A Heart For Jesus

  “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him, my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song, I give thanks to Him.”  Psalm‬ ‭28‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬  “The Lord is my strength,” it doesn’t say my possessions, money, or a specific person. It simply states that the Lord is my strength. But what does that mean? What does it look like in my daily life? In Isaiah 40:29-31, it says, “He gives power to the faint and to him who has no might He increases strength…but they who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.” Is His strength the courage to keep pushing forward when I feel like giving up? Is it the ability to keep my mouth shut when I want to defend myself against hurtful words? Is His strength found in the ability to keep getting back up no matter how many times I get knocked down? Perhaps it’s in each of these ways and more in some small way. This verse also says, “The Lord is my shield,” and Psalm 3:3 declares, “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,...

    “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.”  Proverbs‬ ‭23‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “Do not eat the food of a begrudging host, do not crave his delicacies; for he is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭23‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies, for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words.” Proverbs‬ ‭23‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬ I believe I’ve been interpreting this verse incorrectly. If I only consider it from the NKJV and focus solely on the first part, “for as he thinks in his heart so is he,” I believe it’s about self-perception. The way we view ourselves determines our reality. However, when I read it in different versions and ...

  “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭ESV ‬‬  “God is in your midst.” I love that word “in.” One dictionary definition is “enclosed or surrounded by something else.” When you’re at home, you’re surrounded by walls, and the roof overhead provides shelter. It’s your place of refuge. God is “in” your midst. He shelters you, surrounds you, and is your place of refuge. There’s no place you can go where He isn’t. Psalm‬ ‭139:7-10‬ ESV‬‬ says, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” ‭‭ He is as close as your next heartbeat and the breath you breathe. He is th...

  Proverbs, a remarkable book of Biblical principles, aims to guide us in living wisely, making sound choices, and finding guidance. However, are there some truths we can confirm in the New Testament?  I was challenged recently to see what Proverbs Eleven had to offer.  I selected the following verses to examine from the ESV translation: Proverbs 11:12 states, “Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.” In Matthew 7:1, Jesus advises, “Judge not, that you be not judged.”  This advice resonates with the truth conveyed in Proverbs 11:12. After all, we often lack complete knowledge of others’ struggles, life situations, and inner thoughts. When we don’t have all the facts, it’s best to remain silent. Proverbs 11:17 emphasizes the benefits of kindness, stating, “A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.” Being kind to others is indeed rewarding. What does the New Testament say about this? In Matthew 5:7...