I can tell you however, that the Lord spoke to me through it, and that gives me cause for rejoicing.
Read on!
This was sent to me yesterday via our weekly "e-news" newsletter, by one of our pastors at Grace Church, Eden Prairie, MN.
I called Clark last night to thank him, and to encourage him.
Scripture tells us in Hebrews 3:13 to:
...But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:13 NAS
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E-News Devotional for the Week of April 23, 2007
Published Thursday, April 26, 2007
Clark Crebar -Next Generation Pastor
Heartfelt Confessions
Several years ago I visited an art gallery that contained an incredible display of ceramic art. It was about 15 ceramic pieces, all mounted on a blackboard. They were all life-size hearts, each crafted and painted differently from the other. I was captivated by the intricate work on each one and the themes each represented. One heart appeared to be encased in ice, another made to look like steel with bolts in it, and another had barbed wire wrapped all around. Another heart was cracked and broken into pieces, one was made out of glass and hollow, another had prison bars on the front, one looked sickly with rotting tissue and sunken-in sides, one like a dirt clod, and another one made to look of solid stone. Then finally there was one that stood out strikingly from all the others as strong, healthy, and alive. It was bright blood red and seemed almost lifelike.
An obvious point of the display was to give a longing for the vigorous and vibrant heart. As I stood for a very long time contemplating the hearts, I was intrigued not so much by the amazing creativity and craftsmanship, but rather by how they each symbolized my own heart at various times:
Hard – inflexible to the work of the Holy Spirit.
Calloused – insensitive to the concerns of the Kingdom.
Cold – lacking any warmth to Jesus or others.
Dirty – incapable of any pure-hearted desire.
Hollow – empty and void to the greater things of life.
Wandering – meandering off and finding another to whom I could give affection. Becoming distant and removed from God and others.
In recent years I have witnessed not only how my heart can change from one type to another but also how quickly. It is almost embarrassing to see how I can spend a beautiful time with the Lord and then hours, if not minutes, later, my heart has left the wonderful condition it was in and become hardened, wandering, and deceived. Often a line from an old hymn comes to mind as I witness my fickle tendencies –
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
(From “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”)
The good part however, is that now I am noticing the change. I guess my heart has become more sensitive than I ever thought. That is what happens when one allows Christ to fill it and change it.
Even better is my discovery that whenever I sense my heart being distant from the Lord, I need only to instantly come before Him and bask in His presence through prayer, worship, and His Word. It will only be a matter of time before my heart begins to change—softening, warming, becoming tender, beating again with life and vigor. 1 John 3:20 reminds us that God is greater than our hearts. He overcomes my hardness and fills my heart with the life-giving truths of Him. What I desire begins to change. How I view life and others begins to change. I change.
It is a sure thing, and it is so very simple. Draw near to God and your heart will be changed. What makes it even more incredible is that the Lord will never turn away a heart that wants Him and wants to be changed—never.
As believers in Christ, He has a permanent residence within our hearts, but we also have a responsibility for what we do with our heart. We, as well as others, live with the consequences of what we choose. A few days ago I was in a board meeting for an international mission organization. In the opening minutes of the meeting I sat there wondering why I flew all the way out and why the ministry even existed when so many other agencies were doing a similar work. “Perhaps we should just can this whole thing,” I thought to myself.
After a few minutes, they looked to me to lead us in a time of praise and prayer. I took a deep, determined breath and turned my attention to the Lord. We searched how He reveals Himself in His Word and recounted His worthiness back to Him. It couldn’t have been five minutes before my mind was racing delightfully with thoughts of what a strategic and powerful ministry this actually was and how God’s heart was for the lost of the world. My heart and my mind were radically different from when I entered that meeting. I could have sown seeds of dissent and despair. Instead I was able to give hope and vision.
As we bring our heart close to Christ He:
Melts it – real life begins to flow.
Softens it – we are sensitive to His leading.
Makes it beat - alongside His so that we can sense and feel what He feels. We end up loving what He loves, hating what He hates, caring for those He cares for, and longing to be with Him.
By faith, come to Him and “set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1b). You will not leave the same as you came. You can’t change your heart. You can’t change your attitude. You can’t change your ways. But Christ can. Your heart belongs to Him. As we yield it back to Him, He transforms us in every way. And the longer we are there acknowledging His presence, the more our heart is changed.
Wanna do a test? Right now, take just five minutes and go to Him in prayer. Open His Word and allow Him to speak. Watch as your heart and mind change in the midst of His glorious presence. And by the way, that five minutes will seem far to short. Go ahead and take fifteen.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23
-Clark Crebar, Next Generation Pastor
