the heart of the man

At church yesterday, our pastor mentioned something about being in a desert. How God allows us to pass through dry and desolate places in our life so that, maybe, we'll get a clue. Maybe we'll quit buying new clothes...oh you know, just doing the whole "retail therapy". It's not wrong to buy new stuff, but why in the world DO we buy new stuff? So many times we succomb to the marketing and think we need something because it's newer, better, brighter, shinier, works better than the old thing we've got...make your list. It's true.


And every now and again, if we still ourselves, we realize that even though we keep buying all of the stuff, the void is still present. Or even if we keep moving town to town, the void is still there. Or even if we keep getting new haircuts, we still feel unpretty. It's not the change of things and locations that can renew our outlook...it's God.

Scripture tells Ruth that she will be renewed after being widowed. The Psalms sing of our spirit being renewed. Job says that he will wait patiently for his body to be renewed. Jesus says that we will be made new with the cleansing of sin and renewal of our bodies when the Holy Spirit is invited in.

Crazy isn't it? God makes it completely clear that it is HIM who makes all things new and yet we still try to take the reigns and study enough, read enough self help books, talk our way through interviews with enough smarts, and when things pan out as they should according to our measure...we take credit. It's not to say that we have no part in our success or failure. Because we do. We play a crucial part in whether we'll stand behind the door as Jesus knocks and let him in or pretend he's some crazy guy knocking on our door in the middle of the night.


Friend, if you're reading this and you've wondered and contemplated about where you are in life, please don't keep looking into yourself for answers. The answers don't come from our own creative selves, they come from God. The first real Creative. Pray to the one true God and ask him what the next steps are. Ask him to show you, in baby steps, what it looks like to walk in faith. I promise you he won't overwhelm you with some huge leap that you aren't able to take. Because whatever he asks of you, he knows you can do, can handle, are capable of and were created for.

As a mom, I'm fully aware of Loralai's limitations. I know when she's standing, balancing, that there comes a point in her new little leg muscles where she's just gonna tumble over. And that's ok. But each time she stands, I try to encourage her to stand a little longer. And she does. And she'll stand longer soon. And not so much because I made her stand, but because she was created to do so. If I carried her around all day on my hip, she'd never know she was capable of such awesome movement.


But you're capable, friend. You're equipped. Don't you know that before the universe was ever made, God knew you and had you in mind. He did. And he still keeps you in mind. He knows your heart. And he knows your motives - all of them. All of mine. And all he asks is that we consult with him - our Father. The one who knows what is best for us and has a precious plan for us, for Him. Our lives were created to glorify him. Wouldn't it be better if we aligned ourselves with him so that our lives glorified him in peace rather than personal destruction? It's not to say that walking with God means that our lives will be void of pain, but walking with God is the only way you know that you're walking towards glory.


Some friends recently led me to 1 Samuel 16. Read this: 7 But God told Samuel, "Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and stature. I've already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart."


Can you imagine? You're overweight, you're wrinkling, your hair is graying, your crow lines deepening, your job is stinking, your finances are in the pits, you have a pretty car and awesome wardrobe. So WHAT! None of that matters and all of that matters. It only matters if you place all of your stock, your faith, your identity in the stuff, the job, the situation...

What if we remember what God told Samuel...what if we allow that to soak into the dry spots of our hearts and remember that God knows our hearts. There's nothing we can hide from God - so let's come clean.


If you're afraid that your life will look different when you start really walking with God, well it will. But it's nothing to fear. Your relationships may become fewer, but they're deeper. Your money may be less, but you're far richer. Your wardrobe may stay the same, but you're far more beautiful. Don't you see...God lavishes himself on those whose heart are positioned for His. It matters not what stuff we have, or how rich we are financially...he just wants us to open our arms, turn our hands up in surrender and quiet ourselves so that his Spirit can start working something beautiful in us.

So that we really can become new.


Let God direct your path - let him lead you in baby steps to your next job, your next purchase, your next move...and see this world with new eyes.



Don't you remember, or haven't you heard it said,
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Rev 3:20)