“Be still my soul, the Lord is on the side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide. In every storm he faithful will remain.”
These words from an old hymn by Katherine Von Schlegel have come to me twice in the last week. I was walking one day, just passing by the creek and my heart was crying out to the Lord to move on behalf of someone I love. Before I knew what was happening they bubbled up in my heart and out on my tongue. “ Wow! Lord, that is my hearts cry. How did you know?” I tried to remember the words later and they were gone like a vapor of smoke. “ I need those words Lord, they were ministering to my heart”, but they were gone. I was getting ready for the day a few days later and when I walked out of the room , the words came back. They stole into my mind before I even knew they were there and spilled out of my mouth. When I stopped to listen to the words I heard the Spirit of the living God ministering truth to my heart.
The fiercer the battle, dear ones, the more important it is to make sure that our hearts our filled up with His truth, so that when they are wrung straight out in the pressing of our circumstances the truth of God is what spills out and it is so bright it extinguishes the lies of the enemy. I have seen my heart spill out doubt and fear and feelings that tell me that it’s too hard this life we’ve been given. I have also seen my heart spill joy in the mourning and trust that when I am weak He is strong.This scripture has been coming back to me again and again.
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12
The Word of God is able and actually designed to perform surgery on our hearts. To penetrate the deepest parts of our soul and spirit. Where there are lies, it will uproot them and plant truth. Where there is unbelief, it will pluck it up and plant faith. Where there is despair, it will cast it aside and plant hope.
It is powerful and effective! Why then would we allow ourselves to stay hungry and malnourished when the bread of life is there for the taking. His word tells us that out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. ( Matt. 12:34) But first, we must fill our hearts.
We present our hearts to the Lord and as we look deeply into His word as if in a mirror we allow His Spirit, that skillful surgeon to do His perfect work. Excising that which is not of him and replacing it with His truth. What are you filling your heart with beloved?
Beautiful creek, beautiful words, Tara.
speaks to my ♥ of ♥’s.