September 4 - Repost #4

As a child I had a difficult time comprehending how a heart could love so many different people in so many different ways.  My parents made sure that the three of us kids knew that they loved each of us - differently, yet the same.  That was hard to believe sometimes, especially when we knew we had made one of them angry.  Could there still be love in that heart for us?  Absolutely.  Our hearts are made for love.  Our hearts were made for God's love.

September 4, 2009 - Precepts Written in the Heart

There are points in scripture that God acknowledges people have hardened their hearts against Him. See, that always breaks my heart. I see it yet today, though. There might seem to be a defiant attitude towards opening your heart to God, or even worse, apathy. The heart is so withered towards the love of God that it feels as if there is no hope.

But, how would that be transformed if the knowledge of God's Word were closer to us than anything else? I don't believe that God intended for His Word to ever be difficult to study and understand. He meant for it to be a physical, moment by moment link with Him. When we can't see Him or touch Him or use any of our senses to recognize His presence, we can read His words and know that He has gone to great lengths to show us His love.

Deuteronomy 6:6 says "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts."

"Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads." (Deuteronomy 11:18)

Our hearts are easily broken. When we put up barriers to keep people out, when we are wounded by actions and words, it is our heart that takes the greatest beating. Why in the world would God ask us to put His words upon our hearts if He didn't plan to use that avenue to protect us and to love us?

Psalm 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

These words protect us from evil.

Luke 2:51 tells us that "...he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart."

When she grew older and told Luke the story of Jesus' birth, those memories and the knowledge of what she had experienced was still written on her heart.

Paul tells us in Romans 10:8, "the word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,' that is the word of faith we are proclaiming..."

When the Word of God is solidly in our hearts, it can flow from our mouths. What an amazing gift we can be to the people who come in contact with us if we relate to them using the Word of God! It is written on our hearts so that it can be spoken with our mouths.

Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

As the Word of God dwells within us, so will the Lord God Himself. What better way to keep our hearts tender and loving.