When we read the scripture, “O magnify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together.” (Psalms 34:3), we usually think of expressing honor to God in praise and worship.
However, in Philippians 1:20:21, Paul gives us a different slant on magnifying the Lord. “Christ will be magnified and get glory and praise in this body of mine and be boldly exalted in my person, whether through life or through death. For to me to live is Christ – His life in me: and to die in gain – the gain of the glory of eternity.” (Amplified) Let us consider what it means to magnify Jesus in our bodies.
The definition of magnify is to give honor, to make great, to enlarge. If words are too small for us to read, we might use a magnifying glass to enlarge them, so we could see them better. In actual fact, we would either put the magnifying glass directly on the words or position it towards them. The glass would be focused upon the words we wish to see, and we would have to look through the glass to see them.
What do we magnify or put the magnifying glass on in our lives? What are we focusing on? Is it Jesus? Or is it self? If we focus on ourselves, we are in essence magnifying ourselves. So what we see is still ‘self’ and all that we ‘are’, including our failures and wrong habits, and/or our successes and all we do that is right and good. When we look at or focus on ourselves, we also will naturally draw other people’s attention to us.
Consider this familiar scenario. We see someone standing outside looking up at the clouds and pointing towards the sky. As we watch, someone else comes and does the same. Soon we have to go see for ourselves what everyone is looking at. If we look at ourselves, the magnifying glass is directed at our hearts or ‘self’. To personalize this, I look at me. How to I measure up? Am I a success or a failure? Am I happy or sad? Is life hard or easy for me? Am I a good Christian or a bad Christian? If I stay focused on me, eventually other people’s attention will be drawn to me. And I might get criticized or exalted depending upon how I am evaluated by myself and others. Unfortunately, we all tend to look at ourselves and each other, judging what is good and/or bad in all our lives. It is still we who are being focused upon or ‘magnified’, not Jesus. People see us, not Jesus.
John the Baptist said in John 3:30, “I must decrease, and He must increase.” As we take the magnifying glass and focus it on Jesus in ourselves and each other, He is increased. This magnifies and gives honor and glory to the God who created the universe, who lives in those who believe in Jesus Christ. Let’s look through the glass and see Jesus. We look at who Jesus is, even if it’s ‘only us’ He lives in. We see His love, His goodness, His mercy, and His power, and He lives in us! And as we keep our eyes on Him and point to Him, pretty soon someone else will come along and be curious about what we’re looking at with such rapt attention and awe. And Jesus will be magnified in our lives, not us. What we all will see in Jesus. Is that not what we all long to do, to “magnify the Lord” in our lives?
Jesus prays to the Father in John 17:22-23, The glory which you have given Me, I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” We can cooperate with God’s plan for us to be drawn together in one by putting our magnifying glass upon Jesus, not just in our own lives, but in one another’s lives as well. Let us help each other to focus on Jesus, rather than self, within each of us. Let us magnify and exalt the lord together!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
BUT - For Us or Against Us?
How many of us have heard or said these words?
“I believe God loves me, BUT...”.
“I know God forgives me, BUT…”.
“The Scripture says…, BUT …”.
These are all words using the big “BUT” against us.
The following is a reversal. Why not use “BUT” for us?
1. God loves me totally, completely, unequivocally, irrevocably, forever - past, present, future. NO BUTS. (Romans 8:35-39). I was cut off from God (through Adam and Eve), BUT God sent Jesus (because He loves me – see #1) to shed His blood for the remission of my sins, bringing me into salvation and relationship with God. (John 3:16)
3. In my flesh there is no good thing, BUT my flesh has been crucified with Christ. My flesh can’t keep God’s standard, BUT Jesus is keeping it for me. (Romans 7:18-Romans 8:4; Philippians 2:13)
4. I am experiencing hard times and tribulation, BUT Jesus Christ lives in me and He has overcome the world; I am more than a conqueror in Him. (John 16:33: Romans 8:37)
5. My life doesn’t seem victorious, BUT God is completing the work He began in me. (Philippians 1:6)
CHALLENGE:
Next time you use the little word “BUT”, use it for you (positive), rather than against you (negative). Make your own list! Besides giving you a whole new outlook, it also works wonders in searching the Scriptures to see if a thing is true, rather than searching to see if a thing isn’t true. “The Bereans received the Word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” ( Acts 17:11)
Final Thoughts...
