Volume 9                                          The Encourager                                Issue 1- Spring 2008
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Let’s Get To The Heart Of The Matter- by Sharon Garza

We all have matters of the heart that make us who we are, unfortunately most of us have had a few heartbreaks along this journey called life that really impact how we look at ourselves, others, and most importantly how we view God. We have all heard people say, “How could God let me go through such painful things in life?” Maybe you’ve said it yourself or maybe it’s never been spoken from your lips but your heart has screamed it loudly or cried it softly in the night beneath tears. We all have our heartaches that shape our outlook on life, but what we do with those heartaches can mean the difference between rising above them and living a Christ centered life with a smile on your face or living a life of just getting through the day trying to let go of the past. A wise woman once said, “You can’t go forward while looking back.” This is so true! You will most likely run into a few walls…ouch! How do we get to that place of peace in our lives, no matter what the past or future may hold? The first step is the new birth of accepting who Jesus really is, John 3:3. This is a monumental event for every human heart, becoming a complete believer in Jesus Christ. Not just a head believer in the knowledge of Jesus the Savior, but experience a real heart change and personal encounter with Jesus the Savior. The Bible talks about this event as a metamorphosis (you know-like a caterpillar into a butterfly), “You are a new creation, old things have passed away, all things have become new.” (II Cor. 5:17) This is the first matter of the heart that God really cares about! Your HEART! He wants your heart… your whole heart! Next, God wants to change your heart and repair the breaks. Jesus is the Healer of the broken heart (Luke 4:18). We must give our broken heart to Him and walk away from the world’s view which includes our own skewed view and allow God’s vision to get into our hearts, basically doing what Romans 12:2 advises. We have all been conformed by our life experiences (not always good). Letting go of the past by giving it all to God (the good, the bad and the downright ugly) and letting Him create a new you is step two. Step one can happen quickly, step two may take a while. Really girls, it may take longer for some of us than others… to get to that unshakeable faith that can not be moved. This takes some perseverance because it is a lifelong process. Just when we think we have arrived we find there is something else to overcome and let go of. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?” verse 10 says, “I, the Lord, search the heart and test the mind…” Our only sure hope is to trust Jesus with our hearts, day by day, letting the process continue. God will be glorified as we humble our hearts to learn His ways and let go of ours. He doesn’t just want your heart, He wants to use your heart to shine through to the people you live life with every day. This is the real heart of the matter… that God be lifted up in our lives so that others may see His reflection and find the love that really mends the heart and saves the soul.

 

God’s Covenant Relationship –Barb Schnee

            Have you ever thought of your relationship with God as a covenant? There is nothing like understanding covenant and knowing you’re in covenant with God.  Andrew Murray, a highly revered writer of another century, described our covenant as “the very gate of heaven”. We know that Christ was sent to us so that we could experience freedom from death and also freedom from bondage in this life.  Jesus was the covenant’s Messenger and He himself would be the covenant!

            Life is intense but we have a covenant God who always is there to love and protect and strengthen us through the trials of this life. The Messiah came as a fulfillment of the covenant promise that Isaiah spoke of, the capstone of every covenant God had made with man!

            This covenant will transform you and me, delivering us from darkness, setting us free from the captivity of our sins, breathing life into us, infusing us with power from on High, returning to us what we lost through the sin of the first Adam, and affirming to us the unconditional love of God. ( Kay Arthur “ Our Covenant God”)

            In Christ we have the blessings and benefits of the new covenant. Christ dwells in you, and he can live through you!  Are you experiencing a covenant relationship with God through Christ, or do the benefits written in his word seem more like warm fuzzy thoughts?  God can satisfy your yearning soul and mine. We can experience peace with God as a real and practical benefit of our covenant relationship with God. Scripture tells us that God never abandons His Children. He is always there and we can choose to believe or disbelieve God.

            Remember this, He does not always calm the storm, but HE is always willing to calm His child on the basis of His presence. I challenge you to seek His face daily, spending time in the Word and in prayer, enjoy His presence. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Col.3:15) He is the covenant Maker and the covenant Keeper.” Experience the abundant life that He has for you as you abide in a covenant relationship with Him.

 

 

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