The Heart of the Matter

Religion focuses on the outside, while authentic Christianity focuses on the inside. The Bible says we are to keep our heart with all diligence. Here are four aspirations for your heart health.

  1. Strive to have a clean heart. Ask God to wash away all sin just like David did in Psalm 51.

  2. Develop a merry heart. You can do this by being thankful, praising God, and blessing His holy name (Psalm 100:4).

  3. Have a loving heart. This love must be both horizontal and vertical. Love God and love others, in that order.

  4. Be pure in heart. Don’t let your heart get polluted with idols. My wife would not be pleased if I came home from a business trip and I said, “Darling while I was away I was 90% faithful to you.” She wants my full devotion. Similarly, we must love God with a pure heart.

  5. Finally, have a believing heart (Romans 10:9). Faith in God is essential to both justification and sanctification.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” When our heart is healthy the other affairs of our life take care of themselves; but, if our heart is sick, then the rest of life will also suffer.

When Jesus Returns

When Jesus Christ returns to planet earth, as He promised to do, several exciting things are going to happen in the life of every believer.

  1. We will see Him. The Psalmist says, “I will see Your face” (17:15).

  2. We will be transformed. John says, “We shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). David declares, “I will awake in Your likeness” (Psalm 17:15).

    Why is this important? John says, “Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3).

    1. I am inspired to live godly today because I know that one day I am going to stand before the Lord face to face. There will be a judgment for believers. See 1 John 2:28.

    2. I am also inspired to live godly today because I know God wants me to become like Jesus. Knowing God’s will for my life, I gladly cooperate with His sanctifying process. I am eager to make progress in my journey toward Christ-likeness.

    At the culmination of history, we will at last be satisfied (Psalm 17:15) and will experience permanent joy that no one will take away (John 16:22).

Fullness of Joy

Discouragement is an old enemy I have dealt with over the years. And yet, when I look in God’s word I see this is not God’s plan. Consider these three scriptures.

1 John 1:4 “These things we write to you that your joy may be full.”

Psalm 16:11 “In Your presence is fullness of joy.”

John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

How do you get this joy? It comes from intimacy with Christ.

  1. Joy is found as we fellowship “with the the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3

  2. Joy is experienced in God’s presence. At His “right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

  3. Joy happens when we “abide in [Christ’s] love” John 15:10

So a question I must ask myself is, “Am I happy in the Lord?” And if I am not, then I know I must draw near to God. My joy or lack of joy reveals the level of my spiritual well-being. And if joy is missing, it should be like a flashing red light on the dashboard of my car, alerting me to danger and calling me to immediate action! “Men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1).

One day when Jesus returns we are going to have joy forevermore. Jesus promised, “I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you” (John 16:22).

The Attitude of a World Changer

The Apostle Paul was accused of “turning the world upside down.” Clearly, he and his missionary brothers rocked the ancient world for Christ. How did they do it? We could look at their techniques, but today let’s only look at their attitudes. In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul acknowledged two attitudes we would do well to emulate.

  1. “We have such trust through Christ toward God,” (2 Cor. 3:4)

  2. “We have such hope” (2 Cor. 3:12).

Suggested Prayer: “God help us to have unbridled confidence in You and fill us with excitement about our God-filled future.”

The Heart of a Champion

“I’ve never not envisioned success” ~ Kyler Murray

1. Who is Kyler Murray? He is an outstanding athlete.

  • 2018 Heisman Trophy Winner

  • Won 3 straight Texas High School football championships, finishing his career with a perfect 42-0 record as a starting quarterback

  • Drafted 9th overall in 2018 Major League Baseball to play baseball for the Oakland Athletics

2. Are his words, “I have never not envisioned success” important?

  • Technically speaking, the double negative is bad grammar but,

  • his optimism is impressive!

3. What does his statement have to do with the Christian life?

  • As Christians we are “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37)

  • We “can do all things through Christ who strengthens us” (Phil. 4:13)

  • We go “from strength to strength” (Psalm 84:7).

  • “Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies” (Psalm 60:12).

  • “The Lord will make you the head not the tail, you will always be at the top never at the bottom if you faithfully obey the commands of the Lord your God” (Deut. 28:13).

“God grant me a prevailing optimism, a strong confidence in You. Help me to face life with the heart of a champion, and never imagine failure as I follow Jesus Christ”