Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees. -Victor Hugo

I remember singing this one  song in high school for a choir event.  It was one of the rare times that a song we did in my secular environment actually meant something to me. The song was by Elvis Presley, and the lyrics go like this:

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I’m tired, I’m weak, I’m lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

When my way grows drear precious Lord linger near
When my light is almost gone
Hear my cry, hear my call
Hold my hand lest I fall
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

When the darkness appears and the night draws near
And the day is past and gone
At the river I stand
Guide my feet, hold my hand
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I’m tired, I’m weak, I’m lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

It’s a bit depressing I guess, but the fact is, this song ministered to me when I was young. I was lost much of the time like most teenagers feel.  I won’t go into much of that in this post but what I will say is this. I realized today that God has led me through all the places this song describes.  In my young heart, it served as a prayer.  Jesus has walked me through the darkness of who satan told me I was, and He led me through the dryness of who I told myself I was.  He healed me and led me though the desert when I believed too much of what others said about who I was.  I now walk in the Light of His Truth and who HE says I am. Thank You precious Lord for leading me and teaching me how to stand.

I  will bless the LORD who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:7-8

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How’s your heart?

I will just get right to the “heart” of this post ( sorry, LOL) but God is really speaking to me about the care and usage of our hearts. He is also confirming to me the connection between our spiritual hearts and our physical hearts. It is crucial to take good care of both.

Listen to a Father’s instruction. Proverbs 4, verses 23-24.

“Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity, and keep corrupt talk far from your lips.” What does this mean exactly?

Guarding anything means to keep it safe. We keep things safe so that nothing can damage it, right? In the very next verse we are warned about the things that can damage our hearts. Perversity and corrupt talk. Lying. Gossip. Slander. Coarse language. Hurtful words that wound. The list goes on and on. If we incur this type of damage we are prone to pass it on. That’s how “sin” tangles us up, it’s a cycle of damaging events and choices- and because everything we do flows from our hearts, that means that IF we have not  protected our hearts, we are not going to be protecting anything from damaging another heart. Sad.

God showed me that our hearts are His love storehouse. If it’s not taken care of, any Love He puts there can be contaminated. And if everything we do flows from a contaminated spiritual storehouse- that means it will in turn have an effect on our physical well being. (EVERYTHING we do.) I see a connection here.   A sick spirit heart could very well damage the physical heart.

We know what some of the advice is when our physical hearts are sick. Eat more healthy foods. Exercise. Find the best doctor  and follow his advice. Do what he says.

But what happens when we begin to understand that the root issue is in our spiritual hearts? What happens when we begin to understand that the real problem is not so much that we have done or said something we shouldn’t have, but that we have a heart that is bitter, unforgiving, wounded and hurting and we are too prideful to admit it?

Same course of treatment. Read God’s word and do what God says. Exercise some spiritual discipline and PRAY for God’s help. He is the Great Physician after all.

Father, please help us. Help us to admit that we aren’t using grace like we should.  We don’t come to You like we should and we are sick and spiritually anemic because of it. Forgive us, help us, heal us and make us whole in You, Jesus.

In Your precious name we pray, Amen.

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Best Post Ever from Rick Warren

Reposting this.  So simple and truthful but so hard.  However.. Huge blessings in store for those who will just remain quiet and allow the Lord to defend us.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Psalm 23:5 (NIV)

Our civilization is losing its civility. The world is getting ruder! One of the things that’s causing that is the Internet, because it allows people to hide behind the screen and say things online that they would never have the courage to say to others face to face.

All those people are doing is revealing the smallness of their hearts. Great people make people feel great, but small people belittle people. People who belittle others have a little knot for a heart, and they make fun of others because they think it will make them feel better.

How do you handle rude people? You don’t. You let God handle them. You let God be your defender.

King David was a pro at this. He knew what it meant to be attacked emotionally, verbally, and physically. As a young man, he was anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel, but he spent two years running from his predecessor, who wanted to kill him. He hid in caves while being criticized constantly behind his back.

Yet David never said a bad word against the king. He never retaliated, because God was preparing him to be the king after his own heart.

David says in Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (NIV).

David was recognizing God’s goodness to him. God would anoint his head with oil, which says to the world, “This is my guy! Back off! This is going to be the next leader.” David’s cup overflowed, which meant God kept blessing him and blessing him, even when others attacked him.

Does it sound like David was stressed out? No! He didn’t have to use up all his energy defending himself because he trusted God to be his defender.

It takes a lot of faith and humility to rest and trust God when you’re under attack, when you’re misunderstood, when rumors are spreading about you and people are saying things about you online. When that happens, everything in you wants to rise up and do something about it.

But you are most like Christ when you remain silent under attack. Jesus was constantly attacked, yet he never retaliated, even on his way to the cross. He remained silent before his accusers because he had entrusted himself to the care of the Father.

“So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you” (1 Peter 4:19).

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