Tag: leading our hearts

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Psalms Devotionals 2

Leading our hearts to worship

My soul, bless the Lord,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

My soul, bless the Lord,
and do not forget all his benefits. (Psalm 103:1-2)

I was just thinking today, “How often do I lead my heart to bless the Lord?”

How often do I say, “Hey self! Bless the Lord today. Don’t forget all he’s done for you. Don’t forget all his goodness to you.”

That’s important to do when things are going badly, of course. When David got really down, he reminded himself, “Hey self! Why are you so down? Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 42-43)

But it’s also important to do when things are going well. To remember where all your blessings came from (Deuteronomy 6:10-12).

That’s what David does in this psalm. At a guess, he wrote this psalm some time after God had forgiven his sin with Bathsheba and restored his kingdom after his son Absalom’s rebellion (2 Samuel 11-19).

How about you? Do you lead your heart to bless the Lord every day?

Bless the Lord…
his servants who do his will.

Bless the Lord, all his works
in all the places where he rules.

My soul, bless the Lord! (21-22)

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Malachi Devotionals

Leading our hearts to trust God

In my church, recently, we’ve been talking a lot about not simply following our hearts and going wherever it takes us, because there are times our hearts will take us in the wrong direction. Rather, we are to lead our hearts to follow God.

That’s important because in a broken world, it’s easy to get cynical.

That’s how the Jews were. They had returned from Babylon, the temple and city walls were rebuilt, and yet they still faced many problems as a nation.

As a result, they questioned God’s love (1:2), they questioned whether he was really a God of justice (2:17), and they questioned whether it was truly worth serving him (3:14).

And all this showed in how they treated God, dishonoring him (1:6-8) and robbing him (3:8-9). It also showed in how they treated their wives (2:14-16) and each other (3:5).

But not all were like this. There were the few who despite their circumstances, despite what others were doing, continued to lead their hearts to trust the Lord.

They chose to believe God loved them. They chose to believe he will eventually bring justice to this world. And they continued to faithfully serve him.

The result?

The Lord took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared the Lord and had high regard for his name.

“They will be mine,” says the Lord of Armies, “my own possession on the day I am preparing.” (Malachi 3:16-17)

Are you getting cynical towards God when you see all the problems in this world and in your own life?

Will you choose to lead your heart and trust him?

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Ephesians Devotionals

God’s power in us

Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us… (Ephesians 3:20)

I was thinking about that last phrase: “his power that works in us.”

So often, I thought of that as God’s power working through us to do his work, to touch others’ lives.

But today, it occurred to me that God’s power is at work in me to change me. And he is able to do in me above and beyond all that I could think or imagine.

Many times when I face problems, I ask God to take the problem away. To change my circumstances.

God in his grace sometimes does that.

But so often, he’s not so interested in changing our circumstances.

He’s interested in changing us, to make us like his Son. (Romans 8:28)

Sometimes, though, that seems impossible.

My pastor has been preaching recently about leading our hearts. (Proverbs 23:19)

That can be hard. Especially when it comes to forgiveness or other hurts we deal with in our lives.

We want others to apologize. We want them to change.

But all the while, we harbor doubt that our hearts can change if they don’t, if our circumstances don’t.

But God is able to do above all we ask or think. Why? Because his power, the power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us.

The question is, “Do we believe that?”

Father, root me in your love. Firmly establish me in it.

Help me to understand the length and width, height, and depth of your love so that the void in my heart may truly be filled with you and all my wounds healed.

I don’t ask that you change my circumstances or the people around me. I ask that you change me.

By your power, which can do more than all I could possibly ask or imagine, make me like your Son. In Jesus’ name, amen.