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, BUT WE KNOW that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)
“The wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life.” (Romans 6:23)
“I believe God loves me, BUT...”.
“I know God forgives me, BUT…”.
“The Scripture says…, BUT …”.
These are all words using the big “BUT” against us.
The following is a reversal. Why not use “BUT” for us?
1. God loves me totally, completely, unequivocally, irrevocably, forever - past, present, future. NO BUTS. (Romans 8:35-39). I was cut off from God (through Adam and Eve), BUT God sent Jesus (because He loves me – see #1) to shed His blood for the remission of my sins, bringing me into salvation and relationship with God. (John 3:16)
3. In my flesh there is no good thing, BUT my flesh has been crucified with Christ. My flesh can’t keep God’s standard, BUT Jesus is keeping it for me. (Romans 7:18-Romans 8:4; Philippians 2:13)
4. I am experiencing hard times and tribulation, BUT Jesus Christ lives in me and He has overcome the world; I am more than a conqueror in Him. (John 16:33: Romans 8:37)
5. My life doesn’t seem victorious, BUT God is completing the work He began in me. (Philippians 1:6)
CHALLENGE:
Next time you use the little word “BUT”, use it for you (positive), rather than against you (negative). Make your own list! Besides giving you a whole new outlook, it also works wonders in searching the Scriptures to see if a thing is true, rather than searching to see if a thing isn’t true. “The Bereans received the Word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” ( Acts 17:11)
Final Thoughts...
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, BUT WE KNOW that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)
“The wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life.” (Romans 6:23)
Seidel Archives Introduction
Several years ago, I put Harlas' and my writings into church publications such as monthly newsletters, bulletins, and magazines. A couple of the magzines were Branch News and Heartbeat (Listen for the Heartbeat of the Spirit) from The Vine Christian Fellowship in Eugene, OR. I'm labeling these articles as Seidel Archives, rather than Heartbeat archives, since I realized a lot of our writings were so spread out.
I'm having to retype these as I go (from existing hard copies). May you be encouraged and blessed from reading or "rereading" them with me.
I'm having to retype these as I go (from existing hard copies). May you be encouraged and blessed from reading or "rereading" them with me.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Words and Focus
What is our focus? What are we looking at? 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, “We look not at the seen but the unseen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal.” It also tells us to “not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
When the problems of life seem to “encroach on our space”, it is time to redirect our focus on God, on His Kingdom, on our spiritual lives. Instead of keeping our eyes fixed on us and our problems, or the problems of our loved ones, we need to put our eyes on God. One way we can do this is by changing the words we speak. We can take our eyes off ourselves and turn them to God by reading aloud (or reciting from memory) scripture verses having to do with who God is, and what He’s done and does! I’ve tried this and it works! We can get the spiritual momentum by swinging our eyes around, off ourselves and on to God.
Wow! This answers the question I’ve had a lot of times over the course of my life. I’ll be going along good “in the Lord”, and it seems like there is a spiritual dynamic or momentum that keeps growing, and I’m hearing from God and seeing things in the spirit almost every day. Then “something” happens, and all of a sudden, that momentum is gone. And I feel like I’ve lost it, lost that connection, and it feels awful! Once you’ve tasted that kind of life in the spirit with the Lord, and you lose it, you know you’ve lost the best thing in your life. I’m not talking about losing my salvation, or even actually losing my connection with God, but rather losing that continual, daily connection of being able to see things in the Kingdom and hear words from the Holy Spirit. (If you’ve never had that kind of life, and would like to, first of all seek God, but let me know and I’ll share with you how I learned to develop that kind of walk with Jesus.) I’ve learned that if I “lose that momentum”, I can just start building that momentum again! And the sooner I start after “losing it”, the easier it is to recover some of the momentum from before..
