The Heart Is Deceitful

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” — Jeremiah 19:9-10 

God searches our hearts.

He examines our minds.

And He sees our deceit.

Even when we can't understand it.

He knows we are beyond cure.

Which is why He sent His Son, Jesus.

To die on Golgatha (pictured).

To redeem us from our sin.

So we are no longer rewarded by what our deeds deserve.

It Is With Your Heart That You Believe and Are Justified

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. — Romans 10:9-10 

We are saved by the blood of the Lamb when we believe in Jesus.

And we are then justified through Him.

When we believe that God raised Him from the dead and Jesus came alive again.

With our hearts we believe.

With our mouths we profess our faith in Christ.

And with that profession, we are saved from our sin.

There Is No One Who Does Good

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. — Psalm 14:1 

Only the fool says "There is no God."

Even the most simple among us can see God in His creation.

But the fool ignores his own eyes.

He is corrupt.

His works are vile.

There is no on who does good.

Only God's Son, jesus.

God Is the Strength of My Heart

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. — Psalm 73:25-26

God is my refuge.

I have nothing without Him.

And earth has nothing I desire but God.

My body may fail.

My flesh may fade away.

But God is the strength of my heart.

He is my portion forever.

He sustains me throughout my life.

You Will Find God

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. — Jeremiah 29:13

God tells us that we will seek Him and find Him.

But only when we seek Him will all our heart.

Letting nothing stand in the way of our relationship with Him.

He loved us enough to die for us.

In return, we give our hearts to Him.

Love the Lord Your God

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ — Matthew 22:37-38 

Jesus commands us to Love God with all we have.

This is the first commandment.

The second is similar to this one.

Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.

This is hard to do.

I'm naturally very self-centered.

But trusting God's commands is about allowing Him to transform me from the inside out.

As I fall more in love with Him.

The Lord Our God Is One

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. — Deuteronomy

The Lord our God is one.

We love the Lord with all our hearts.

And with all our souls.

And with all our strentgh.

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Store Up Treasures in Heaven

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. — Matthew 6:19-21 

God commands us to store up treasures in heaven.

Not on earth.

Even though earthly treasures are tempting.

But they're also temporary.

Destroyed by moths and rust.

Whereas treasures in heaven are not destroyed by moths and vermin.

Where my treasure it, there shall my heart be.

Jesus Has Overcome the World

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33

Happy New Year's Eve!

Last night I made gumbo in the new Dutch oven Kirk got me for Christmas.

And bread using the proof baskets Marianna sent me.

I am blessed.

Tonight we'll have two other couples join us for dinner.

To welcome in the new year together.

Praising God for good food, great friends, and wonderful family. 

Praising God for Jesus, who has overcome the world.

The Eyes of Your Heart May Be Enlightened

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people. — Ephesians 1:18 

Paul prayed that our hearts would be enlightened.

That we may know the hope to which Jesus calls us.

And the riches of His glorious inheritance.

The inheritance God gives us in His holy people.

We are in the process of calling a new pastor to lead our church.

That God would use that person to guide our congregation to know the hope of Jesus.

And to hear His calling for our lives.

God's Word Is Alive and Active

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. —  Hebrews 4:12 

God's Word penetrates into my soul.

It judges the thoughts and attitudes of my heart and finds that I fall short.

Each time I read it, I get something new from passages I've read over and over all my life.

It permeates my joints and marrow, letting the Holy Spirit convict me when I start to go against it.

Or when I start to move in an opposite direction or ignore God's Word.

It divides my soul and spirit.

The Word of God is alive and active.

The Sword of the Spirit is sharper than the sharpest double-edged sword in this world.

It is my one offensive weapon in the battle for the Lord.

Give What You Have Decided in Your Heart

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. — 2 Corinthians 9:7 

Each of us should give God our time, talents, money, and lives.

After all, He is the Giver of all things.

He gave us all we have.

And our praise to Him is our gift of thanks and gratitude.

God is pleased when we give cheerfully.

Without grumbling or complaining.

After all, everything we have is His.

Delight in the Lord

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. — Psalm 34:7 

Delight in the Lord and honor Him.

God will give you the desires of your heart.

Joy in the Lord and honor Him.

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.

His mercy endures for ever.

Wait for the Lord

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. — Psalm 27:14

I'm naturally impatient.

So it's not easy to wait.

Moses had to wait for 40 years tending sheep before God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

Sometimes God asks me to wait, too.

It's not always easy to be strong when I'm waiting.

But God encourages me to take heart.

And to wait for Him.

Not to plow ahead with my own agenda.

Help me, Lord, to wait on You.

The Way of Faithfulness

I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws. — Psalm 119:30 

God's way is not always the easy route.

Nevertheless, Joshua chose it and asked his countrymen to decide whether or not to follow it.

The psalmist says he has chosen the way of faithfulness.

Help me, Lord, to choose the same.

And to set my heart on your laws.

Thank You, Lord!

I WIll Praise You, Lord

I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. — Psalm 119:7

I will praise God.

His laws are righteous.

I will praise Him.

I will learn of His laws. He will write them upon my heart.

And I will praise God.

My friend moved to Texas and gave us her plumeria.

Kirk planted it and it is thriving.

It was our first one to bloom this year.

I will praise God!

You Will Be Saved

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. — Romans 10:9-10 

When I declared Jesus is Lord, I became a Christian.

When I believed in my heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, I was saved.

For it was with my heart that I believed and was justified.

And it is with my mouth that I profess my faith in Jesus.

He has saved me from sin and death.

God Is the Strength of My Heart

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. — Psalm 73:75-76 

Earth has nothing better than God.

God is the strength of my heart.

Even when my body gives up or breaks down.

He keeps me going, even when I can't do it on my own.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strengt of my heart.

He is my portion forever.

And I am grateful. 

Plans to Prosper You

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. — Jeremiah 29:11-13

God has wonderful plans for our lives.

Plans to prosper us.

Not to harm us.

Plans to give us hope and a future.

So we will call on God and pray to Him and He will listen.

We will seek Jesus and find Him when we seek Him out with all our hearts.

So thankful that we have found Jesus.

 

Abba, Father

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” — Galatians 4:6

Because God has adopted us into His family, God also sent Jesus to save us.

And He sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts.

God is Abby, our Father.

Today is the birthday of Kirk's dad, Gary.

He and Rita adopted me into their family when I started dating Kirk.

We miss him and think of him and his mom Lucille especially this time of year.

They had December birthdays, and we would often celebrate together.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

We love and miss you.