We had a very special time last Thursday at Sunshine Memory Care. Most of my friends’ memories are disconnected from the everyday life of the outside world. But their hearts are still connected to God by faith and together we have special moments when the joy of Jesus Christ… For the rest of this post and to hear the song Dancing Heart visit Walking With Lambs.
Month: February 2023
A Quiet Heart
For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. Isaiah 30:15
This verse from Isaiah, was written to people who were in exile. They were far from their culture, family and roots. Though this might sound a lot like everyday life in New York, it actually referred to the kingdom of Israel. Instead of serving the God who had delivered them from Egypt, they had decided to build altars to all kinds of idols and had forsaken God. This occurred, not just for a decade or even a couple of generations, but for hundreds of years. Eventually God allowed the Assyrian empire to sweep in, conquer their land and carry most of the ruling class off into exile. It was almost as if God was said, “Okay so you want to serve foreign gods? Okay, so then you might as well and go live with other folks who already do!” But even as far as God’s people had gotten away from Him, He never abandoned them. In today’s verse He is calling for them to return home, if only in their hearts. The problem was not the Assyrians. The problem was their own stubborn hearts. Many of them liked what they were doing and instead of changing their minds about idolatry, they doubled down on their misbehavior and complained about their situation. Does that sound familiar? It should, because that describes most of us at one time or another in our lives. Our hearts have grown cold, and we have been carried far away from God. But God has not given up on us.
But how can we know that for sure? Well, think about where Jesus was sent to live. Sure, everybody knows that He was born in Bethlehem, but He didn’t stay long. Instead, Jesus grew up in Nazareth of Galilee. And where was Galilee? It was exactly where the remnants of the people who had been conquered by Assyria lived. Matthew’s gospel tells us about why by quoting from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light.” Now that picture of dwelling in darkness is exactly like many of our lives. We are busier than we have ever been, but in spite of all the comforts and pleasures that swirl about us, we are a community, a state, a nation and a world in turmoil. With the answer to almost any question at our fingertips we have no more peace and quiet than we had a hundred, two hundred or even two thousand years ago. We desperately need to find rest, and God is, calling out for us to come to Him to find it. But just like those ancient Israelites, we often just keep running away. The answer to our problem is not by some idyllic lake, at the top of a mountain climb or on the deck of a cruise ship. The only true and eternal quietness is in the presence of Jesus Christ and He offer it for free!
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 ESV
Jesus in the Morning
Pray without ceasing 1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV
In the Old Testament we learn that Daniel prayed three times a day and though we can’t be sure of the exact hours they do correspond to a chorus we used to sing, “Jesus-Jesus- Jesus in the morning, Jesus at the noon time. Jesus- when the sun goes down!” That little song neatly sums up the simplicity of prayer. Some of us say, “Well I’m really not a morning person!” Or “I’m no night owl!” as excuses for why we don’t begin or end our days with prayer. But in his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul tells us to” pray without ceasing” and king David tells us in Psalm 34 that he will bless the Lord at all times. In fact, everywhere we look in scripture, prayer is far more than just a night cap or a “Good morning Lord.” When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He set an example for us of all different times for prayer.
Early Morning Prayer: And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35
Mid-Day Prayer Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1
Evening Prayer And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went upon the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone Matthew 14:23
Jesus prayed when he had to make decisions and he prayed to bless his food. Jesus prayed when he was sorrowful, and He prayed when he was joyful. Jesus prayed for his disciples, and He prayed for Himself. As Jesus prayed at all these different times, He taught us how to pray. How wonderful to remember that the prayer ministry of Christ did not end on the day He went to the Father, but the Bible tells us that right now, He is still praying for us!
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