Heart Spray, Time for Round-Up - Encouragement Café - June 14, 2016

Heart Spray, Time For Round-Up
By Paris Renae

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.  Psalm 28:7a NIV

The Bible tells us that out of the overflow of our hearts come our words and actions (ouch).

The heart is the fertile ground where Jesus plants His love – for others.  There He wants to cultivate desire in us to see the souls of mankind so we don’t judge by outward appearance.  There He wants to harvest a crop of righteousness so we can be useful to Him in our day to day.

Sometimes what comes out of my mouth is anything but useful.  What, you too?

That’s when we need to let the Lord use His pruning shears, weed diggers, and Round-Up.

Asking forgiveness is one of the hardest things for us humans to do.  But it is how Jesus prunes us and shapes us to be more like Him and use our tongues for good and not harm.

Old ways of thinking and habits often dictate our thoughts as well – and sometimes slip out.  Those are weeds He needs to pull up, show us, and toss as far as the east is from the west.

Taking those thoughts and old ways of thinking and holding them up to His light for examination can cause us to hang our heads.  But in so doing He will gently lift our chins and replace the weeds with His Word that brings healing to those who will listen.

In our stubbornness, a little Round-Up may be required.  Selfishness, self-righteousness and pride are stubborn weeds that we often see as perfectly okay in the garden of our hearts.  They require some hard lessons at times – it is in the hands of the Master Gardener that He can dissolve these stubborn issues – just a little heart spray.

The second part of the verse above says,

My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.

A heart that leaps for joy is a heart set on growing in Him, being fertile ground for what He wants to spring up in us.  It is a lifelong work, but our heart gardens can be more and more a place of peace when we let Jesus do His transforming work.

Sometimes I’m just happy the way I am – until I blow it or am faced with less than good thoughts.  Join me in asking our Father to create in us hearts ready to be planted with His faithfulness and overflowing with fruit of the Spirit.

O, Father, we are so often complacent and apathetic, not wanting to stir up our hearts for You.  Yet out of our hearts can come healing balm for hurting souls.  Work in us, mold us, shape us that we are useful.  Stir us up and help us joyfully embrace Your work in us.  To You be all the glory of any change that leads us to look more like You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

© 2016 by Paris Renae.  All rights reserved.

Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?  Pull up a chair… He’s been waiting for you.

Need a refill?  Please join us at the Encouragement Café with Luann and Friends. 

The conversation at the Café is always hot and fresh.  We invite you to listen inas we gather around the table to discuss everyday life.

Comfort food for your soul is always on our menu, and friends are always close enough to hug.  We invite you to join us daily, as our writer’s share how the Lord continues to transform them into His glorious image.

Still craving more…Join us as we grow together in grace and truth through our online bible study.

Stop by Encouragement Café and listen as the girls share life. Find podcasts, videos, Bible studies, prayer, resources and daily helpings of hope, laughter and friendship around our table. We've saved a seat just for you!