I
am continuing to prepare for my SE Asia service trip. There are now 28 days (four
weeks from today) until we leave. The plane tickets have been purchased. Training
has begun. Details of what we’ll be doing are coming together. God has blessed
me abundantly. The excitement is building. It is really going to happen!
I
purchased a couple of journals to take along. One for personal thoughts and one
for blog writing. The journal that will be filled with my personal thoughts of
the day is a pink book with “Joy” written on the front. There is a passage of
Scripture at the bottom of each page. One reference got my attention.
“The cheerful heart has a continual
feast.” (Proverbs
15:15b – NIV)
I love
to eat! I love to entertain! I love feasting! And what could be better than a
continual feast?
Memories
of festivals come to mind from my past, and yes, they were enjoyable. Anticipation
and excitement accompanied the prospect of attending a festival. And of course,
the festival foods were a highlight.
But
that isn’t what this verse is speaking of.
When
our hearts are in line God’s heart, His plans, and His attitudes, “life is as
joyful and satisfying as the days of a festival.”[i]
What
do we need to do to get our hearts in line with God’s? Let’s explore what God’s
Word has to say about it.
We
must ask for it. Psalm 51:10 (NIV) are David’s words, but they are words we can
pray as well. “Create in me a pure heart,
O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Allowing God to work in us
is a great first step.
David
also notes that we are to seek God and hide God’s Words in or hearts. “I seek you with all my heart do not let me
stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not
sin against you.” (Psalm 119:10-11 – NIV) Seeking and hiding are great ways
to line up with God’s heart.
In
Acts 13:22 (NIV), Paul quoted God and this is what God said about David. “I have found David son of Jesse a man after
my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” If we want to line
our hearts up with God’s heart, we need to do everything God wants us to do.
So
what does God want us to do? Here are just a few verses that lead us in the
direction of lining up with God’s heart.
Psalm
86:12 (NIV) shows us, “I will praise you,
O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.” Our
hearts praising and glorifying God will always line up with God’s heart.
We see in John 14:1 (NIV) that we are “not to let our hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” When we trust in God, our hearts will be in line with God’s heart.
We see in John 14:1 (NIV) that we are “not to let our hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” When we trust in God, our hearts will be in line with God’s heart.
Our
hearts are filled with love because we have the Holy Spirit within us. Romans
5:5 (NIV) says, “And hope does not
disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy
Spirit, whom he has given us.” Hearts filled with love line up perfectly
with God’s heart. Because God is love!
Allowing
God’s peace to rule our hearts put us in line with God’s heart. Philippians 4:7
(NIV) tells us, “And the peace of God
which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ
Jesus.” The benefit here? Our hearts will be protected.
Peace
should be the ruler of our hearts. Colossians 3:15 (NIV) reminds us, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your
hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
And,
we are to have thankful hearts. Peace and thanksgiving. These are qualities we
are to possess for alignment with God’s heart.
This
is not an exhaustive list. There are other ways to place our hearts in line
with God’s. What passages do you recall? I’d love to hear from you! Why not
share?
I
cannot wait to write in my personal journal. I believe God has great things in
store for me as I walk the paths of this journey. I pray that my heart will
continue to be in line with God’s. I also pray that God will show me any undesirable
thoughts or feelings that might be lingering in my heart.
“The cheerful heart has a continual
feast.” (Proverbs
15:15b – NIV)
Grace
and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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