"Here's My Heart Lord" David Crowder w/ lyrics Passion 2013

A New Heart

Online bible study.  When I first started following Women's Bible Cafe on Facebook it was because of their motivational and scripture posts.  I didn't really give much thought to joining an online bible study. It seemed like it would feel a little disconnected not actually sitting next to the women I would be doing a study with. I used to lead women's ministry in my previous church and led bible studies in my home so that is always what I envisioned bible study to be. I logged in Wednesday morning excited to see how this would work.  It was great!  The women in my group were so open and honest and kind.  One thing I realized for me is that not being face to face allowed me to be more open because I didn't feel I had to worry about judgement from my peers.  These ladies didn't know me or my past...we were all just there for each other at that moment.  I'm excited!

Now on to day one....."The Miracle of a New Heart"

 Proverbs 27:19 - "As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man."

Below are a couple of excerpts that stood out and then I will share my thoughts...

"Rather than living a full life, we will settle for an empty life and get into the groove of living for two masters...God and self."

This means in order for us to have the abundant life Christ came to give we cannot have a divided heart.

"New heart is kept in proper rhythm by the truth found in God's Word and by daily surrender to the Father."

If we want a new heart we must spend time in God's Word daily and also allow God to be Lord of our life...DAILY.

"For faith to be genuine our heart must be centered, focused and intentionally loyal to God"

"The Faith Dare" is a 30 day study to grow our faith and our relationship with Christ so in order to do that we must intentionally give our heart to God each day.

Throughout the introduction and parts 1 and 2, God kept confirming this is where I need to be.  As I read day 1, I realized something I'm pretty sure I've always known and embarrassed to admit.  My HEART IS DIVIDED.  Not just between God and self but a lot of little compartments too.  At the end we were asked to journal three different things and one was "Today's truth is speaking to me...."  I learned that all the hurts and disappointments of this life have caused me to build up walls.  In my mind I figured that if I didn't ever truly give my whole heart to anyone or anything it wouldn't hurt as bad when it went wrong.  I knew this.  What I didn't know is that I even used those walls with God.  If I don't let Him have all of me then when He doesn't answer that prayer the way I think it should be or when He doesn't deliver me from this situation then it wouldn't hurt as bad.  What did this get me?  It got me an empty relationship with empty prayer...never having the faith to believe my prayers would change anything.  I have lived my life with "Dead Faith".  I don't want this anymore! God doesn't want this for me.  The word says that "Everything is possible for the person who has faith." (Mark 9:23) I don't want to just know this verse...I want to live it!   I also learned that it has been easy to carry on this way because I don't truly know the character of God because I haven't spent enough time in His Word getting to know Him.  So here we go...not only will this be about growing my faith but it will be about getting to know my God. Afterall, you can't have faith in someone you don't know on a deep level.

In the book, we learn some about who God is right in day one.

GOD IS......compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.(Ps. 86:11-13)

Psalm 86 

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord, my God, with all my heart, I will glorify your name forever.  For great is your love toward me, you have delivered my soul from the depths of the grave.

 

We were also asked what God is asking us to do.  I knew right away....God wants me to trust Him with my heart.  He wants me to let the walls down.  He wants me to believe He wants the best for me and He wants me to stand firm even when I don't know the "why's".  I know change won't come overnight but I also know that God will continue to work on me til the end.  He will never leave me and He will never quit on me.  I pray that I will allow Him to change my heart on a daily basis and that with His help the walls will come down.