In Your Heart

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these things, which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9

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This is a favorite passage of Christian families. I, too, love this scripture, but am concerned that for some these beautiful words of instruction have become a slogan rather than a true conviction. It is possible that some of us have lost sight of true obedience to Scripture, and only possess an outward appearance holiness. Perhaps the Word has not taken root in the heart because it is read out of fear; fear of what others will think of us if it is revealed that we have not had “our quiet time” lately. Or, do we open the Word and read a quick passage out of a sense of duty instead of love for the gift our Bibles are from our gracious Lord. I cannot stress enough the importance of truly knowing and loving the Scriptures, not just using them to prove how good we are or to argue our point of doctrine. To know God’s Word is to know God. Isn’t that what every believer longs for?
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For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

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According to Hebrews 4:12, the Bible is the only book that is alive with the power of God! This powerful gift reveals the true thoughts and intentions of of our very hearts. Things that we keep hidden for fear of rejection and judgement by others are seen clearly by the Lord. His Word helps us to see them clearly as well. How can we ever truly know the conviction of the Holy Spirit in our lives if we avoid the very tool He has given us for this purpose?

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It is because of what God reveals in His Word that we can know Him and believe in His Son. Because of His Word we can grow, change and become more like Jesus. What a wonderful promise to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and love to live in the Word! Let the Word of God truly be in your heart.

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Prayer:

Father, please forgive me for not always using the Word the way You intended. Help me to run to it rather than away from it. Holy Spirit, please show me through the Scriptures what I need to change in my life so I can be holy inside and out. Amen

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Challenge:

Have you been avoiding the Bible because you are afraid of what the Lord might reveal to you about your own heart? Maybe you have been using the Bible only to prove your goodness to others. If you are guilty of either, repent and begin to study for the sake of holiness alone. Search your heart and see if you are being a 'standard' bearer instead of an 'image' bearer. Read Norm Wakefield's excellent articles on The Curse of the Standard Bearer at http://www.spiritofelijah.com/.

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Jen Gorton 2009

A Thorny Issue

You know the old adage that if you tell a child, "Johnny don't walk on the grass. Johnny will walk on the grass." Well, this is also true with adults. During pregnancy I become a gestational diabetic with the added joy of having to take insulin. The moment my O.B. says, "Jen, you gotta watch the diet now." I immediately crave cheesecake and every other carbohydrate ever invented. It's sheer torture. While carrying our last child it seemed that eating eggs and salad was the only sure way to control my raging sugar. I would whine and complain – if only on the inside – and was known to cry over my salad. If you don’t believe me, just ask my husband. I chose not to reveal this “normal for me” pregnancy induced disease to most people as it always prompted glances into my grocery shopping cart along with watchful eyes at social functions.
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Pregnancy diabetes was my thorn in the flesh. I pleaded many times for the Lord to remove it from me and became irritated when He didn't. Finally, I decided to look into this segment of the Apostle Paul's life, the part that he longed for the Lord to take from him. Of course, it probably was not diabetes, but I knew I could still learn from his words. In 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 we see Paul coming to understand that the reason the Lord allowed him to wrestle with this thorn was for God’s own glory. Paul had a great following and people respected him and his love for and trust in the Lord. This would give him reason from a human standpoint to think he was “So Big” (as we said in the eighties). But Paul understood that as he dealt with infirmities and persecutions, for Christ’s sake, he was not abandoned by God but instead he was given more grace; even access to the power of Christ. Jesus encouraged him by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Then Paul was able to see that the thorn he wanted to be rid of was actually a great blessing. It allowed for Christ to be exalted in his life, and to receive all the glory in everything that Paul accomplished. This understanding of the thorn in his flesh made it worth the suffering he was called to endure.
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My solution for dealing with my bad attitude regarding this trial comes from Hebrews 4:16. I am commanded to “come boldly before the throne of grace, that I may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” I am in need. My only hope is to boldly go before God and obtain His mercy. I don’t have to beg – but come boldly and I will be given all the grace I need. What are you struggling with? Losing weight? Confusion? Bad health? Bills? Whatever has come into your life has first been filtered through the hand of God. He has permitted it and is graciously giving you the opportunity to put into practice the principles in His word, which will help strengthen your resolve to give Him first place in your life, and the glory only He deserves.

