A Broken Heart

I have tried to come up with a witty beginning to this devotional and it’s just not happening.  There is no way to dress it up; it must be blurted out and left to the reader to grapple with the matter.  Here goes…

Is your heart broken over your sin and the sin of others?  Is it broken, not because someone hurt you, abused you, spoke ill of you, stole from you, or anything else a human being can inflict upon another, but because sin grieves the heart of God?

The sin of an unbeliever grieves God’s heart because it separates that person from a relationship with God the Father through the sacrifice of Christ.  God does not desire that any should perish, no matter how despicable that one might be.  That is hard for us to understand, but when God says He is not willing that ANY should perish, He really means it regardless of our human thoughts on the subject.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

The sin of a believer grieves the heart of God because it is a direct rebuff of the sacrifice made to bring us back into a relationship with the Creator of the universe.  Each and every time we sin, we sin against God.  In the process, others are hurt and the holy name of the Lord is besmirched. Our sin is a choosing to walk opposite of God’s way – a way proven and promised to bring blessing to us and honor to Him.

Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.  “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,  nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.  Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.  Ephesians 4:25-32

When non-believers sin against you, cry out for their salvation.  When believers sin against you, refuse to wallow in hurt feelings.  Instead, approach them biblically and pray for their repentance; repentance, not just so that you feel better, but because it will bring them back into fellowship with the Lord. (So many times I tend to think that I am all that and a bag of chips and how awful it is that someone would to something wrong towards me, when my real concern should be that GOD is grieved!)

When you see our world sliding faster and deeper into despair and wickedness, beg the Lord to let you experience what He feels as He sees His creation destroying itself when there is a better way, a perfect way – Jesus.  Pray accordingly, allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through you. Praying for someone you love deeply is so much different that praying for someone that you frankly wish was not even alive.  We need HIS divine ability to pray in the right manner.

May our prayer today as Christ followers be, "Break my heart with what breaks Yours."

Prayer:

Father, please break my heart with what breaks Yours.  There are no other words.  Amen.

Challenge:

When you sin, or experience the ramifications of the sin of others, immediately ask the Lord to give you His eyes and heart.  Pray for His will to be done and hearts to be changed.  CHOOSE to respond as He would have you respond, not as you feel.

Jen G 2012

Special thanks to my brother in Christ, BC, who, through his writings, brought me to a place of understanding on this subject.

A Lesson from George

“Whatever tries us in any way, speak to the Lord about it.”

—George Mueller

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George Mueller was an evangelist in the 19th century who took care of more than 10,000 orphans in his lifetime. This man chose to live by faith and seemingly never wavered. He took every need he and his orphans had before the Lord, fully trusting and expectantly waiting for the provision God would provide. Mr. Mueller was quoted as saying that he never had an unanswered prayer in his life. I am sure that some of the answers that came his way did not take the form most would expect, but that did not stop George from joyfully thanking the Lord.

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:6-8

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These verses from Philippians are oft quoted in bad situations – a sick child, a broken car, a leaky roof. Do we really take them to heart? Do we seek the face of God in everything – coming to Him not only with our needs, but also thanksgiving for His as of yet unknown answer? Do we let the incomprehensible peace of God guard our minds or do we allow thoughts of worry and despair to flood over us? Do we think on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy? Or, do we focus on the issue at hand and allow it to fill our minds, crowding out all the attributes of God?
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Nothing is too small to take to the Lord and nothing is so big that we should allow it to overshadow His greatness. I encourage you to speak to the Lord about whatever tries you in any way.

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Prayer:

Father, YOU are what Philippians 4:8 says for me to think on. Please help me to be aware of times when I am tempted to place concerns and worries above Your greatness and abilities. Only by focusing on You can I avoid falling into that temptation. Amen
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Challenge:

This week, when worries and concerns press in – no matter how big or small – choose to put your focus squarely on the Lord and His attributes. He is all that is good and true and praiseworthy. Spending time focusing on trouble is taking praise and adoration away from the One who deserves it. Refocus that attention!  Read a biography of George Mueller's life with your family.

