This morning I was gripped, as usual, by the drama in the story as I read from Acts 16:11-40. But what really hit was these words from the second half of the 14th verse:"As she listed to us, the Lord opened her heart"
I was struck anew with how it is God who opens our hearts; for salvation, for His presence, for His power, for understanding and wisdom. I was struck anew with my intense need for Him.
I'm so prone to wander over to the natural, to live by what I see in front of me. Lately, with all the challenges of opening up a new facility (long hours, calls from work during the night that interrupt my sleep, training staff and not always being successful, learning how things work, etc.), I've been tired. I've struggled with discouragement.
These words bring me back to God. May He open my heart up to Him.
I don't understand it all or have it all together, but somehow, I do know that it is in Him, in His presence and by His power in me, that life begins to work. It is in Him that I find beauty and joy.
This morning, as I sat out on our deck in the quiet of morning solitude, with the beauty of a blue sky above me and pine trees around me, I could experience His peace and refreshing well up within me. I had that sense that everything will be all right. I experienced the pleasure of being able to absorb the beauty around me.
How's God opened your heart up lately?
3 comments:
Hi Tracy,
Oddly enough, recently I think my heart has opened a crack by reading my own journals from past years.
Seeing how the Lord worked in spite of me in the past gives me confidence that He may work in spite of me in the future.
John
www.cowart.info/blog/
Wow! My pastor preached this very message just yesterday!
I posted today about how busy last month was for me personally, and I know you share in that fact with me. Even though, any stress or even dare I say burden was more than compensated by blessings that God poured on my through other people.
...just not sure how people who refuse to accept God's help make it through these life these days.
I don't think I have confidence in anything but Him anymore. I look at my challenges - and can choose to get discouraged (which I do sometimes despite myself) or I can look at God and see what He is saying to me and accept what He is telling me - which encourages me, allows me to shrug off what is going on "in" my world and walk in faith, hoping for His plan.
http://bluecottonmemory.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/the-story-of-the-3-graces/
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