THE HEART continued…
Deuteronomy 12:20 “When the Lord your God enlarges your border as He has promised you, and you say, ‘Let me eat meat,’ because you long to eat meat, you may eat as much meat as your heart desires.”
“Enlarge your border” is a promise to the Children of Israel in regard to the land and I believe a promise to us regarding the heart (mind).
The children of Israel had to come in and take over the land and conquer the enemies, so it is with us regarding the heart (mind). We too need to drive out enemies.
How do we do this? I believe the Children of Israel in taking over the Promise Land, gives us an example to follow.
Joshua 2:1 “Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, ‘Go, view the land, especially Jericho.’ So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.”
These two spies were to spy out the land and get to know the land; find out what they were up against and what they had to do to overcome. Getting to know the land, the enemy, fortress, etc. is half of the battle.
We read in Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart (mind); try me, and know my anxieties (thought, mind, opinion); and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
God will reveal: “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.” Psalm 19:12
Just like the two spies that went ahead of Joshua and the rest of the Children of Israel to spy out the land in order to see where the vulnerable parts were, so it with us; where are we are weak and vulnerable and need fortifying.
Are we weak in patience? Then we need to strengthen that quality. God has His ways of not only revealing to us our weaknesses, but ways to strengthen us in areas. When my wife had her aneurysm, I found that I had to do things I never had patience for. The question would be is: How do I respond to what the Lord is allowing in my life? Do I rebel? Submit? Or, do I perceive that the Lord is teaching me something that I desperately need in my life to make me a better vessel for the Lord’s use?
We see this in other areas as well, like love. Often God will put us around what seems to us like unloving people in order to strengthen what is lacking in our lives.
What about faith? We know from what the Bible tells us – that without faith it is impossible to please God, and that our faith is more precious than gold. God will work out our circumstances to increase our faith. But what is our response? Do we complain about our circumstance? Do we question the goodness of God in allowing these things to come upon us? Or do we perceive what God is doing and learn the lesson that He is trying to teach us?
What do we have? We have the Word of God as well as the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (thoughts, feelings, mind).”
Often through messages and verses that we read, God has spoken to us and shown us our short-comings, and the way to go. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Some time back a survey was taken to try and find out why so many pastors were leaving the pastorate. One of the reasons why was because of biblical illiteracy. They did not know the Word of God as they should. We need to take heed to not only read Scripture, but obey God’s Word.
We learn that the Holy Spirit will teach us: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:26
However sometimes we do not fully understand some of the ways that the Holy Spirit teaches us. For example, we are blind to our own sins or secret ways. “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.” Psalm 19:12
So, what does God do? He brings our paths to cross with someone who we find exceedingly difficult and we find ourselves criticizing that person. God often uses others as a mirror for us to see ourselves. He is showing us our own secret error or blind spot; reflecting our own short coming and that is why we react as we do. Criticism brings out the ‘real’ me.
The spies went in to view the land. We also need to view the land to see what we have in Christ. “…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:17-23
When we are overwhelmed with problems it is because Jesus is too small by our own thinking. Our heart (mind) needs to expand in the knowledge of who Christ is and our position in Him. Remember our mind controls our brain and our brain controls our body. MIGHT WE SEE AN EXPANSION OF OUR HEART (MIND).
How often we have prayed the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10 “And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, ‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!’ So God granted him what he requested.”
There is no way that our territory can be expanded unless we also see the enlargement of the heart, or mind.