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Jen 2010

Turn to Him

Turn to me now, while there is still time.
Give me your hearts. Come with fasting,
weeping, and mourning.
Do not tear your clothing in your grief,
but tear your hearts instead.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
Joel 1:12,13
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Recently my eyes were awakened to an issue that I was not even aware I had. One day out of the blue I was assaulted with signs, clues, and discussions pointing to the fact that I had a problem. What was my problem? I waste a lot of time during my day on useless activities. Not only do these activities take away from time with my family but more importantly they take from my time with God. I was not getting as much done around the house like I should have been. Meal planning never quite got done. House cleaning happened when I remembered. In addition to my household chores not being completed like they should have, I was not spending time in the Word on a regular basis. I came up with every excuse in the book as to why I could not read the Bible that day. Well, one day I think God finally had enough with my bad attitude and poor choices. He put articles, scripture, Facebook posts, and even a conference talk in my path telling me that He had had enough. Talk about a slap in the face! Finally I heard Him loud and clear. No more wasted time during my day. Reading His Word is now a priority in my day. Beginning my day in prayer and devotion puts the rest of my day off on the right foot.
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Where is your faith in God? Are you all in or are you dabbling your toes in the sea of Christianity? Does your study of the Word and commitment to prayer ebb and flow like the tides? Today is the day to commit yourself whole-heartedly to God. He wants you all in. Give Him your hearts! Tear your heart open for God and let His love for your pour in. It is so easy to get caught up in the daily grind, the struggles and challenges that bombard us from all angles. Time in the Word is often sacrificed for time on the Internet or time gossiping with friends. Where are your priorities? If you regularly put God and your faith second then you are dabbling your toes in the water. Repent today dear friend. He is waiting.
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Remember time with your Father in Heaven comes in many different shapes, forms, and fashions. Prayer can happen anytime the world around you is quiet. Taking a shower, washing dishes by hand, cleaning the house, driving in the car between your children’s events; these are just a few of the times you can pray and give praise to Him. Download podcasts of the Bible to spend time in the Word while you workout, drive around town, take the dog for a walk, or get things done around the house. If your faith is important to you then there is time in your daily life.
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Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father I come before you today with a repentant heart. Forgive me O Lord for my sinful ways. I have lost sight of what is important in my life. It is You O Father that must come first in my life. Please show me the ways and the times in my life where I can make time for you and Your Word throughout my day. Please give me the strength and wisdom to change my ways so that my daily faith remains renewed, refreshed, and encouraged. All glory and honor is owed to you O Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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Challenge:
Can you reduce or eliminate one from your day, every day this week, that takes time away from the duties God has set before you? How many activities in your life detract from God’s work? Make a list it will help visualize the full impact these choices have in your daily life. Talk to your children and spouse about this topic. What are areas they need to work on?

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Alexis M. 2010

Pray About It!

I am a firm believer in praying about everything. When I was growing up, my parents went from riches to rags in their journey with the Lord. He decided that they needed to really learn reliance on Him and gave many wonderful opportunities to do so. My first clear memory of answered prayer was the house in Graceville, Florida. When my father heeded the call to become a pastor we moved to this tiny town for him to attend seminary. Mom started praying for housing. She prayed very specifically: plum trees, chickens, a barn or outbuilding for Dad’s small engine repair business, utilities included in a small rent fee and a yellow bug light on the front porch. The bug light was to be the dew on the fleece. One day, there it was – the house with everything including the yellow bug light on the front porch. The place was ours! We moved in and within days the well dried up. Our neighbors strung a hose from their well to our pipe and we lived with on again off again water for the rest of our time there. What lesson did Mom learn? She learned to leave nothing out when she prayed and how to wash and rinse her hair in under two minutes. That whole time spoke volumes to me. I saw what prayer can do and that nothing is too big or too small.
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In the Word we are told, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6. The Lord does not say to only pray about the big stuff, but everything. He cares so very much for us. Our needs, desires, concerns are all important to Him. There is nothing that should not be prayed for.
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We should pray about getting to know the Lord more intimately, unsaved loved ones, parenting, which curriculum to use, how to order your day, frugality in the grocery store, the headache that will not leave, fear, the tenseness with your husband, the constipated baby, the business meeting at church, the bills, the broken computer, the desire for a vacation, cancer, the new clothes your child needs, the time for a bubble bath, protection while traveling, for no one in your house to throw up (my all time most used petition), lost tools, the hurting friend, a new dog, the new dog that keeps getting loose, anxiousness, confusion, bad dreams, the list goes on and on. I am by no means saying to look at God as our genie in a bottle, but to rely on Him for even the smallest of needs.
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Begin to pray about the everyday stuff and watch what happens. Your faith will increase as you see the Lord respond to your petitions and as you learn to wait when He does not answer in your time frame. Your children will see your reliance on Him and they will begin to pray more as well. It is so sweet to hear your child say, “Lord, please show me where my new blue pony is. I really want to play with it.” It is even sweeter to hear, “Mommy, I asked and Jesus showed me where my pony was! Thank you, Jesus!” There is a lot of praying out loud at my house and that helps the children to learn as well.
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When you have prayed and the Lord has answered, be sure to thank Him openly. Even if the answer was not what you desired. The Word says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Let your kids see that even when the answer is no, He is still worthy of thanksgiving and praise.
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I encourage you to begin this practice today. “Have I prayed about it?” should be a daily question you ask of yourself. Don’t save prayer only for emergencies and dinner. He wants to be the first One you run to in every circumstance.
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Prayer:
Father, thank You that I can come to You with anything. Thank You for caring about my needs and desires and for giving me exactly what I need in answer to every prayer. Please give me a nudge and remind me to take everything to You in prayer.
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Challenge:
This week actively look for areas in which you need to apply more prayer. Use lost toys, difficult relationships, financial need as the starting point. Remember that your children will watch and learn from your example - good or bad.
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Jen Gorton 2007