Back to words and our focus! The Bible says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.” It also says “Set your affection on things above.” These are scriptures that address what our focus is. “What are we looking at?” Like Peter when he walked on water because Jesus said, “Come.” As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he walked on top of the water! But then he took his eyes off Jesus, put them on the waves, and started to sink. Sometimes our problems, or the affairs of this life, busyness, all the activities or business we have to take care of, plus work, just take up so much time that our focus becomes on those things, simply to survive. As hard as it may be, we each have to find or make time to turn our eyes back on Jesus, on the eternal spiritual kingdom.
We can speak words about how God works in our lives. Even in the midst of the busyness we can say “God keeps me in perfect peace because my mind is stayed or fixed continually on Him.” Isaiah. 26:3. We can say, “God’s got my back! He always leads me in triumph in Christ Jesus. God always provides for me. I am a joint-heir with Jesus Christ, therefore, all my needs are met according to His riches in glory.”
Like David, we can say “God helped me slay the lion, and the bear (previous problems in our lives), and He is well-able to slay this giant, mountainous problem in my life. He is also well able to give me wisdom to know how to handle all the affairs of my life. He will give me the wisdom, spiritual help and guidance I need to get me out of the mess I got myself into. The Holy Spirit will teach me all things and bring to remembrance all things Jesus said. He is God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth,. God made man and raises man from the dead. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
These are all scriptures I’ve put into my own words, made them my own declarations to speak and declare over my life. I encourage you to do the same. Speaking God’s Word or words redirects our focus on Him and His eternal Kingdom. When the affairs of life claim all of your attention, redirect your focus by speaking God’s Word, and speaking scriptures that declare who God is, and what He has done and can do.
When the problems of life seem to “encroach on our space”, it is time to redirect our focus on God, on His Kingdom, on our spiritual lives. Instead of keeping our eyes fixed on us and our problems, or the problems of our loved ones, we need to put our eyes on God. One way we can do this is by changing the words we speak. We can take our eyes off ourselves and turn them to God by reading aloud (or reciting from memory) scripture verses having to do with who God is, and what He’s done and does! I’ve tried this and it works! We can get the spiritual momentum by swinging our eyes around, off ourselves and on to God.
Wow! This answers the question I’ve had a lot of times over the course of my life. I’ll be going along good “in the Lord”, and it seems like there is a spiritual dynamic or momentum that keeps growing, and I’m hearing from God and seeing things in the spirit almost every day. Then “something” happens, and all of a sudden, that momentum is gone. And I feel like I’ve lost it, lost that connection, and it feels awful! Once you’ve tasted that kind of life in the spirit with the Lord, and you lose it, you know you’ve lost the best thing in your life. I’m not talking about losing my salvation, or even actually losing my connection with God, but rather losing that continual, daily connection of being able to see things in the Kingdom and hear words from the Holy Spirit. (If you’ve never had that kind of life, and would like to, first of all seek God, but let me know and I’ll share with you how I learned to develop that kind of walk with Jesus.) I’ve learned that if I “lose that momentum”, I can just start building that momentum again! And the sooner I start after “losing it”, the easier it is to recover some of the momentum from before..
Back to words and our focus! The Bible says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.” It also says “Set your affection on things above.” These are scriptures that address what our focus is. “What are we looking at?” Like Peter when he walked on water because Jesus said, “Come.” As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he walked on top of the water! But then he took his eyes off Jesus, put them on the waves, and started to sink. Sometimes our problems, or the affairs of this life, busyness, all the activities or business we have to take care of, plus work, just take up so much time that our focus becomes on those things, simply to survive. As hard as it may be, we each have to find or make time to turn our eyes back on Jesus, on the eternal spiritual kingdom.
