Jesus

He Knows the Heart

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But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 AMP).

Appearances are not all they seem, yet often, we judge based mainly on appearances. Not only as individuals, but as groups. What do I mean? Contextually, today’s Scripture is speaking about when Samuel was told by the Lord to go to Jesse’s house and anoint one of his sons as King. It’s a familiar Bible story, and we know that Samuel looked at this particular son of Jesse, based on what he physically looked like and thought this surely must be the new king. Yet, God tells him he isn’t and eludes that it is because of the contents of his heart. David was the youngest son of Jesse, the one who was probably the smallest at the time, and the one who had the job of tending the flocks. David, while keeping the sheep, developed an intimacy with the Lord that it was said he “was a man after God’s own heart.”

We can often unwittingly be like Samuel, looking at others and elevating them to a status they aren’t meant for simply because their hearts aren’t where they should be for that particular position. We can also demote those who God has lifted up if they don’t “look the part” as we think they ought. It is imperative that, like Samuel, we stay in lockstep with the Spirit of God to make sure we don’t make mistakes like this. Jesus was critical of the Pharisees, in part, because they were appearance and works based. Some churches today are very pharisaical in their approach to evangelism, servanthood, attendance and basic hospitality. Our positions shouldn’t be based on what we wear, where or how much we serve, how often we attend church, who we are friend’s with, or even our financial status. God positions us based on the content of our heart and how He sees it.

Let’s pray: Dear Papa, may we see others through the lens of Your Spirit and connect with Your heart in their heart. May we treat others the way we’d like to be treated and not judge them based on their appearance. We trust You to give us words to encourage and edify others, to build up, to help them walk the path You have set before them. We thank You and give You glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today’s Attitude of Worship: Make a conscious effort to listen to the Spirit in all your communication and interaction with others.

Additional Scriptures: Proverbs 16:2; Luke 16:15, Luke 6:31

I Tell You the Truth

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John 6:28-33 NLT They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”
 
29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
 
30 They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? 31 After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
 
32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
 
The only work Jesus wants us to do is believe in Him. That’s it. It’s not really work, actually, it’s faith. The rest of what we are to do is, well, rest. But what I want to point out in this passage is what the people said to Him after He told them to believe. They asked for a miraculous sign and told Him that Moses fed their ancestors while journeying through the wilderness.
 
Say what? Since most of the teaching they heard at the time was verbal, how do you suppose they learned that? And, it had to have been reinforced many times for this outlook to be a general consensus. It’s as if they took God out of the equation and lifted Moses up on the “Provider” pedestal and put their trust in miracles and people. I love verse 32 – Jesus tells them it wasn’t Moses that provided the manna, it was God our Father.
 
I sense the Holy Spirit speaking in this, whispering that we must be careful of the sources we listen to and follow. It doesn’t matter how long they’ve been teaching or how longe we have followed them, we must be attentive and listen for Truth. Weigh it against Scripture, testing the spirit behind it. Jesus is the Truth and the Spirit of Prophecy, we are to lay our questions at His feet for scrutiny and answer. Just like in the above Scripture, He will lovingly correct us and set us on the right path. The Holy Spirit will lead us into truth and we must rely on His guidance.
 
The bottom line is if something sounds too good or makes you feel confused or simply isn’t sitting right, lay it at the feet of Jesus and examine it together with Him.
 
Shalom!

Nothing Too Hard, Really!

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NOTHING TOO HARD, REALLY!

Jeremiah 32:17Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You  (Jeremiah 32:17 New King James Version).

I don’t care what anyone says, there is absolutely nothing God cannot do. He is our creator, the one who made the heavens and the earth, the one who breathed life into our bodies. He is the alpha and the omega. There is no problem too great for Him to fix, no fragmented marriage incapable of reconciliation through Him, or sin nonredeemable. With God, there are no limits to His possibilities. So, why, oh why, do we put Him in a box and limit what He does?

