Heart to heart #52 Undivided heart (20th Jan 2013)
Dear...
The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.
Psalms 69:32
"64
slices," that is what the Computed tomography (CT)scan machine does
when I was put through the high radiation machine. Using X ray beams to
slice through my heart, the machine helps to determine the level of
calcium plaque residing in the arteries in my heart. Two blockages were
determined to exist, a smaller 20% at one of the peripheral, and a
significant 40% right at the gateway of my left heart. The latter is
nicknamed "widow maker" for the artery gets abruptly and completely
occluded it will cause a massive heart attack that will likely lead to a
sudden death.
My cardiologist tells me that I have a good
chance of a fatal heart attack within five years if the blockage was
allowed to increase unhindered. But indeed God is good and much as I am
far from being perfected, He knows my desire to seek Him, and by His
divine intervention, He has made me keenly aware of the potential "time
bomb" in my heart, to allow me to "defuse" it. Crazy as it might seem,
our good Lord impressed upon me that I will be serving Him till at least
age 75. Question is, will I give Him my all and remain steadfast in His
service?
And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new
spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh,
and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes,
and keep mine ordinances, and do them:and they shall be my people, and I
will be their God.
Ezekiel 11:19-20
Not too
sure if our Lord will give me a new debris free physical heart, but a
spiritual heart free of the clutter of this world, an undivided heart
which has place only for the Holy Spirit, this is His desire for me and
this is what I must work on.
Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
Psalms 86:11-12
How does one give to God our all? By waiting upon Him always.
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:25-26
We
plant, it is God Who brings about the increase. This is often used in
the context of ministering to others. It can also apply to ourselves.
Christ is the spring of life. His teachings which are grounded upon the
Word of God is the rich nutrients of life upon which we must feed on.
The word of God is more than an intellectual discourse. It is a living
word, which will imbue in us the very sanctifying presence of the Lord
our God. His words will renew our minds and transform our hearts. It is
the lamp that will light our paths through the sin strewn darkness of
our fallen world.
Waiting upon our Lord is not about doing nothing, but it is about
1) communion with God through prayers
Prayers
is not a wish list nor is it a practiced chanting. It is time out from
the world, and time in with God. To be still, to know the will of God.
Christ always took time in prayerful communion with God His Father.
'......prayer also shall be made for him continually;
and daily shall he be praised.'
Psalms 72:15
2)staying in His presence by immersing oneself in His Words
Many
Christians do not read the Bible. Not feeding on the word of God will
lead us to a spiritual hunger, which the things of the world cannot
satisfy.
Some of us do take time with our Lord on a daily basis.
Gaunt we might not be, but we end up half developed, faithful in normal
circumstances, but weak kneed when gale force storms hit. Our good Lord
impressed upon me the need for me and for you to continuously
dwell in the living word of God. Christ always took time to be with His Father.
Be
thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou
hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
Psalms 71:3
3) being thankful in all circumstances.
'..... :My praise shall be continually of thee.'
Psalms 71:6
It
is equally challenging to be thankful in good times as it is in
difficult times. Pride comes to the fore in the former, while fear and
despair blinds us to the quiet grace of God in our trying moments.
Praising our Lord through songs is more than an offering of gratitude
for His grace. Worship edifies, assures and imbue in us this heartfelt
joy of communion with our Lord, that spiritual closeness that the
natural senses can never attain.
God asked Moses to pen a song to
remind the Israelites of His faithfulness much as we are often less than
steadfast in our obedience.
Now therefore write ye this song for
you, and teach it the children of Israel:put it in their mouths, that
this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
Deuteronomy 31:19
4)always being cognizance of the need to be Christlike every moment of our life.
We
need to consciously put selfless before self. The carnal man in us will
always deal with issues from our own needs. The spirit man of God will
take a deliberate and determined step back from our own understanding,
and unto His presence. To allow the Holy Spirit residing in us to lead
us.
"Trust and obey, there is no other way.." Indeed the words of this song resonates in its truth.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
Isaiah 55:8
The
world we live in is getting hotter, not just in the mercury level, but
in all aspects as troubles abound, with even more brewing. "2012, the
movie came and ended its run. The year 2012 did the same, and the world
remains, much as the protagonist, the Mayans are long gone. As I penned
this, it struck me that I did visit Chichen Itza, in Cancun, Mexico back
in early 2000. This is supposedly the most important of the Mayan
ruins. It is also one of the most oppressively hotter places I have
been, and this wilting heat was one reason for the stunted growth of the
ancient Mayans.
Reminiscence aside, the world as we know it indeed
will end when Christ returns, but only God is privy as to its timing.
But rather than wondering when, should we not rein in our wandering
hearts, and commit to give the omnipresent God our undivided attention.
Or like most, you will need an earth shaking if not shattering personal
experience to unequivocally give God your attention?
These things
I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye
shall have tribulation:but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.
John 16:33
God blesses
Eng Hieang
21st Jan 2013
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