We can speak words about how God works in our lives. Even in the midst of the busyness we can say “God keeps me in perfect peace because my mind is stayed or fixed continually on Him.” Isaiah. 26:3. We can say, “God’s got my back! He always leads me in triumph in Christ Jesus. God always provides for me. I am a joint-heir with Jesus Christ, therefore, all my needs are met according to His riches in glory.”
Like David, we can say “God helped me slay the lion, and the bear (previous problems in our lives), and He is well-able to slay this giant, mountainous problem in my life. He is also well able to give me wisdom to know how to handle all the affairs of my life. He will give me the wisdom, spiritual help and guidance I need to get me out of the mess I got myself into. The Holy Spirit will teach me all things and bring to remembrance all things Jesus said. He is God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth,. God made man and raises man from the dead. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
These are all scriptures I’ve put into my own words, made them my own declarations to speak and declare over my life. I encourage you to do the same. Speaking God’s Word or words redirects our focus on Him and His eternal Kingdom. When the affairs of life claim all of your attention, redirect your focus by speaking God’s Word, and speaking scriptures that declare who God is, and what He has done and can do.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Words, Heart, and Life
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21) “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life.” Proverbs 15:4. These scriptures connect our words with life; now let’s see where our hearts fit into this equation.
God is Spirit, and we are made in His image. Therefore we are also spirits, who have a soul, and live in a body. Our spirit is often referred to as our heart, our inner man, or the hidden man of the heart. Our spirit is who we are, the real us. Our spirit is the part of us that connects us to God the Father, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. It is also the part of us that will live forever, either in Heaven or Hell, depending on what we believe about Jesus, who is the only way to Heaven.* That is a brief definition, or explanation of our hearts. It is necessary for us to understand what or who our hearts (spirits) are, and the impact our words have on our hearts.
Jesus, Himself, is the one who linked words, heart, and life together. He said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63) Jesus also said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6) He said to God, the Father, “Your words are truth.” (John 17:17) Here again we see the correlation between words (truth), heart (spirit) and life. Remember, God is a creative God, and we are made in His image. Words in our hearts (spirits) spoken out loud create. They create either life or death.
Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34) He also said “The things that come out of the mouth (words) come from the heart.” (Matthew 15:16) Solomon said in Proverbs 4:20-23 to keep God’s word “in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” The NIV version says the heart is the wellspring of life. The Amplified Bible says it this way. “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard; for out of it flow the springs of life.” Above all, we are to guard our heart with diligence and vigilance, and keep our hearts secure in God’s Word. “Your word have I hid in my heart.” (Psalm 119:11)
It is imperative that we guard our hearts. The way we do this is to keep God’s words in the midst of our hearts. We don’t let them depart from us; we don’t neglect, or ignore His words. We put His words into our hearts by reading, speaking, memorizing, and meditating. If we keep an abundance of His words in our hearts, then when we speak, we will be speaking life, creating hope and life in other people. That is so powerful!
However, the reverse is true. If we don’t put His word in our hearts and minds, the words that come out of our hearts will be words of death both to us and the people around us. Again that picture of a burned forest comes to my mind: death, devastation, and destruction. The choice is ours. Every day we can choose life or death. Let’s choose life. Proverbs 15:4 shows us a different picture than the burned down forest. “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life.” Let’s replant that forest with living, healthy, thriving trees!
Keeping God’s Word in our hearts affects our entire lives. God’s words are spirit and they are life. Since God is spirit, His words are spirit. His words create life. They create spirit life. And this spirit life is eternal! His words in our hearts cause that eternal spirit life to flow into our lives and out to others. The spirit life, which is in God’s words, not only brings life to our hearts, or spirits, but also affects our souls and our physical bodies. It brings health to all of our flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-23) And by guarding our mouths and tongues we can keep our souls from trouble, and keep ourselves from calamity. (Proverbs 21:23, NKJ and NIV)
Picture that wellspring of life flowing through us, creating a sense of well-being and peace in us. See it spilling out to other people as we speak life out of the abundance of our hearts.
