Or what about fear, anger, worry, or pride?  Let’s be clear: ANYTHING that pushes God to the back of your heart will prevent you from finding Him at the front of your life. Ask Jesus to show you what is keeping you from seeking Him with ALL your heart and throw it out. You will meet Him face to face when you give your all. 

      Lord, please search my heart today and show me anything that does not honor you. Forgive me for giving you “some” of my life. I give my all to you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

  R.A.P. it up . . . 

Reflect

• Do you ever feel like you have to “make room” for the Lord in your schedule because you have so much going on?

• What do you give your 100% all to in your life as your main priority?

 Apply

• During your prayer time, ask the Lord to clearly show you what you are storing in your heart that is crowding out His voice.

• Make a list of everything that comes to mind and, one by one, hold each thing up to Him and allow Him to remove anything pushing Him off the throne of your heart.

 Power 

• Proverbs 3:5 (NIV) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

•  Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

• Psalm 51:10 (NIV) “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

 

When God Had It With My Control Issues

 “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” 

Psalm 27:1 (NIV)

    “He’s going to college, Lord – COLLEGE!!! What if he meets the wrong people? What if he doesn’t study and loses his scholarship? What if someone hits him over the head and takes his money? What if he doesn’t match the right shirt with the right pair of jeans? What if? What if? What if? Calm and reason gave way to unreason in a matter of seconds. Ever been there?

   Well, I was. Our oldest child was heading to a college only about 40 miles away. To me, it might as well have been across the country, the sea, and on a completely different continent. I realized that I was worrying and fearful, but isn’t that on a mother’s job application? “Must be able to worry and be fearful on demand.”

    However, something happened. The worry and fear that I entertained with a cup of tea and two cookies became a never-ending 8-course meal. Those two sins (and they ARE sins) kept popping up in my mind. I had allowed common sense and sanity to become an obsession with my son leaving for college, and the Lord decided He had had enough.

    One evening, I was praying about the move away from home when the Lord spoke quietly but firmly to my heart: “Nancy, I’ve checked, and the college he is going to is within my territory. It’s on my beat. It’s on my shift. I do not need a map. I KNOW where it is, Nancy. And I love him.” Talk about a reality check!

   It was easy for me to trust the Lord with my son’s life when he was right in front of me and living in my house. But the minute I saw that he was going to be out of my control, I lost control and became a maniac. Every Scripture that I had memorized about a Father who is in control, knows all things, and protects us was replaced with doubt and a franticness that threatened to consume me.

   What had happened? I had allowed Satan to creep in and steal my confidence in my Father. Instead of praising the Lord for my son and asking Him to guide and direct as he moved in a new direction in his life, I focused on the situation and not on the Source of strength and power.

   Instead of realizing that no matter where my son was, my Father was in complete control, I had somehow thought that I was the one in control and that my son’s success or failure in life would solely depend on his living under my roof, where I could keep an eye on every move and every decision. So what did I do?

   I got on my knees and asked my Father to forgive me for not trusting His plan and protection for my son’s life. My heart cried out, “He is yours, Father. You have entrusted him to me for this time on earth, and I trust you to do your will in his life.”

   Would you believe that my son did just fine at college? He did. Would you believe that the Lord watched over him and directed his path? In every way, yes. And would you believe that Satan still tried to sneak into my thoughts and convince me that, without me at the controls of his life, my son was destined for one horrible problem after another?

   Oh, yes, he tried. But each time Satan whispered his lies, I focused on a Father who says in Isaiah 43:1” . . . Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” (NIV) He knows my son’s name, and He knows your name, too.

   God has created us, His children, and He wants to take care of us and to direct our lives every day. Hand every situation in your life to the One who is in control of heaven and earth, sky and sea, and yes, of your life and mine. The Creator does not need directions to your home. He simply needs permission to enter your heart and take control.

   Father, you are in control, and I am not. Nothing happens in my life that does not first pass through your hands. I trust you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• What is your first reaction when you feel you are not in control of a situation? Is it worry and panic or trust and prayer?

• Do you have a prayer warrior who will hold you accountable when you begin to worry over problems instead of placing them at the feet of Jesus?

Apply

• Every morning, pause for two minutes and give the Lord your day. Ask Him to help you trust Him with everything you will face and praise Him for His answers.

• Write down Scriptures on index cards that encourage you to trust the Lord and tape them around your home. As you memorize them, make new cards and repeat.

Power

• Psalm 27:1 (NIV) “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?”

• Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (NIV)

• I Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (NIV)

 

Our Most Prized Possession

 “Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him.” 

Psalm 49:16-17 (NIV)

   The article about the wealthy man from Brazil had me shaking my head in disbelief. He announced that when he died, he wanted to be buried beside his $500,000 Bentley Continental automobile. I know that sometimes people have different or unusual ideas about how they want to be buried – that’s not the concern. His reason for his decision? He wanted to take the car with him when he died.

    Because he was extremely rich, the wealthy entrepreneur had everything that money could buy in this world. However, he stated that he did not want to risk being without all those possessions after he died. His idea to bury his expensive car came after watching a documentary about the pharaohs of Egypt.

    He learned that each one was buried with those things most precious to him in life so that they could accompany him in the afterlife.   That prompted his idea, he said, of burying HIS most prized possession, his car, because he wanted to have it with him after he died. “I wanted to copy them,” he said of the pharaohs.

    I know what this man was doing sounds silly to us - wanting to take his treasures here on earth with him when he dies. But I am afraid that sometimes I act as though I do, too.  I envy people who are financially well off, and I get caught up in the “bigger and better” mentality that this world tries to convince us is so important. I am guilty of putting all my time and energy into owning what I think will make me “happy” as if I can keep it forever.  

    I’ve never wanted a Bentley, but I have struggled with more clothes, nicer jewelry, or a newer cell phone, even when what I have is perfectly fine. I have spent my time and money trying to make more time to have more money. What in the world am I thinking? Please understand that there is nothing wrong with having money in the bank and working hard for those things we need or want - unless it becomes the focus of our existence here on earth. 

    God makes it very clear in Psalm 49:16-17 exactly what we will take with us when we die: nothing. The last part of verse 17 says “ . . . when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him.” We will take nothing with us when we leave this world. Not a home, not jewelry, not even a $500,000 Bentley. Consider this: everything we have belongs to the Lord. Everything. The cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10), silver and gold (Haggai 2:8) – everything. None of it truly belongs to us anyway.

    And, most importantly, we are rich beyond compare because we will spend eternity as children of the King of the Universe. I can’t take it with me – but why would I want to? Nothing on this earth compares with the priceless gift that I have been given of forgiveness of sin and an eternity with Jesus. My heart breaks as I read that the rich man said his “most prized possession” was a car. I pray someone speaks Truth to him, before he misses out on the most prized possession we all can receive: eternity with Jesus. 

   Father, thank you for reminding me that nothing in this world compares with the riches you have waiting for us as your children. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Do you spend a lot of your time trying to save more and more wealth?

• How often do you look for ways to have bigger and nicer things?

Apply

• Make a list in your journal of everything that you want and how much money it would take to buy each item.

• Beside each item, write down Scripture that reminds you of the wealth that you will receive in heaven. Draw a line through anything you do not have to have. 

Power

• Psalm 49:16-17 (NIV) “Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him.”

• Luke 12:20 (NIV) “But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’”        

• Mark 8:36 (NIV) “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”