Planning for the New Year

"I have labored most of this day on my message for the weekend. I am supposed to give vision and bring out what the year is to look like. It is tough because I have so much in my heart and yet I am finding it hard to make clear. There are no easy steps to make this happen. There is heart, faith and following the Lord."

The Bible says that there are many plans in a man's heart but the answer comes from the Lord. Looking at a new year can bring on a host of emotions. Sometimes the task ahead can be daunting. Other times the prospect of the unknown can be exciting. We may also find that having a clean slate to work with is a relief and there is a peace that comes with the new year. 

I think the sentiment from my thought from last year is still the same today. No matter how you feel as you approach 2017 know that it can be your best year. The reason is that when you have God giving direction and laying out the vision of what is to come it makes life an adventure. Adventure doesn't mean easy. I couldn't give you three easy steps to the best year of your life. But I can give you encouragement that you can have the best year of your life. 

How can I say that? Glad you asked. 

I have a question for you. 

What is in your heart? 

Do you really want to have a great year? You can have it. God says that if you delight yourself in Him that He will give you the desire of your heart. That shows me that if you really want it you can have it. 

Beyond that what can you believe God for? How big is He to you? What is He able to do? My Bible says God is an exceedingly abundantly above all I can ask or think God. That means my desires and my ability to ask will always come up short of what He is able to do. He will always exceed my expectation! So my faith needs to rise to new levels to have a better year. 

Finally we need to realize the simplicity of just following God as our leader. Again, this is not always easy, but it is simple. 

There have been many times that I have lamented over a member of my family, who will go unnamed (you know who you are), and their inability to make boxed macaroni and cheese. If they could just follow the directions everything would turn out right. But rather than boil the water before they add the noodles I see them dumping the box in water that is just starting to warm up. Oh I warn them that soggy macaroni noodles are on the horizon but do they listen? No. Not until they are eating mushy mac 'n cheese. 

All joking aside I know that God's plan is better than mine. If we could just catch a vision of what God has planned for us and follow His will we would have the best year of our lives. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit for a look in to what He desires for your year ahead. Press in, fast, pray and find out from the scriptures and your personal time with the Holy Spirit what that is. 

My 2016 ended up being an amazing year that when I look back on I am blown away. God is faithful. We can see it behind us and we can believe for it ahead of us. 

The Heart Test

"1 Chronicles 29:17 near the beginning of the verse says that the Lord tests the heart and has pleasure in uprightness. This is obviously an uprightness of heart. It is not only in the outward appearance of being good but in the recesses of the heart where no one can see except the Lord Himself. Am I pure of heart? All things are open to the eyes of Him with Whom I have to do! What will He find when He looks in me? Will it be uprightness of heart? Will it please Him?"

These questions should be asked daily. The reason is that we are exposed to the pollutants of the world daily. Between the influences of the flesh, the world and the devil we are exposed to a lot! It can be overwhelming. 

The good news is that when we are upright in our hearts we can make it through. Psalm 7:10 says that God is our defense and saves the upright in heart. We can't lose when God is protecting us. 

How do we develop uprightness of heart? First of all we have to commit ourselves to the Lord's work in the heart. It starts at the point of salvation and goes on into our spiritual walk with God. We have to also guard our hearts. Jesus talked about light and darkness going in to the body through the lamp of the eye. Obviously there is more than just a physical thing going on here. We walk by faith and not by sight. So what we 'see' is very important. What are we dwelling on in our thought life? How many ungodly influences are we listening to? These are the influences that can darken our hearts. 

Instead of being influenced by the world, the flesh and the devil allow yourself to be led by God. The Bible tells us to look unto Jesus. That looking to Jesus implies that you look away from everything else in order to focus the whole of your attention to one thing. Jesus has to be your one thing. When you focus on Him you will listen to His voice, see what He is doing and do the same and you will catch His heart; an upright heart. 

Take the spiritual heart test today and ask those tough questions. As you find the results make the changes necessary to have an upright heart. God's pleasure will be on you and you will have Him as your defense! 

Day 216 - What Turns the Heart

"Solomon's heart wasn't turned from The Lord by his great wealth, great fame, or great knowledge, but by women who worshipped other gods who he kept around and allowed them to do what they wanted without rebuke or restraint."

There are forces from without that will constantly battle our minds to get us off of God and our convictions. Pain, thoughts, desires, and a slew of social, societal and relational influences will come like the rising sun. 

The forces within are where we have to guard the most. Solomon's downfall was from inside his own house. Just the sheer number of women he brought in would overwhelm any man. I don't believe that it was God's will for any man to have multiple wives let alone hundreds. 

Just like Samson and Delilah now another mighty man falls to the influence of ungodly women. 

Now before you pin me for a woman hater think again. I wouldn't be where I am without my wonderfully Godly wife. She is a better Christian than I am most of the time. 

The point is that if the wisest man up until Christ could fall because of who he let in then we should watch the influences of our lives. If the strongest man in the Bible could be pestered by someone until he gave in and left his convictions to reveal the secret of his strength then we need to watch who we let in.

