How Is Your Heart Today?

Scriptures: Proverbs 3:5-7, Philippians 4:6, 2 Timothy 3:15-17

Wholehearted for God

Do you trust God wholeheartedly? Do you trust Him for your finances, your family relationships, your career path, your future, your happiness and well-being? Proverbs 3:5-7 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.” This verse tells me immediately that there is only one way to trust GOD and that’s with ALL OUR HEART! We must leave nothing out. We must give our full, complete 100% trust. In other words, the formula can’t be 75% trusting GOD and 25% trusting in ourselves. Our God knows the end from the beginning, the thoughts of every person on earth. He has even counted the strands of hair we have on our head. We can never hope to be truly wise if we do not first recognize that GOD is the source of perfect wisdom. How do we trust in Him rather than our own, limited, imperfect selves? Here are three ways: 

1) Take your concerns to God in prayer – This is the first and most important step. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

2) Be guided by the Scriptures – The Apostle Paul wrote, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3: 15-17)

We may feel we have found happiness and true love in the attention of a married person, or we may want to cheat or steal money to meet a dire need and just pay back later. But the Bible says stealing and adultery are wrong. Trusting God wholeheartedly means obeying him despite our feelings and circumstances. He will “make a way when there seems to be no way,” as the song of popular Gospel singer Don Moen goes.

3) Listen to godly counsel – We may have friends, a spouse, a parent, or a church elder who is prayerful, hears from the Lord, and cares enough about us to give us wise advice. Let’s listen. God may be speaking through them. 

God’s ways are best, always. May you trust Him with all your heart.

Scriptures: Matthew 15:19, Matthew 5:27-28

A Heart Right by God

How pure of heart do you think you are? Matthew 15:19 gives us a shocking revelation. Jesus Christ says, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slandering.” You might say, “Oh no, not me. How can this be? I am not that bad… evil thoughts, murder? Lord, you must be referring to someone else!” In this particular Matthean verse, Jesus was talking about the Pharisees and how fervent they were to follow their own man-made traditions rather than obeying the commands of God. They were so hooked up on looking good on the outside rather than following God’s law. 

How about us today? Have we really changed? Could some of our ways be Pharisaical? In the same gospel, Christ made more shocking statements. He said, “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” 

The Pharisees made a show of obeying the Ten Commandments, but their hearts were far from true surrender and faith in God. Jesus exposed what was in their hearts by saying, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not commit murder.’ And anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, that anyone angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” (Matthew 5:21-22) He also said, “Do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” 

What Jesus meant was that no one can meet God’s standards of perfection and holiness, or go to heaven on one’s own merit. That is why we need Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, who took the punishment for our sins on the Cross to rescue us from hell, open the gates of His Kingdom to us, give us new hearts to love and obey God. 

Have you received Jesus in your heart as Lord and Savior? If not, please e-mail our Prayer Center at prayforme@cbnasia.org and ask how you can do so. The Kingdom of God is not about religion, it is about having a relationship with the King of Kings. He is ready to set up His throne in your heart and life. 

Scriptures: Psalms 37:4, Romans 8:32

Your Heart’s Desire

What is the desire of your heart? An ideal partner to share your life with? A good job? A home of your own? Peace of mind? Are there desires that are still unfulfilled? 

Many people have many ways of reaching for their heart’s desire–we strive, work night and day, plan and strategize, even beg, steal or borrow. But do you know that the Bible gives us one sure, pleasant and blessed way to find what our hearts long for? Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” I love this verse. What it is really saying is–spend time with God, put Him first, know Him well, discover how much He loves you. Then your heart will find what it seeks. 

Now you may be asking, “If I delight myself in the Lord this way, then I can have anything in the world I want?” No it doesn’t work that way. The word for delight in Hebrew means to be dependent upon God and to derive one’s pleasure from Him. Do you rely on God completely? Do you relish his constant presence in your life? If you are doing that, then God has become the first and central desire of your heart. 

The promise here is not that God will gift you with a Mercedes Benz, the latest and most expensive cell phone model, or a mansion in Europe, though He can give all that. After all, he owns the universe. But God wants to give us something far, far better. He wants to give us Himself–His love as Father, His Kingdom, and no less than His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. 

Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” God is a generous Father who wants to give the best to us, His children. That may also include a life partner, a home, a fulfilling job, and the other longings of our hearts. He may not give us all the things we want, but all we truly need to live a godly life on this earth full of His peace, love and joy. May you delight in Him as He delights in you! 

Scriptures: Luke 12:34, Revelation 3:17, Luke 12:33

Where is Your Treasure?

What do you consider as your treasure? What is of the most value to you? Jesus Christ said in Luke 12:34,“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Is your treasure the kind that fades or rusts? Can it be easily stolen? 

If your answer is yes to both questions, then you are saving up the wrong kind of treasure. And your heart might be in the wrong place. Over the years, my wife Christine and I have counseled many couples. Often we will hear a wife complain that her husband is so stingy with money. It wasn’t just a case of being frugal. It was fund control in an extreme measure. But if you truly love someone, then you can’t help but give of yourself and your possessions to solidify that love. You wonder, who did that husband love more? His wife or his money?