*(1 Thessalonians 5:23; John 3:5-8, 16; John 4:23,24; John 6:63; Ephesians 3:16; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 Peter 3:4; Romans 1:9, Romans 2:29, Romans 8 whole chapter; 1 Corinthians 2:11-14; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; James 2:26; 1 John 4:2,-; 1 Corinthians 6:17, 20; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Colossians 2:5; Hebrews 4:12; )
God is Spirit, and we are made in His image. Therefore we are also spirits, who have a soul, and live in a body. Our spirit is often referred to as our heart, our inner man, or the hidden man of the heart. Our spirit is who we are, the real us. Our spirit is the part of us that connects us to God the Father, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. It is also the part of us that will live forever, either in Heaven or Hell, depending on what we believe about Jesus, who is the only way to Heaven.* That is a brief definition, or explanation of our hearts. It is necessary for us to understand what or who our hearts (spirits) are, and the impact our words have on our hearts.
Jesus, Himself, is the one who linked words, heart, and life together. He said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63) Jesus also said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6) He said to God, the Father, “Your words are truth.” (John 17:17) Here again we see the correlation between words (truth), heart (spirit) and life. Remember, God is a creative God, and we are made in His image. Words in our hearts (spirits) spoken out loud create. They create either life or death.
Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34) He also said “The things that come out of the mouth (words) come from the heart.” (Matthew 15:16) Solomon said in Proverbs 4:20-23 to keep God’s word “in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” The NIV version says the heart is the wellspring of life. The Amplified Bible says it this way. “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard; for out of it flow the springs of life.” Above all, we are to guard our heart with diligence and vigilance, and keep our hearts secure in God’s Word. “Your word have I hid in my heart.” (Psalm 119:11)
It is imperative that we guard our hearts. The way we do this is to keep God’s words in the midst of our hearts. We don’t let them depart from us; we don’t neglect, or ignore His words. We put His words into our hearts by reading, speaking, memorizing, and meditating. If we keep an abundance of His words in our hearts, then when we speak, we will be speaking life, creating hope and life in other people. That is so powerful!
However, the reverse is true. If we don’t put His word in our hearts and minds, the words that come out of our hearts will be words of death both to us and the people around us. Again that picture of a burned forest comes to my mind: death, devastation, and destruction. The choice is ours. Every day we can choose life or death. Let’s choose life. Proverbs 15:4 shows us a different picture than the burned down forest. “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life.” Let’s replant that forest with living, healthy, thriving trees!
Keeping God’s Word in our hearts affects our entire lives. God’s words are spirit and they are life. Since God is spirit, His words are spirit. His words create life. They create spirit life. And this spirit life is eternal! His words in our hearts cause that eternal spirit life to flow into our lives and out to others. The spirit life, which is in God’s words, not only brings life to our hearts, or spirits, but also affects our souls and our physical bodies. It brings health to all of our flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-23) And by guarding our mouths and tongues we can keep our souls from trouble, and keep ourselves from calamity. (Proverbs 21:23, NKJ and NIV)
Picture that wellspring of life flowing through us, creating a sense of well-being and peace in us. See it spilling out to other people as we speak life out of the abundance of our hearts.
*(1 Thessalonians 5:23; John 3:5-8, 16; John 4:23,24; John 6:63; Ephesians 3:16; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 Peter 3:4; Romans 1:9, Romans 2:29, Romans 8 whole chapter; 1 Corinthians 2:11-14; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; James 2:26; 1 John 4:2,-; 1 Corinthians 6:17, 20; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Colossians 2:5; Hebrews 4:12; )
Friday, April 9, 2010
Prayer of Faith - a Lifeline
Today a friend prayed for me. Her prayer of faith (in God for me) was like a lifeline at a time I needed a lifeline.
