Create in Me an Unbreachable Heart, O God

I’m not a rock climber, but that visual popped into my thoughts when I read Psalm 122:3 this morning. It says, 

“Jerusalem is a well built city. It’s seamless walls cannot be breached.”

I can be a literal receiver of information so I immediately began to wonder how they made the walls seamless...then it dawned on me how these walls without a foothold are the best defense ever!

There would be no crevice or crack to grip so it would be completely unscalable for a free solo climber!

As I pondered the visual, I thought, “Oh, how I want my heart to be unscalable!”

It can be so easy to allow a crack to open into the deep recesses of my heart, allowing the devil to grab a foothold through my hurt feelings.

Paul writes about this in Ephesians 4, where he warns us of the dangers of allowing anger a home in our hearts. It gives the enemy a foothold.

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen expert climbers, but good ones only need a wee, little edge to leverage their way up the mountain! It is so the same with the enemy.

He's known as the accuser & slanderer & his deceitful ways only need a slight opening into the doorway of our hearts for them to sneak in & take root.

Holding onto anger overnight can be like drinking poison & expecting the other person to suffer.😳 Hanging onto anger as a dear friend only hurts us by making our hearts breachable to enemy tactics.

Walking through life with others & experiencing conflict is unavoidable. We cannot control what others do or say, but we can aim to remain unbreachable by choosing forgiveness with healthy boundaries.

If we’ve received forgiveness for our sins, past, present & future, we have no choice but to extend what we’ve received. In doing so, we keep the walls of our heart seamless!

Father, we know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us! Guard us from the snares of anger so we can forgive like You forgive & love with Your love. Walls without a foothold are the best defense ever!

Help us to keep our hearts seamless & unbreachable to the enemy’s assaults by letting go of anger & creating healthy boundaries. Create in me an unbreachable heart, O God, so I can love with your love!

#OneYearBible

December 3 One Year Bible Reading

💡Daniel 11:2-35

💡1 John 3:7-24

💡Psalm 122:1-9

💡Proverbs 29:1

God Never Sleeps or Slumbers so we Can!

Losing sleep doesn’t feel fun. The phrase, “losing sleep, however, is kinda funny to me because how can we lose something we didn’t receive? 

I’ve awakened several times recently with my mind racing & my heart pacing to the point of breathlessness. I think it’s due to circumstances I can’t fix.

Psalm 121 reminds us that we serve a Lord who never sleeps nor slumbers. He doesn’t need sleep. He watches over us with care so that we can! 😴

Daniel faced BIG problems-far bigger than what troubles my aching heart. His entire country was in ruins while the people lived in captivity. During that time, Daniel learns by the word that his country must lie desolate for 70 years. Talk about hopelessness!

Immediately, he dons rough burlap, sprinkles himself with ashes & begins to pray. He confesses the greatness of God. He confesses the sins of the nation & confirms God’s faithfulness for keeping His Word by doing exactly as He warned. 

He cries, begs & ends with,

“O Lord, hear. forgive, listen & act for we bear your name.”

What’s amazing is what happens the very moment Daniel begins to pray. Nothing changes in his physical surroundings. Suddenly, however, an angel proclaims,

“Daniel, the moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God.” 

The same thing happens 2 years later...Daniel is in the middle of a 3 week fast when an angel encourages Daniel not to be afraid because his request was heard in heaven from the VERY FIRST DAY Daniel begin to humble himself & pray!

Although our nation may not be in captivity, it feels like the world has lost its axis. There are many things in our personal lives & on the world stage that can tempt us to not receive the rest promised to us by our Lord who never slumbers.

We may feel filled with anguish at what we face, but like Daniel, it only takes one touch from our Lord to suddenly feel stronger.

Father, when we don’t know what to do, help us to fix our gaze on You! Major things happen in the unseen realm when we pray. Remind us to turn to You when we feel like we’ve got no where to turn. Thank You that You are The One Who never slumbers so that we can!

#OneYearBible

December 2nd One Year Bible Readings

💡DANIEL 9:1-11:1

💡1 JOHN 2:18-3:6

💡PSALM 121:1-8

💡PROVERBS 28:27-28

We Become the Prodigal When we Pursue Unconditional Love Where it can’t be Found

A song randomly played on my playlist yesterday - one that my son shared with me a few months back. As the first notes began to play I felt like I was on, “Name That Tune”. I knew I’d heard it before because it instantly invoked a sadness inside even before the lyrics began.

The song is called, “How To Be Yours” by Chris Renzema.  The lyrical arrangement is brilliant as it begins with a prodigal’s betwixt plea to the Father but ends with the Father’s reply. It starts, 

“You say that You love me,

Don’t say that You love me,

Cause I don’t know how to be Yours...

I still act like an orphan I guess

My hard heart breaks to confess... 

I still don’t know how to be Yours...”

If we’re honest, we’ve all been a prodigal at some point in our lives, acting like an orphan who forgets about our Father Who won’t abandon us. And if we’re REALLY authentic, we’d probably confess that we’ve acted like one recently because here’s the thing:

Every time I turn to the world for what only the Father can give, I’m acting like an orphan. I pursue the prodigal life every time I pursue unconditional love where it cannot be found.

The apostle John warns us not to love this world nor the shiny things it has to offer for it is proof that we are trading the Father’s love for a faulty counterfeit. The prodigal life will always leave us longing for more pleasure, pride & possessions.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, it is easy to get caught up in all the things this world has to offer, but the 1 thing it lacks, the 1 thing that will impact eternity, is the Father’s love.

He doesn’t go anywhere, we are the ones who run...

The song takes a twist at the end as our faithful Father reminds us,

“So love Me or hate Me

I’m not goin’ anywhere

Leave Me or take Me

You still bear My signature

Know Me or not

Seen or forgot

I’m not walking out on you”

Thank You, Father, for reminding us that You are our faithful One Who will never walk out on us. I sometimes wonder if preparing our children to leave home is less about adulthood & more about modeling that our Heavenly Father is home

 here on earth as it will be in heaven? Guard us from the prodigal life. You alone are the love & security we so desperately seek.

#OneYearBible

December 1st One Year Bible Readings

💡DANIEL 8:1-27

💡1 JOHN 2:1-17

💡PSALM 120:1-7

💡PROVERBS 28:25-26