Here’s what Christ says about those who put their trust in money and the security and sufficiency that it seems to provide, “You say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” (Revelations 3:17)

When we look at the bigger picture, “treasure” goes far beyond money and the things money can buy. It refers to where and how we spend our time, energy, resources and affections. If we invest to attain power, popularity and financial self-sufficiency, then we will end up loving and serving ourselves above all. But if we invest in the things that matter to God, if we provide for the poor and lost, spend time praying, reading our Bibles, sharing Christ’s love and encouragement to build up others, then God will be uppermost in our lives and we will care about the things He cares about. We will store up treasure in heaven where “no thief comes near and no rust destroys.” (Luke 12:33) 

Do we have a lifestyle of generosity and faith? Before we get really busy and committed to any endeavour, let’s be honest with ourselves and ask, “What’s my motive for doing this?” Let’s store up our treasures in heaven where there are no killer hurricanes and stock market crashes. Let’s give our hearts to God.

Scripture: Proverbs 4:23

Guard your Heart!

Do you know that the Bible warns us to guard our hearts? Do you know why it is so important to do so? Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

Imagine your heart is the Central Bank building or the Office of the President in Malaca_an or the White House. What’s going on inside is so important, so precious and vital to the well-being of the rest of the country that guards are trained to patrol the premises night and day. They routinely check the front, back, basement, even the roof of the building. They watch the windows and doors to monitor who or what goes in and out. They periodically examine the walls around the building to make sure there are no cracks or holes where thieves can come through or bombs can be smuggled in. 

Our heart is vitally important. It is the control center of our lives. What happens there can affect our loved ones, our future, our relationship with God. We can have a wonderful marriage, a happy family. Then one day, an innocent friendship in the office develops into a romance, and then a sexual affair, and before we know it, our homes are shattered. Or we might want to have what everyone else has–the latest model color TV or an iPad and so we borrow from friends or use our credit card. We keep borrowing, keep accumulating, until we are so deep in debt that we have to mortgage our house or take our children out of school. Or we can keep giving our time and money to charity and missions. But because people keep praising us for it, we begin to do it out of pride rather than true generosity. 

Another translation of Proverbs 4:23 is, “Guard your hearts with all diligence.” That means earnest and persistent vigilance, steady effort, and attentive care. We must constantly guard our hearts, not just against traps and temptations, but by reading the Bible and seeking the Lord in meditation and prayer. When this becomes a daily habit, then our hearts become centered on God and his ways. We will begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Faithfulness, Goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, Patience and Self-control. Our lives will be a blessing to all we meet, reflecting Christ who shines from our hearts!

Scriptures: Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:23, Ezekiel 36:26

Getting a Heart Transplant

Have you had a heart check lately? I am not referring to your physical heart which pumps lifeblood into your veins. I am talking about that invisible heart we refer to when we describe the center of our feelings, values, and character. Do you think you have a good heart, a kind heart? I thought my heart was okay until I read this startling passage in Jeremiah 17:19, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Another version says the heart is “beyond cure.” Wow, heavy words! Doesn’t that prick your pride? Desperately sick? Hey, I have my off moments but I can’t be that bad. 

But the more I read the Bible, the more I realize what the verse is saying. It is about the natural condition of our hearts. Take a look at little children. We don’t have to teach them to fight with their playmates, throw tantrums, break things, or grab toys from their little sister. But we have to teach them to behave, listen to daddy, give, forgive, be nice to other kids. Without discipline and instruction, we will have runaway brats and anarchy. It is in our nature to be selfish, proud, jealous, or angry. Look at the world. It is overrun by crime, lust, wars, corruption, and greed. It all begins in the human heart. Romans 3:23 says, “For all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 

But God so loves us that He sent His one and only Son to be our Savior, our donor to give us a heart transplant. Jesus took our hard, sinful hearts on the Cross, endured our punishment and pain, and suffered cardiac arrest in our place. But He rose again to offer us a new life and heart–His own gentle, gracious heart, able to love God and others. 

God says in Ezekiel 36:26, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you your heart of flesh.”

Would you want that? It can begin by saying a simple prayer like this: “Lord Jesus, forgive me. I surrender my life to you. Take away my sick, sinful heart and give me your good, pure and loving heart. Every day, teach me your ways and make me more like you.” 

God bless your heart with His peace and joy!

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7

What’s Inside Your Heart? 

How do we size up other people? What do we do to get ahead in this world? Many times, we judge by the way we dress, talk, carry ourselves. Do we have the right accent? Did we come from an exclusive school? People look at the model of our cellphone, the brand on our bags and T-shirts. Is it a designer label? Is the real thing or imitation? They check out the kind of car we drive and where we park it for the night–in an exclusive neighborhood, in a classy condominium?

We live in a world of sham and show, sell and tell. Keeping up can be tiresome, time-consuming and expensive. And what we project can be far from what we really are inside.

Maybe that is why Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into our world without fanfare and in such humble circumstances. He shared his nursery with goats, sheep and donkeys. He grew up in a tiny town called Nazareth, definitely the wrong address to choose in Israel. One apostle was quoted as saying, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” His father, Joseph, was a working-class Jew, a carpenter, and he too was trained as a laborer. Several of His closest friends were uneducated fishermen with rough, calloused hands. 

Christ’s true Kingdom is glorious, beyond anything we can imagine. But perhaps he came so humbly to show the world what it had become: boastful, shallow, materialistic, hypocritical.

He also came to give us the real thing–true wealth, prestige, power and influence as children of the living God. What we really are will only be revealed when He comes again. 

When Jesus returns as King of Kings to Israel, he won’t judge us by how high up in our career we managed to get, how famous or popular we have become, or how we multiplied our money into millions. He is going to check out if we truly loved God and one another. So let’s focus our lives on that. Let’s not waste time looking good on the outside, buying things for show, winning the applause of men. As the Lord says in 1 Samuel 16:7, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 

Be blest with a heart that is faithful and full of God’s love!