The Heart Is Where Home Is
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 15:55-57
"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;"
Psalms 23:4
"If God is standing in the valley of the shadow of death, it is the place we should desire most to be."
Our
circumstance might look like death. Indeed we might be standing upon
the threshold of death's door, but wherever God stands he brings life.
God cannot fail to be and bring eternal life wherever he is. To follow
God is to find life. Though God stands a foot from death, eternal life,
then, would be standing next to death. Death's location has nothing
to do with how close or far eternal life is. If we are in Christ,
though we die, (death takes our physical bodies) we're still eternally
alive, because we are in Christ.
5
years and 10 months ago, when I left my heart's home in Columbia, SC, I
simply left my heart behind. I didn't realize it, until I met up with
my heart, upon returning to Columbia. To be precise I left my heart at
my church, Calvary Chapel North(E)ast Columbia; CCNE for short. Feel
better? I'VE NEVER FELT BETTER! But it would have been better if I'd
taken my heart with me. I'd have been obeying God if I'd taken my heart
with me, instead of insisting I should never have had to leave CCNE. I
don't know how long God will allow me to stay at CCNE, but I know he'll
be moving me on eventually. I'm going to enjoy and appreciate the joy
and tears while I'm here, but when I leave CCNE the next time I'll be
taking all of me. I love the pastors and people at my church. I love
being back to work as a merchandising manager for a furniture company.
God doesn't ever tell us to figure him out. Jesus says:
"and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Matthew 10:3-5
If we are truly born again people we are the Good Shepherd's sheep. We may not FEEL
like following God, but that will never work. We may feel we'd rather
be in some other pasture. (Isn't the grass always greener on the other
side of the fence?). God doesn't reside in those contrary feelings.
God calls us to follow him, and our part is to do what he asks of us
with our WHOLE HEART. I can't find where God says, "First clear my commands with your FEELINGS, and then obey them." Jesus says:
“If you love me, keep my commands."
John 14:15
The problem is our FEELINGS... they are too big for us, but thanks be to God! God tells us how to overcome those overpowering FEELINGS of ours... love, completely devote, and serve God with our WHOLE HEART. When our heart for God grows bigger than our FEELINGS, God overwhelms our feelings! Our feelings are put in their place and we become more and more Christ's sheep. God has a HEART of love for us, and when we obey Christ's commands he expands our HEARTS for him and others.
When we're facing a dead end, or are, literally, standing on the threshold of death's door, and our FEELINGS are telling us to RUN AWAY!!!!!!! God is there with a bigger HEART
full of eternal life and love for us. When we answer his call to obey
our completely devoted, loving, serving WHOLE HEARTS for God will
overwhelm our overpowering FEELINGS and bring them down to size.
WHOLE HEART FOR GOD > our feelings <
I'm gonna let God have the last word... And WOW is it BIG!!!!!
"Now
may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that
you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 15:13