June 6, 2016
How’s Your Heart? Part 1
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:19, NIV).
Friend to Friend
It had been a very long day. My husband and I were both tired and looking forward to a good night’s sleep – but we needed to talk. We didn’t have any major concerns or problems to discuss; we just wanted to catch up on life and unwind a little bit.
Dan was telling me about his day when he suddenly stopped, looked around and asked, “What was that beeping sound?” I hadn’t heard anything but suggested that the smoke detector battery probably needed replacing.
“It was a different kind of beeping,” Dan insisted. We listened – nothing. We turned out the lights and went to sleep, and I forgot all about the elusive beeping.
When Dan came home from work the next day, he grinned and said, “I figured out what that beeping sound was.” Since he had been at the church office all day, I was a little more than curious as to how he had managed to solve the mystery. “My defibrillator is beeping, which means that the battery is running out and needs to be replaced.” Why the man was grinning was beyond me, but it probably had something to do with the fact that he had solved the puzzle rather than dealing with another heart issue. We eat those for breakfast!
Dan has battled heart rhythm problems for years. In 2006, he went into cardiac arrest and became the proud owner of a defibrillator/pacemaker that keeps his heart in rhythm. The cardiologist told us that the battery would eventually have to be replaced, but we hadn’t given it much thought – until the unit started beeping.
Dan called his cardiologist who immediately set up an appointment to replace the battery. Dan had an unusually hectic schedule and was hoping to buy a little time before having the outpatient procedure done.
“What happens if I wait a few weeks to have the battery replaced?” Dan asked. The doctor laughed and said, “It will drive you crazy. Right now, the defibrillator only beeps once a day as a warning, but if we don’t take care of this now, it will start beeping every hour and then beep continually until the old battery is replaced. And if the battery is not replaced, the defibrillator will just stop working, and your heart will not be protected.” Needless to say, Dan quickly scheduled the procedure.
As I waited for Dan to come out of surgery, I prayed.
I asked God to give the doctors and nurses wisdom.
I asked Him to guard my husband’s heart.
It was then that the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “And what about your heart, Mary?” Physically, my heart was healthy and strong. The spiritual health of my heart was an entirely different matter.
The hospital waiting room became a holy place, a place where God and I conducted eternal business. I brutally examined my heart and confessed the sins I had desperately tried to hide in the dark corners where fear and doubt reside. God’s forgiveness and love rolled away the burden of those cherished sins and ushered peace into my soul. Tears rolled down my face like a refreshing rain of restoration.
I had let my guard down. I had dismissed the sentry of God’s truth and tried to live life in my own strength and worthiness, resting in past victories. It did not take long for the well to run dry. The wasteland of wrong priorities and vain spiritual activity spread before me and broke my heart.
My thirst for Him to do a new thing in my life grew as I prayed, “Lord, bring back the new again. I want to see You again.”
He heard my cry, and He made a way. He made a way in the wilderness of my life as streams of mercy flooded my soul.
No matter where you are today, no matter what you have done or failed to do, God longs to heal, restore, refresh and renew. How’s your heart?
Let’s Pray
Lord, today I come to You with a new commitment in my heart – to pray continually and to read and study the Bible. Strengthen me through Your truth and empower me to stand against temptation and sin. Make me more aware of Your presence and power, Lord. I want to be a godly woman, a woman of discipline, and a woman whose life honors you and draws other to You.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Read 1 Peter 5:8 (NLT) “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.” Can you identify the attacks of the Devil in your life?
Take the following steps of faith:
· I recognize the power of prayer and the Word of God to change and transform me.
· I admit that I have let my guard down and allowed the enemy to sneak into my life.
· I will identify the areas in my life that are out of control and surrender them to God.
· I will make prayer and Bible study a priority in my walk with God.
If you need help learning how to trust God, get Mary’s new book,
10-Day Trust Adventure, now available in hard copy.
Perfect for personal or small group study, this book addresses every decision you make - and teaches you how to make those decisions as you step out in faith and trust God.
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