It has been my experience that we can have great faith in God for answering and helping other people; there's not a doubt there that God will answer. But sometimes, when it comes to having faith for something in our own lives, it's harder to do. And then someone who does have that great faith in God for us comes along and prays for us, and their faith sparks our own faith! (Remember, it only takes a spark...) We believe because they believe that God will answer the needs in our lives.
It's like a lifeline of faith...we're drowing or floundering in a sea of doubt, and their prayer becomes a lifeline to pull us into the boat of faith and victory.
James 5:15:
"The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the lord will raise him (or her)up..."
James 5:16
"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman) avails much.
Just a current example of how important and powerful our words are, and how they can change lives!
It has been my experience that we can have great faith in God for answering and helping other people; there's not a doubt there that God will answer. But sometimes, when it comes to having faith for something in our own lives, it's harder to do. And then someone who does have that great faith in God for us comes along and prays for us, and their faith sparks our own faith! (Remember, it only takes a spark...) We believe because they believe that God will answer the needs in our lives.
It's like a lifeline of faith...we're drowing or floundering in a sea of doubt, and their prayer becomes a lifeline to pull us into the boat of faith and victory.
James 5:15:
"The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the lord will raise him (or her)up..."
James 5:16
"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman) avails much.
Just a current example of how important and powerful our words are, and how they can change lives!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Words, Heart and Life
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21) “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life.” Proverbs 15:4. These scriptures connect our words with life; now let’s see where our hearts fit into this equation.
God is Spirit, and we are made in His image. Therefore we are also spirits, who have a soul, and live in a body. Our spirit is often referred to as our heart, our inner man, or the hidden man of the heart. Our spirit is who we are, the real us. Our spirit is the part of us that connects us to God the Father, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. It is also the part of us that will live forever, either in Heaven or Hell, depending on what we believe about Jesus, who is the only way to Heaven.* That is a brief definition, or explanation of our hearts. It is necessary for us to understand what or who our hearts (spirits) are, and the impact our words have on our hearts.
Jesus, Himself, is the one who linked words, heart, and life together. He said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63) Jesus also said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6) He said to God, the Father, “Your words are truth.” (John 17:17) Here again we see the correlation between words (truth), heart (spirit) and life. Remember, God is a creative God, and we are made in His image. Words in our hearts (spirits) spoken out loud create. They create either life or death.
Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34) He also said “The things that come out of the mouth (words) come from the heart.” (Matthew 15:16) Solomon said in Proverbs 4:20-23 to keep God’s word “in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” The NIV version says the heart is the wellspring of life. The Amplified Bible says it this way. “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard; for out of it flow the springs of life.” Above all, we are to guard our heart with diligence and vigilance, and keep our hearts secure in God’s Word. “Your word have I hid in my heart.” (Psalm 119:11)
It is imperative that we guard our hearts. The way we do this is to keep God’s words in the midst of our hearts. We don’t let them depart from us; we don’t neglect, or ignore His words. We put His words into our hearts by reading, speaking, memorizing, and meditating. If we keep an abundance of His words in our hearts, then when we speak, we will be speaking life, creating hope and life in other people. That is so powerful!
However, the reverse is true. If we don’t put His word in our hearts and minds, the words that come out of our hearts will be words of death both to us and the people around us. Again that picture of a burned forest comes to my mind: death, devastation, and destruction. The choice is ours. Every day we can choose life or death. Let’s choose life. Proverbs 15:4 shows us a different picture than the burned down forest. “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life.” Let’s replant that forest with living, healthy, thriving trees!
Keeping God’s Word in our hearts affects our entire lives. God’s words are spirit and they are life. Since God is spirit, His words are spirit. His words create life. They create spirit life. And this spirit life is eternal! His words in our hearts cause that eternal spirit life to flow into our lives and out to others. The spirit life, which is in God’s words, not only brings life to our hearts, or spirits, but also affects our souls and our physical bodies. It brings health to all of our flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-23) And by guarding our mouths and tongues we can keep our souls from trouble, and keep ourselves from calamity. (Proverbs 21:23, NKJ and NIV)
Picture that wellspring of life flowing through us, creating a sense of well-being and peace in us. See it spilling out to other people as we speak life out of the abundance of our hearts.