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Prayer:

Father, I give you my thorn and ask that You would be glorified in it. Help me to call out to You for the help I need, not to become resentful and angry. Remind me that in my submitted weakness You are made strong. Amen.

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Challenge:

This week, look at the thorns in your life. If the Lord is not removing them after much prayer, then embrace them as an opportunity to exalt Him. Choose to push through and draw closer to Jesus in the midst of the difficulty.

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Jen Gorton 2007

Consider

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;

nothing is hidden from its heat.

Psalm 19:1-6

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Psalm 19 tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the works of His hands. Simply looking at the sky allows us to experience the glory of God in all His majesty! The voice of the sky extends to every part of the world; there is no people group that has not heard what the skies proclaim - that God is on His throne and that He is the Creator of all.

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The Lord has allowed His creation to declare who He is, what He is, what He can do. For us to allow one day to go by without acknowledging the greatness of the Lord is unthinkable. Even if we are in the midst of a trial or great difficulty and there seems to be nothing in our lives that has the hand print of God on it, we can always look to the skies. They are a constant, ever present reminder of the God of the universe and His great love for us. He created something that shouts of His amazing love for His creation; it shouts in every corner of the earth, in every climate, in every war, in every famine, in darkness or daylight.
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When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:3-4

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If we stop for just a moment and consider the work of God's fingers, the largeness of His miraculous creation, it should cause us to catch our breath and look at the smallness of ourselves. Think about it: the world goes on when a human dies, but the world can not survive without a sky. Yet Jesus died for us, the only part of His creation that does not continuously declare His mighty works and goodness. We should compete daily with all of creation to be the loudest voice praising God.

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Prayer:

Lord of all creation, I praise You for Your mighty works, Your faithfulness, Your patience and love for me. Please forgive me for not declaring Your greatness each day.

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Challenge:

This week, begin each morning with a look at the sky. Join with this vast creation in declaring the greatness of God. Read the following Psalms that reveal how awesome God is by looking at His creation. Psalm 148, Psalm 139, Psalm 104, Psalm 93

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Jen Gorton 2009

Knowing

Our family home schools in a relaxed way. That simply means that we do not use rigid lesson plans or a lot of textbooks; narration, copy work, Bible study, and a lot of reading aloud are used instead. Recently a friend made a comment implying that we did not know what we were doing. I laughed it off, knowing that she probably did not mean it at all the way it sounded. Of course, maybe she did, but I’m not going there…
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As I thought about her words I began to question if we really DID know what we were doing. Were our kids going to be academically stunted because we used a method that did not attach a grade to a child? Would they turn out socially inept because we sheltered them more than the average children? I did not actually freak out, but I was teetering on the edge. The Lord was gracious and stepped in to stop my impending crash.
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The Lord reminded me that we were on the exact path He put us on fifteen years ago when we had our first child. We knew from the beginning that we wanted our children to have a clear view of Who the Lord is, what Jesus did for us, and how to walk in a way that brought honor and glory to Him. As time went on and we matured in our own walks with the Lord the plan only became more firm. Home schooling has been a great vehicle for this, but even if we had placed our children in a brick and mortar school the call would have remained the same.
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Our days might not be filled with typical academic courses or tests, but they are filled with tons of discovery, character training, and Biblical world-view training. We filter everything we learn, from botany to math, through God-glasses. Our desire is that our children know that everything in life has a connection to the Lord and His Word; nothing falls outside of His scope.
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Being a mom is hard, home schooling or not. There are always questions in our minds: Do I spend enough time with my kids? Did I potty train too late? How did I get a selfish kid when all I do is serve them, it seems? Did they catch that cold because I was not cautious enough? Am I a good enough teacher in my home school? WHERE did that child learn to pick their nose? I encourage you to stop asking these questions. Instead, ask ones that have bearing on your child’s spiritual life. Am I teaching my children to love God’s Word? Am I truly living what I teach them? Do I need to step up the character training? Is my child learning to discern between good and evil according to the Word?
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The response to my friend’s statement is this – Yes! We know what we are doing! We are training the next generation of church leaders, community servers, wise counselors, godly parents, loyal friends, and integrity filled employees and bosses. Our grandchildren will have parents who have been taught to love instruction and to take firm hold of wisdom. Oh yes, we know what we are doing.
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My child, if your heart is wise, my own heart will rejoice!Everything in me will celebrate when you speak what is right. Proverbs 23:15, 16
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Prayer:
Father, please help me to listen to You and to filter all other opinions through the Scripture. Thank You for giving my husband and me clear direction in Your Word regarding the raising of our children. Our desire is to stay the course and stick to the path. Guide us daily. Amen.
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Challenge:
If you have been facing feelings of inadequacy in your parenting or home schooling stop and examine the source. Are the feelings promptings from the Holy Spirit or unwarranted criticism from those who walk differently? If you and your husband discern that they are from the Holy Spirit hop to it and start searching His Word and His direction on what and how to change. Consider drafting a Family Vision Statement to help you stay the course. If you would like to read our family statement, send me an email.
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Jen Gorton 2009

