Troubled Hearts

Today's Reading: Jeremiah 10:6-7 & John 14

Scripture:

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God and also in me." John 14:1

Observations:

The word used for trouble in the verse means horror, anxiety and agitation. While I rarely experience horror or anxiety; agitation comes to me very easily. Any of these emotions seem to come out of nowhere so I find it interesting that Jesus indicates I allow or permit them to invade my heart. As I have camped out on this, I feel there are two primary ways I do permit horror, anxiety and agitation access to my heart.

Application:

First, I settle for second rate encounters with God. In Jeremiah 10:6 the prophet proclaims that there is none like God. He says that in God there is great might. What would I say that he end of an ordinary day? Would these words ring true to me? Some days yes, most days not. The truth is I should spend every moment of every day praying for and expecting an encounter with God that leaves me speechless.

Second, I forget that love for Christ is inseparable from obedience to his teaching. Jesus points this out clearly in John 14:15. Love for Jesus is not an empty, hedonistic expression of emotion. It is an active movement of God in my live that compels me to chase after the work of Christ on this earth. It breaks my will, desires, and ambitions; replacing them with a consuming passion to see God glorified in the lives of others.

Prayer:

Father I am struggling this morning with how to put into words what I sense in my heart. The only way to explain it is that I hear the rhythm of a song in my heart that resonates with my soul. It is a song that makes me what to roll down the windows, turn up the volume, and step on the gas. I feel a life being birthed in me that exceeds what I have known of You and I want to experience that life in its fullness.

Holy Spirit I pray that You will allow me to be in tune with what You desire to teach me today. Broaden my expectations of God and help me to not settle for anything less than the unexplainable in my life. Deepen my expressed love of Jesus through my obedience to His commandments and help me die to my own desires. In all things I pray that the my encounters with God and my love for Christ be much greater than the trouble that tempts my heart.