… you perceive my thoughts from afar.
Summary: As we continue to look more closely at where heaven is, we discover that wherever it is, God is not far.
Continue reading “Psalm 139:2 – Near and Far”Proverbs 4:23 — We, Not Me
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Summary: Sometimes we can feel alone in a crowd, and at other times even when we are alone we feel the presence of others. The direction our heart is traveling determines how we feel.
Continue reading “Proverbs 4:23 — We, Not Me”2 Peter 3:2b Pt VI — My Real Fear
… and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
Summary: Loving each other as our Lord has commanded us is a risky proposition. We have to be willing to expose what is in our hearts and deal with what we find there.
Continue reading “2 Peter 3:2b Pt VI — My Real Fear”2 Peter 3:2b Part V — The Bucket
… and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
Summary: What happens when we get “bumped?” What sloshes out of our heart onto those around us? Today’s meditation looks at the importance of keeping our heart, soul, and mind focused on Jesus.
Continue reading “2 Peter 3:2b Part V — The Bucket”2 Peter 1:19e — Son Rise
…until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Summary: Peter describes the joy of knowing Jesus by comparing his coming to the dawn after a long, dark night.
Continue reading “2 Peter 1:19e — Son Rise”1 Peter 3:8 (b) — The Eyes of the Heart
…be sympathetic …
Summary: To be sympathetic is to resonate with another person’s heart. Being sympathetic is an important component of love. Being sympathetic is essential in the Body of Christ.
Continue reading “1 Peter 3:8 (b) — The Eyes of the Heart”1 Peter 1: 1 (c) — God’s Eye
To God’s elect…
If you live in a place where there are elections, you might think that being one of God’s “elect” has something to do with being chosen. Looked at in a certain light, you would not be far off. Some people like to make a fuss over the idea that some are chosen and others are not, but it is not that simple. We all come into this world the same way by birth. We all leave through the same door; death. The problem with being human is that we cannot “see” things the same way that God sees them.
Continue reading “1 Peter 1: 1 (c) — God’s Eye”Psalm Sunday – Heart Exam
The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.
— Psalm 11: 4
I like this verse from Psalm 11 because it reminds us that God is watching. More than that, more than being just a casual observer of the human race, God examines us.
In Luke 12:7 Jesus tells us that God has numbered the “very hairs of your head.” (I realize that for some of us, that may not seem like much of a challenge.) Think about the detail that represents. Then think about the fact that God operates at the molecular level. Psalm 139:13 tells us that God knits us together in our mother’s womb.
What else does God see?
Continue reading “Psalm Sunday – Heart Exam”The Picture – John 11: 53-57
So from that day on they plotted to take his life.
Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, ”What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.
Jesus knows the hearts of all men and he knows that the hearts of the Jewish leaders are intent on his death. Knowing what he does he leaves town. As the time for the Passover nears, the people are looking to see if Jesus will show up.
Continue reading “The Picture – John 11: 53-57”Heart Work – John 10: 25b – 26
“The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.”
Are you a sheep, and if so whose sheep are you? Do you have a sense of belonging? Do you recognize the voice of your Maker when He calls? Do you listen only to the voices inside your own head? Do you want to be able to hear God’s voice?
Continue reading “Heart Work – John 10: 25b – 26”