Tag: The Heart

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How You Become Foolish

DECEMBER 15

MATTHEW 7:26_shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand.

Sandy soil is no substitute for rock. The foundation of your life must be rock solid! There is nothing solid about sand. It slides right through your fingers. A gust of wind can toss it away. 

The only way to live out the salty-lit-up life is to live out the teachings of Jesus. Anything else, and I do mean anything, is sandy soil. 

Proverbs 24:10 (KJV), “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” You will lack courage and lose heart if you choose to face life’s storms from the world’s standards. Jesus calls this foolish. A foolish person is someone who makes poor decisions. 

Romans chapter 1 (KJV) says it well, “21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”

Sounds to me like foolish people do not glorify God because they are not grateful, but imagine themselves to be wise.

That’s how you become foolish—thinking you’re wise—no need for God.

PRAYER

Wise God, Please give me a grateful heart which glorifies who You are. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

 Christ wants me to make courageous decisions—I will!

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In a Tight Spot

DECEMBER 14

MATTHEW 7:26_And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not…

In Mark chapter 8 (KJV) Jesus feeds over four thousand people with seven loaves of bread and a few fish.  “8 So they [the people] did eat, and were filled: and they [the disciples] took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.”

Later, when Jesus was wearied of the Pharisees’ nagging, He enters a boat with His disciples, “14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.” Jesus begins to teach the disciples about the character of the Pharisees. The disciples thought He was fussing at them for forgetting the bread. “17 And when Jesus knew it [that the disciples were nervous], he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? 18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?”

We feel like criticizing the disciples. They not only had witnessed the miracle of feeding over four thousand, and previously witnessed Him feeding over five thousand, but—Jesus used them to pass out the bread!

Let’s not be too hasty to criticize. In a tight spot, we quickly tend to side with anxiety over the power of our Rock.

PRAYER

Righteous Lord, Help me remember Your greatness and power every day. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

Christ wants us to remember His power—I will!

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It Is Your Life

DECEMBER 12

MATTHEW 7:25_and beat upon that house…

Rains, floods, and winds cause destruction on their own, combined they cause catastrophe. Jesus says they beat upon the house. Jesus, the Stonemason, is in the process of building you a house—it is your life. 

What are the rains, floods, and winds which beat upon your house? They are the hurts and struggles you experience in life. The struggles which draw you closer to your rock, Jesus, or closer to your captor the devil.

Remember the parable of the persistent widow who did not give up making appeals to the judge? The parable begins in Luke 18:1, ‘And he spake a parable unto them [disciples] to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.’ The purpose of the parable is to teach persistent prayer. Prayer is an essential rock. The word faint in this verse can mean lack courage or lose heart. During the days when life beats you up do not lose heart. Do not forsake prayer. It is an overcomer. 

When Job’s life was beat upon, his so-called friend said to him, Job 4:4:5 (KJV), “Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. 5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.”

Struggles will beat on you—be rock ready.

PRAYER

Savior, Help me be rock-solid to face the struggles of life. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.  

Christ is the Rock of prayer and courage—I want that!

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Devastation

DECEMBER 10

MATTHEW 7:25_And the rain descended, and the floods came…

I have never experienced a flood first hand. However, I have seen results of the devastation. It is heart breaking to see the destruction a flood can leave. The power surges water can release are phenomenal. 

There is much more than the destruction, there is displacement.

Families who have lost all their worldly possessions are homeless.

Dorothy’s there’s no place like home—no longer applies.

The peace experienced when coming home after a hard day has disappeared.

Businesses can also be displaced. Time lost to customers can send your customers elsewhere. It is a hard, sad experience.  

There are other tragedies accompanied with floods such as sewage flowing openly in streets— disease added to the trauma. Then there is the struggle to care for the sick.

Of course worst of all, is the heart break of loss of lives. A flood is not something we want to experience—even with a solid foundation.

PRAYER

Holy Jesus, I know the only place I find safety is in Your Word. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

  Christ’s principles are safety—I want them in my life!

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Your Heart Listens

DECEMBER 6

MATTHEW 7:24_heareth these sayings of mine…

As the Master Stonemason, Jesus works from the bottom up. Step one is to hear. Hearing the words of Jesus is important. You can be physically deaf and hear Jesus’ words. By the same token, you can rate perfect on your hearing test, listen to the Bible read by Alexander Scourby for an hour, and never hear a word. Where you think is where you hear—in the heart. The heart’s door, where Jesus knocks, is a place of communication.

Jesus is very specific about what He wants you to hear, “these sayings of mine.” The word sayings here can be interpreted as a statement or declaration by God. If your ears hear, it is because your heart listens.

At least eight times in His teachings, Jesus says:                                                                   

Matthew 11:15 (KJV),”He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

Matthew 13:9 (KJV), “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

Mark 4:9 (KJV), “And he said unto them, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”                                                                              

Mark 4:23 (KJV), “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.”

Revelation 2:7 (KJV), “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith…”

Revelation 2:11(KJV), “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith…”

Revelation 2:29 (KJV), “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith…”                                                                                    

Revelation 3:13 (KJV), “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith…”

PRAYER

True Word, Please help my heart to listen so my ears can hear. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.          

Christ speaks to my heart—I hear!