We now have great wisdom than Solomon and greater strength than Samson because Christ lives in Us. He imparts His wisdom and strength to us. But if we let the wrong influences in our lives we will fall prey to the enemy and our hearts will turn away. Let's learn the lesson and guard our hearts. As we follow God in obedience we will enjoy the blessings He so desires to give us. 

How have you seen negative influences harm your relationship with the Lord? What can we do to guard our hearts from ungodly influences? 

Day 151 - Help Yourself

"It touches the heart to help people."

I find that when I help people I help myself. It may touch someone that we meet a need in a practical way but at the same time it touches my heart when I help them. 

Have you ever done something for someone else and afterward your heart was soaring? That is the feeling I am describing. You are helping yourself by helping someone else. 

My heart grows more tender to people and I am closer to God when I step out and help someone. I remember a time we were leading a team of teenagers into Los Angeles to expose them spot the melting pot of cultures and the diverse needs of the community. I was dreading the trip for weeks beforehand but once I got there and started helping people that all changed. I was soaring on a spiritual high for weeks after. 

Don't wait! Get off of yourself and go help someone else. You will be helping yourself!  

Have you helped someone else and felt good afterward? Why do you think that is?

Day 129 - Finding the Heart of God

"I got to meditating on the Word for this weekend and found the heart of God in the matter."

You will find no rest until you find the heart of God. There will be no wisdom unless it comes from above. 

No amount of talk will get you to the heart. It comes through quiet meditation on the Word of God. As you listen He speaks. 

Take some time today to get alone and get quiet. Turn off the phone, the TV, and any other distractions, and get the heart of God. He knows the question and has the answer. He knows the problem and has a solution. 

When you know the heart of God you can rest and trust. It is peace and joy all at once. 

How do you feel when you get to the heart of God? What helps you to get quiet? 

Day 66 - Agreement of the Heart

"We are not communicating on the heart level. In many ways we are responding to situations that arise and can't seem to make a plan and work it out. After a lot of arguing about the way we felt we were being treated we finally were able to express some things on the heart level and get in agreement about our direction."

It is so important to get past the surface and flesh levels and get to the heart level. If you can connect with someone on a heart level you can get a real involvement and agreement. Marriage, business, and anything else we do that involves others, and that is most of our lives, will go farther and better if we are connected at the heart level. 

It is difficult to connect because it takes vulnerability to open your heart. We know the pain of bearing our soul and having someone mistreat or hurt us. The need is still there and I believe that if we can press through the pain and pressure of vulnerability we will have stronger bonds and better outcomes. 

Communication, love and trust all play their part in this connection as well. It takes work to speak the truth in love and express what is on your heart. It takes overlooked offenses, faith and forgiveness to walk in love. Finally, it takes time and testing build trust. The great thing is that with this powerful trio of communication, love and trust you can open your heart and safely connect with someone else. That is when agreement happens and the power comes! The place of unity is a place of power!

Is there another trait you would add to my power trio in order to connect on the heart level? How has this principle helped you with relationships, marriage, business, etc.?  

Day 56 - The Song of the Heart

"'Open our eyes Lord; we want to see Jesus.' This line from an old song came to mind after reading tonight's devotional. The desire for Christ should be our highest. It should move us, prioritize our lives, keep us and eventually bless us. They that seek shall find! And what a delight to find the One who is perfect, love incarnate, and the lover of my soul. My aim has been off. My focus blurred by things in the periphery. Thank you Lord for a realignment."

How refreshing to hear the songs of the heart. Whether it comes from a devotional, a scripture, or another song, it takes you to a place of intimacy. I think of Moses and Mary and others in the Bible who had songs bursting forth from their hearts. After battles and victories and of the greatest news of the coming Messiah spring out of their mouths. The richness of doctrine, prophecy and joy overwhelm. 

As I look at that one line that I remembered last year and the wealth of what it did for me then I see how God uses music, melody and repetition to place in our hearts His song and His plans. At the right moment my spirit was in tune and was singing a song I once sang and it ministered to me. What a delight. 

What song ministers to you? Have you ever had a song just rise out of your heart? 

Day 32 - Loyalty

"In the Word today I read the story of David saving the city of Keilah. It is interesting that the one who saves the city from the Philistines would have been handed over to Saul so soon after the victory. Is it selfishness of saving themselves, loyalty to their current king, or ingratitude? It is reminiscent of Jesus coming into Jerusalem to the shouts of “Hosanna” and in a week leaving to the shouts of “Crucify Him!” How soon we can turn."

Our hearts can be so fickle that we can turn on our convictions and betray our loyalty. One moment we stand like a rock and the next we run scared. 

God is in to loyalty. He looks for loyal hearts. He Himself is the one who gives us loyal covenant love. Only as we strive to be like Him will we swear to our own hurt, go to Him outside the gate and stay loyal like He is. 

How important is loyalty? How can you build it in your life?