Be Prepared: The Heart, Part 2

In preparing our hearts to serve the Lord, the first thing is to not be critical of ourselves.

Then, don’t be critical of God!

Now, you might say, I would never be critical of God. Most of us cringe at the very idea, but we have our ways.

• Sometimes it takes the form of “Well I don’t see why…”

You know what? We never will understand why. I have a four-year-old grandson. Any of you who have ever had a four-year-old will know that his favorite word is "why."

This is how the conversation goes:

"Elisha, it's bedtime."
"Why?"
"Because you need your sleep."
"Why?"
"Because you are a little boy."
"Why?"
"Because that's what God made you."
"Why?"
and so on and so on…

And when we ask God "why" it's the same conversation.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-9

• Sometimes, our criticism of God takes the form of “I just don’t think that (a loving, a just, a fair) God would. . .” Thank God we ain’t God! We try so hard to define the God who created us. Isn't that backwards?

"Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

Romans 11:31-36

Instead of being critical of God, meditate on the awesome God!

"Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."

Psalm 40:5

Be Prepared: The Heart, Part 1

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment."

Mark 12:30

In order to serve the Lord, we need to prepare our hearts, our souls, our minds, and our bodies.

This week, we are going to begin by looking at how to prepare our hearts. First, let us look at some things the Bible has to say.

"And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines."

1 Samuel 7:3

"Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God …"

1 Chronicles 22:19

"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments."

Ezra 7:10

"My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise."

Psalm 57:7

David said, "I’m READY! I’m PREPARED!"

Sadly the Bible says of Rehoboam, "And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD." 2 Chronicles 12:14

How do we prepare our heart?

To begin with, don’t be critical of yourself! Far too often, it is our own view of ourselves that stands between us and loving God with all of our hearts. Some of the things we think are:

• "I’m not worthy to serve God in that capacity." Of course you aren’t! None of us are! God does not use us because we are able, He uses us because we are availABLE.
  
• "If people really knew me . . . " Listen, we know some really bad stuff about King David. We've got some real dirt on the apostle, Peter. In spite of what we know about those people, God used them. And regardless of what people may or may not know about the deep dark secrets of our hearts, God wants us to draw nigh to Him.
  

Instead of being critical, meditate on your state.

"Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah."

Psalm 39:5

"What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?"

Job 15:14

And yet, in spite of our state, God loves us and wants to be close to us!!! Begin to prepare your heart by meditating on that instead of being critical of yourself.

Imperatives From Psalm 37, Part Six

"Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass." Psalm 37:7

Rest. We all long for rest. This is the rest that comes when he have trusted and committed so fully that we can sleep while God is driving.

We've all seen a sleeping baby in arms. This is my grandson sleeping in the arms of his Pops. This is trust. This is commitment.

Rest in the Lord.

"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Psalm 27:14

On December 13, 2006, I was lying in a hospital bed. I had undergone surgery five days earlier and that evening, I took a turn for the worse. My fever had gone up and I couldn't keep anything down. A technician came and took an x-ray.

A few minutes later, my doctor entered the room and told me I was in need of another surgery. She handed me the consent form to sign and I asked "When are you going to do this?" She told me they were taking me right away because otherwise I wouldn't make it until midnight. My bowel had perforated and was poisoning me internally.

On the operating table, as they prepared to sedate me, I was fully aware of the fact that I might not wake up on earth. Like my precious grandson in the arms of his grandfather, I committed to the Lord and rested, trusting Him.

Obviously I woke up. But it forever changed me. At the end of the day, rest awaits if I only trust.

Imperatives From Psalm 37, Part 5

"Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37:5

There is a difference between trusting and committing. Committing is rolling it all on God— giving your way to Him and letting Him carry it. When I commit my way to the Lord I allow Him to lead me as if I am blindfolded and gagged. Too often, we allow God to lead us only when we can see where the road is going. As soon as the way becomes uncertain, we start running our mouths like an obnoxious backseat driver.

That is not committing.

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" Matthew 6:25

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7

That is committing.

Imperatives From Psalm 37, Part 4

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalm 37:4

Most of the time I have heard this verse taught or preached, it is given in reverse. Essentially, if you want the desires of your heart, then delight in Him. As a teenager, that was my focus on this verse. There were things I wanted — not even bad things. I tried to delight in the Lord so that I could have those things my heart desired.

Now, as a middle-aged grandmother, I have finally realized my error. It is not about the things my heart desires, it is about the Person I delight in! It is so very important that the LORD should be my delight, my joy, my life.

It is imperative.

Imperatives From Psalm 37, Part 3

In review, the Lord has told us not to worry about evil doers and not to be envious of those who work iniquity.

Verse three begins some positive imperative commands.

"Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." Psalm 37:3

God commands us — don't worry about those other people — what's important for you is trust Me and do good! Sounds simple, huh? Try it. It's not as simple as it sounds but the Lord uses the imperative to emphasize the importance of it.

I think, that for many Christians, the one thing that we find the hardest is trust — trusting the Lord. We find it hard to trust Him to do the best thing for us. We find it hard to trust Him to care for us. We find it hard to trust Him to take care of our enemies. So we skip the trust part and attempt the "do good" stuff. That makes us feel better.

However, we can't properly do good until we Trust in the LORD.

Trust and Obey
Words by John H Sammis

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Imperatives From Psalm 37, Part 2

"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity." Psalm 37:1

The second imperative in verse one, says "neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity." Oh, my! I am more guilty of this one than the first. I'm sure you've never done this, but there have been times when my sinful self has asked the question, "Why does that person seem to be doing so well when she isn't even trying to life for God? Here I am trying to do right and I'm struggling!"

I blush to admit that I've ever thought this way because I'm sure none of you ever have. God looked through time, saw what I was going to do and wrote a verse just to tell me, "Don't do that!"

"Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long." Proverbs 23:17

The problem is, I focus my thoughts on the wrong thing. Instead of focusing on God, I look at the people around me. If I concentrate on my relationship with the Lord, I have plenty enough to keep my busy without becoming envious of the workers of iniquity.

These first two were the negative commands. Now that we've looked at a couple of things God told us not to do, tomorrow we will begin looking at those things God told us to do!