*(1 Thessalonians 5:23; John 3:5-8, 16; John 4:23,24; John 6:63; Ephesians 3:16; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 Peter 3:4; Romans 1:9, Romans 2:29, Romans 8 whole chapter; 1 Corinthians 2:11-14; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; James 2:26; 1 John 4:2,-; 1 Corinthians 6:17, 20; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Colossians 2:5; Hebrews 4:12; )
God is Spirit, and we are made in His image. Therefore we are also spirits, who have a soul, and live in a body. Our spirit is often referred to as our heart, our inner man, or the hidden man of the heart. Our spirit is who we are, the real us. Our spirit is the part of us that connects us to God the Father, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. It is also the part of us that will live forever, either in Heaven or Hell, depending on what we believe about Jesus, who is the only way to Heaven.* That is a brief definition, or explanation of our hearts. It is necessary for us to understand what or who our hearts (spirits) are, and the impact our words have on our hearts.
Jesus, Himself, is the one who linked words, heart, and life together. He said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63) Jesus also said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6) He said to God, the Father, “Your words are truth.” (John 17:17) Here again we see the correlation between words (truth), heart (spirit) and life. Remember, God is a creative God, and we are made in His image. Words in our hearts (spirits) spoken out loud create. They create either life or death.
Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34) He also said “The things that come out of the mouth (words) come from the heart.” (Matthew 15:16) Solomon said in Proverbs 4:20-23 to keep God’s word “in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” The NIV version says the heart is the wellspring of life. The Amplified Bible says it this way. “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard; for out of it flow the springs of life.” Above all, we are to guard our heart with diligence and vigilance, and keep our hearts secure in God’s Word. “Your word have I hid in my heart.” (Psalm 119:11)
It is imperative that we guard our hearts. The way we do this is to keep God’s words in the midst of our hearts. We don’t let them depart from us; we don’t neglect, or ignore His words. We put His words into our hearts by reading, speaking, memorizing, and meditating. If we keep an abundance of His words in our hearts, then when we speak, we will be speaking life, creating hope and life in other people. That is so powerful!
However, the reverse is true. If we don’t put His word in our hearts and minds, the words that come out of our hearts will be words of death both to us and the people around us. Again that picture of a burned forest comes to my mind: death, devastation, and destruction. The choice is ours. Every day we can choose life or death. Let’s choose life. Proverbs 15:4 shows us a different picture than the burned down forest. “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life.” Let’s replant that forest with living, healthy, thriving trees!
Keeping God’s Word in our hearts affects our entire lives. God’s words are spirit and they are life. Since God is spirit, His words are spirit. His words create life. They create spirit life. And this spirit life is eternal! His words in our hearts cause that eternal spirit life to flow into our lives and out to others. The spirit life, which is in God’s words, not only brings life to our hearts, or spirits, but also affects our souls and our physical bodies. It brings health to all of our flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-23) And by guarding our mouths and tongues we can keep our souls from trouble, and keep ourselves from calamity. (Proverbs 21:23, NKJ and NIV)
Picture that wellspring of life flowing through us, creating a sense of well-being and peace in us. See it spilling out to other people as we speak life out of the abundance of our hearts.
*(1 Thessalonians 5:23; John 3:5-8, 16; John 4:23,24; John 6:63; Ephesians 3:16; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 Peter 3:4; Romans 1:9, Romans 2:29, Romans 8 whole chapter; 1 Corinthians 2:11-14; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; James 2:26; 1 John 4:2,-; 1 Corinthians 6:17, 20; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Colossians 2:5; Hebrews 4:12; )
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)