May Our Hearts Love His Appearing

IN TABLES OF THE HEART January, 2014

Much is said of the heart of man. Perhaps the most identifying comment in all of the Word of God regarding the seat of our emotions is that it is deceitful above all things, Jeremiah 17:9. This reality can be seen in interpersonal relationships and in international dealings. Duplicity is in evidence in man’s interaction with man in virtually all his endeavors.

Yet, in II Corinthians 3:3 it says, “You are declared to be the epistle of Christ…written not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God; not in tables of stone but in fleshy tables of the heart.” This reminds us that the heart of man was created by the Lord for better things than the paltry schemes and machinations of men.

Man’s heart was created to be the abode of the Living Christ and Ephesians 3:17 declares that He reigns there as we give our lives to Him and allow our hearts to be His throne room by the power of His love.

As we embark on a new year, may we allow Jesus to speak to us, to write His heart to us in the tables of our hearts; may we know the power of His Holy Spirit transforming us from the duplicity of men to the honor of the Savior as we seek Him together daily through another new year; as we open our hearts without reservation to His love and to His eternal truth.

January 1

Happy New Year!

Man is forever striving for more, for better. Toward that end, he makes resolutions on each New Year's Day. He will improve himself. He will make wiser food choices so his weight will conform to the prescribed limit of the height/ weight ratio charts. He will monitor his investments more closely. He will…

The list goes on. But as we stand at the threshold of a new year, we see ourselves in that man whose intentions are good. We also know from past years’ abandoned resolutions that our performance of those intentions shall probably fail. We want to attain the best that our potential affords to us, but we trudge along in our rut and remain as we are.

Yet, we do not have to perpetuate the least of ourselves. We do not have to strand ourselves on the Island of the Status Quo. We can, by God’s grace and empowerment be like the Apostle Paul who at the end of his life’s journey could recount in II Timothy 4:7, 8 the faithfulness of the Lord who enabled him to achieve all that was set before him.

In spite of imprisonment, Paul fulfilled his God-ordained destiny. In spite of our hardships, we can say with him, “I have run my race; I have completed my course; I have kept the faith! And now is laid up for me a crown of righteousness that shall never fade away.”

May we be able to go on to say as did Paul that our lives reflect not only our own faith and eternal destiny but like him, may we spend ourselves to assure that others, too, “will love Jesus’ appearing." That we and they may hear those glorious words on that great eternal day, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant; enter thou into the glory of thy Lord,”­­ Matthew 25:21-23.