Tuesday, October 25, 2005
A Prepared Heart
"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it..." Ezra 7:10
Living by faith doesn't just happen. It isn't about putting my heart and mind in neutral and then just "go with the flow." No, it takes preparation. One does not accidentally trust God. Instead, like Ezra, I must make a conscious decision to prepare my heart to seek Him. Not only that but also to act upon those things He teaches me. This is especially difficult since I don't see the whole picture as He does. I do see pieces of the picture, though.
As I contemplate this idea, I am reminded of the jigsaw puzzle that lays on the table in the reception area at the doctor's office. This morning while Malcom was having some blood drawn for lab work, I sat down and looked over the puzzle. So far, only the frame and a few scattered areas have been assembled. Because of past experience working this type of puzzle, I'm sure all the pieces fit somewhere, even though it appears chaotic now. By concentrating on one area, within just a few minutes I had joined together 8 or 10 pieces. My walk of faith is similar. With a prepared, determined heart, I will focus on the pieces of the puzzle God gives me to work with. By faith I trust God to complete the picture in His time.
Malcom needs your prayer this week. He is experiencing pain in his abdomen. The doctor has ordered a CT scan to be done tomorrow. Though our hearts naturally tend to fear, we want to trust the Lord no matter the outcome.
Praise the Lord Mike and his friend, Paul, attended church with us last night. Today Mike had a chemo treatment. The doctor says while his leukemia is not in remission yet, he has improved a lot. Thanks for praying for his physical and spiritual healing too.
Living by faith doesn't just happen. It isn't about putting my heart and mind in neutral and then just "go with the flow." No, it takes preparation. One does not accidentally trust God. Instead, like Ezra, I must make a conscious decision to prepare my heart to seek Him. Not only that but also to act upon those things He teaches me. This is especially difficult since I don't see the whole picture as He does. I do see pieces of the picture, though.
As I contemplate this idea, I am reminded of the jigsaw puzzle that lays on the table in the reception area at the doctor's office. This morning while Malcom was having some blood drawn for lab work, I sat down and looked over the puzzle. So far, only the frame and a few scattered areas have been assembled. Because of past experience working this type of puzzle, I'm sure all the pieces fit somewhere, even though it appears chaotic now. By concentrating on one area, within just a few minutes I had joined together 8 or 10 pieces. My walk of faith is similar. With a prepared, determined heart, I will focus on the pieces of the puzzle God gives me to work with. By faith I trust God to complete the picture in His time.
Malcom needs your prayer this week. He is experiencing pain in his abdomen. The doctor has ordered a CT scan to be done tomorrow. Though our hearts naturally tend to fear, we want to trust the Lord no matter the outcome.
Praise the Lord Mike and his friend, Paul, attended church with us last night. Today Mike had a chemo treatment. The doctor says while his leukemia is not in remission yet, he has improved a lot. Thanks for praying for his physical and spiritual healing too.
3 Comments:
Once again, Mrs. Feistel, Thank you so much for sharing your heart and what God is showing you and your husband. I didn't comment yesterday, but what a blessing it was to read your husband's entry, too. Thank you for being a blessing, but even more so a testimony and an example of God's grace, strength and power as you continue to keep your eyes on Him. We are praying hard for each of your requests.
In Christ,
Nichelle
Mama,
I'm so happy to hear about Michael. I am praying and will call you soon. love, Amy
Thanks for the sharing of the idea about prepared heart! I do have to concentrate my attention on the pursuing of God. Glad to know the improvement about Mike and will continue praying for him and you.
Suzanne
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