A Listening Heart

We had an exciting event take place at our home this week – a new grandgirl arrived! Her name is Naomi, and she is already bringing her old grandparents much delight (her name means “delightful”).
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I say “old” because in some ways, I am feeling old these days. We have a total of seven grandchildren (with one on the way), the gray is starting to show up, and I cannot climb the stairs as quickly as I once could. The days of thinking of myself as a youth are long gone.
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So while I was recently reading through Ecclesiastes, I did not have to think too hard about which age category I fell into when I read from chapter 4. Here is the verse that caught my attention:
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A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction. Ecclesiastes 4:13.
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A few years ago I would have focused on the young person’s part of the verse, but that day my attention was focused on the “old” part. Not that I am a queen (only in my own mind!), but I was caught up short by the question of how well do I receive instruction?
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I lead worship at our church, and there are two young members on the team. There have been times when both of them have given their thoughts (always respectfully) about something we were working through or needed to decide. There have also been times when I was going one direction, and one of them really thought we should do something differently. These moments cause me to think hard before speaking and to measure my response to them. I cannot lie and say that I am never tempted to push my own way due to their youthfulness. Not that I am always successful, but the Lord reminds me to look at them with His eyes – He sees the wisdom He is building into their hearts, and even though they are younger, He is doing a marvelous work in their lives. I actively try to listen to their instruction.
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But what about when my “king,” my dear husband, instructs me in something? I don’t always think hard before speaking back, but my response is often measured – it can be quite a loooong response back! This is not the way of the Lord. He would have me receive instruction with a listening heart.
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There are many people in our lives who should be able to give us instruction: friends, bosses, elders, partners in our ministries, parents, and yes, even our younger children. And of course, the Holy Spirit gives us the most important instruction of all.
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So as I hold little Naomi in my arms, I wonder what instruction she is going to give me through the years. It may not be verbal, but she will have instruction in the Lord’s ways to give me. Will I be old and foolish and not listen to what the Lord speaks through her, or will I be wise and have a “lev shema,” a listening heart? May the Lord help me to be wise and to listen to anyone He sends to instruct me in His ways, young or old.
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Prayer:

Dear Lord, please help me to hear You this week. Help me to listen to Your instruction in any way You choose to give it – through Your Holy Spirit, Your Word, my husband, my parents, my peers, and yes, even through my children and grandchildren. Please grant me a listening heart that is quick to obey You. Amen

Challenge:

Be mindful of how the Lord might send instruction to you this week. Ask Him to help you listen to Him, no matter how He speaks to you. A good place to start is spending 15 minutes a day reading the Proverb of the day. Today is June 1 – read through Proverbs 1 today, then Proverbs 2 tomorrow, etc. Proverbs 1: 5 says, “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel…” And verse 7 reminds us: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

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Julie Bailey 2009