God is God. He has a purpose and a plan for each of us, He has called us according to His purpose. This life we live and have given to Him is not about us, it’s about Him. When we are ready to throw in the towel, or when we simply cannot deal with situations or relationships anymore, we need to be careful we are not moving ahead of God and outside of His will. We need to make sure the Holy Spirit is leading us to throw in the towel or have no more dealings in the particular situation or relationship. If God has called us to do something, whether it is to work on our marriage, or continue to minister to difficult family members, or even serve in a ministry we don’t feel qualified for, we need to continue on and trust God to do the seemingly impossible. There really is nothing too hard for God.

Let’s Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for this day! This is the day that You have made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!! Father, we realize that there is nothing too hard for You, but we also realize that You answer our prayers according to Your will and not ours. If there is anything within our hearts that makes us want to jump ahead of You or step outside Your will, reveal it to us. Forgive us for those times we limited Your abilities, forgive us for placing You in a box and making You fit into our comprehension of who You are. Forgive us for not trusting You completely to heal our relationships, to speak life into dead situations, to guide us along Your path. Father, we love You and we desire to see more of You. Clean our hearts, fill us with Your Spirit. Revive us according to Your word. You are great and greatly to be praised! You are the beginning and the end, You are the creator and the life-giver. You formed this earth and You told the waters where to go and when to stop! Father, we desire to see more and more of You. We offer ourselves to You and we praise Your Holy Name! We give You all glory and honor. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today’s Attitude of Worship: Surrender your problem areas, your children, your circumstances, your marriage, your troubles to the Lord. Live with a sense of expectancy that He will answer and pray for open eyes and ears to witness His answer. Believe that you have already received.

Additional Scriptures: Jeremiah 32:17-27; Jeremiah 33:2-3; Luke 18:27; Mark 11:22-24

Shalom,

Prudence

Praying With Jesus

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Praying With Jesus

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him (Matthew 6:5-8 New Living Translation)!

Yesterday my church had the honor of having David Sliker from International House of Prayer in Kansas City preach. For me, the message was a pivotal teaching on prayer and I was extremely blessed by it. He taught in such a way as to prompt me to evaluate the depth of my prayer life and personal relationship with Christ. When I read scripture, there are times where I take it very literally and Matthew 6:5-8 is no exception. Pastor Sliker gave a completely different perspective on these verses which made me look at them very differently. And, his teaching made perfect sense.

Jesus is the greatest intercessor and teacher, and digging into this portion of Scripture is a window into His heart. What I learned yesterday is to connect with Jesus through prayer. To be a hypocrite is to look to others for my value and reward instead of looking to Jesus. So, the questions I have to ask myself are do I really care what others think of me, or of what I do? Do I look to be given compliments and status based on my outward show of holiness and my talents? Do I want the reward of man instead of the heavenly rewards my Father wants to lavish upon me? After reflection, I honestly have to say yes, I admit, I secretly do. Well, now, after admitting this do I feel Jesus loves me less? No, I do not. I know He loves me regardless since He knows my heart and it’s weaknesses. I know He’s been interceding on my behalf because He knows my heart, and He and our Father are conversing about all their plans for me. Now that I also know this part of my heart, I can begin to let Him change me in ways that will only benefit me. My heart’s focus can now change to impress my audience of One, instead of the people around me.

As I sit down to pray, my connection with Jesus is stronger now and my heart reflects His heart. This is integral to my walk, and growth. Because of His light in my heart, this will also permeate all my areas of influence, allowing for those things which offended me in the past to simply slide off my back and into the pool of God’s love. When we realize the depth, width and greatness of God’s love for us, we come to the knowledge that no person on earth can give us what only He can.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for the love You have shown us! Thank You for teaching us how to connect with You and pray Your heart. May we desire more and more of You, drawing closer to You and our family, the Church. Father, may we do all for the audience of One, and not seek to find our value, worth and identity in the audience of man. Help us to forgive others when they offend us, and to seek forgiveness when we offend others. Let us not segregate ourselves, but dive fully into loving people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today’s Attitude of Worship: Connect to God today and pray with Jesus.

Shalom,

Prudence