The Meditation of My Heart

One of the first verses I memorized was Psalm 19:14, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Have you ever struggled with the “meditation of your heart”? I know I have. There are times when I tend to dwell on circumstances that seem overwhelming. And when my thoughts are not what they need to be, the words of my mouth reflect the fear, doubt, confusion, and despair that worry produces. No matter how hard I try to keep it from happening, my mouth just pours out what my heart has been meditating on.

I’ve only found one thing that really helps the meditation of my heart. And it is found earlier in Psalm 19:7-8—
The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statues of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

His Word revives us, makes us wise, gives joy to our heart and light to our eyes!

When my heart seems to rehearse the difficulties life brings, I am gently reminded to turn my heart toward God. As I meditate on Him, not my circumstances, my attitude and words reflect His goodness. Allowing God’s truth to be the meditation of my heart has the ability to turn exhaustion into restoration, confusion into guidance, despair into joy, and discouragement into light!

I Love Valentine’s Day!

It’s so much fun planning simple ways to tell my friends how much they mean to me. And I still buy Valentines for my adult kids—they’ll never out grow Valentines, Easter baskets, or Christmas stockings as long as I’m around. :)

But of course, the very best part of Valentine’s Day is the special time alone with Mike! He just called me from our favorite bed-and-breakfast—The Castle Inn at Riverside. He’s down there, making our reservation and picking out our room. I have the best husband ever! I can’t wait for our get-a-way later this month! YAY!

When I think of Valentine’s Day, I think of lavishing love on those we care about. First John 3:1 tells us, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” I believe He still sends us love notes too! Sometimes He sends His love in the giggle of a child, an embrace of an old friend, a beautiful sunset, a yummy meal, a quiet moment in His Word, or peace in the midst of heartache. I hope to recognize all of the moments He lavishes His love on me and my family—especially this weekend.

May my heart be so full of His lavish love that it can’t help but spill out on others!

Don't Be that Guy!

My husband is in the middle of a sermon series entitled, “Don’t Be that Guy!” He is looking at some of the lessons we learn in the lives of the “bad guys” found in the book of Luke. This past Sunday he walked us through the story of the Prodigal Son and examined the older brother (Luke 15:11-32). Mike called him the “I deserve better” guy.

While the older brother had always done the right thing—he stayed home, worked for his father, and didn’t waste his inheritance on wild living—his self-centeredness caused him to miss out on a great celebration, and so much more.

Listen to how the Message translates verses 25-32—

"All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, 'Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.'

"The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. The son said, 'Look how many years I've stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!'

"His father said, 'Son, you don't understand. You're with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!'"

I love the father’s words, “You’re with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours.” How had this son done all of the right things, but miss the joy of relationship with his father and the blessings of being his child?

Could it be because he thought he deserved better? Notice his words to his father. Basically he said, “I’ve never done anything wrong, yet you’ve never done anything for me!” Really? Could this son be that perfect? And has the father really neglected this son? It sounds like he had provided very well for him.

I wondered how many times I have been like the older son. I’m not talking about being upset when others get a party. But how many times have I missed the joy and blessings of being a child of God, simply because I was so focused on myself and what I thought I was lacking.

I don’t want to miss a moment of the celebration! I’m determined to really enjoy the relationship God offers me. And I don’t want to take ANY blessing for granted—I want to recognize His goodness and be truly thankful!

If you want to hear Mike’s message, go to www.maranathawichita.com.