DEVELOP THE FATHER'S HEART

“I meditate within my heart and my spirit makes diligent search” (Psalm 77:6).

On the last day of campmeeting, I heard a sermon that radically changed my life. It was actually a simple message on how Jesus could be formed within, “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). The pastor spoke about the new birth and the changes it makes in our lives, but then he also said something quite startling. When you're converted, Jesus actually gives you His Father’s heart! That’s pretty amazing when you stop and think about it. For what kind of heart does the Father have? It’s filled with tenderness and love, it rejoices when the lost sheep is found and it even goes looking for him in the night. That same kind of love can be yours and mine.

But here’s the big question—is it something we really want? When was the last time you asked yourself that question? If you’re anything like me, you may love to read the Bible and other inspiring books. You may spend hours digging in the Bible and comparing one verse with another. But just because I read the Bible from cover to cover doesn't guarantee that I'll receive my Father's heart. I’m really convinced that we have to go deeper to find Him. We need to take time to make “diligent search” by meditating on the Scriptures.

 As I open my Bible each morning, I slow down and take time to ponder, What is God really saying to me? Or how can I put His Word into action? When I meditate, I’m not just reading about God, I’m thinking about Him. I’m asking Him  questions along the way until reading the Scriptures becomes more like a conversation between Jesus and me. And as I ask God these questions, we begin to commune together.

In many places in the Bible, the word ‘meditate’ is often translated as ‘commune’ or vice versa. They’re so closely connected, it’s impossible to separate one from the other (just as it's impossible to separate Jesus from His Truth).  They’re one and the same and intricately linked in building intimacy with God. 

As I ponder what God is saying to me in a certain verse or passage, the Holy Spirit speaks to me. Personally. And I'm not the only asking the questions. He does the same thing to me. And the question He asks the most is, “What is my Deep Purpose for you today?” But He's not asking me what my agenda looks like. He doesn't want t know if I'm planning to weed the garden or go shopping for groceries. God’s Deep Purpose involves much more than how I spend my time. It’s about who I am or what needs to be growing deep inside.

 I remember one time when the Spirit made this plain to me. I was reading Psalm 101:2—“I will walk wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” Now as I read those words, I could easily remember the many mistakes I’ve made at home—the angry words I’ve said, the times I’d jumped to wrong conclusions, the time I've wasted. How can I walk perfectly at home when I’m so terribly flawed? But it was those words that began my conversation with Jesus—not as a justification for my sin but as someone desperate for answers.

As I stopped long enough to wait on the Lord, the Holy Spirit asked me another question, “Who is perfect in love and righteousness? Is it you?” And then He brought back a Scripture that I read just the other day, “As for God, His Way is perfect; the Lord’s Word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him” (2 Samuel 22:31). 

And that’s when the light went on! I can’t walk in my house with a perfect heart because my heart isn’t perfect. The Bible says it’s “deceitful and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). So if I “listen to my heart” I’ll think everything is okay between me and God when it really isn’t. I won’t be able to see what’s really missing or how far I’ve wandered from Jesus.

 I need God’s heart to live God’s way.  I need His Word formed within, or as David says, I need truth formed in the inward parts, for “in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom” (Psalm 51:6). God performs His life-changing work as I allow Him to plant His Word in my mind. Through His Word I’m born again (1 Peter 1:23). And through His Word my mind is renewed—totally transformed—so I can experience the will of God in my life and walk in the steps that Jesus walked.

As I meditate on God’s Word, it becomes more operative in my life. I see it working. It’s easier to hear His still, small voice speaking to me personally. And I’m starting to discover the presence of Jesus in a way I never have before. When I listen intently to God’s Spirit in meditation, I have a sense like Jacob did after he had his dream at Bethel. I can truly say, “Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it!” (Genesis 28:16)

I don’t think this experience is reserved only for patriarchs and prophets. God wants to be intimate with you. He wants to be intimate with me. “It is the privilege of every Christian to enjoy the deep movings of the Spirit of God. A sweet heavenly peace will pervade the mind, and you will love to meditate upon God and heaven. You will feast upon the glorious promises in His Word” (Messages to Young People, pg. 132).

Dear Father, slow me down today. Slow me down, so that I can digest what You’re  saying in Your Word. Help me  to discover what Your Deep Purpose is for me---where I am in my journey with You and what I need exactly to have Your heart. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

BE STILL AND KNOW

"Meditate within your heart on your bed and be still" (Psalm 4:4).

It is the privilege of every Christian to enjoy the deep movings of the Spirit of God. A sweet, heavenly peace will pervade the mind, and you will love to meditate upon God and heaven. You will feast upon the glorious promises in His Word (Messages to Young People, pg. 132).

When I began this new journey with Jesus--in seeking Him with my whole heart--I didn't really understand how to go about it. But somehow, I knew the Bible held the answer. So I began a chronicle, recording the stories of how Bible heroes and heroines sought the Lord. It was a rich study that drew me closer to Jesus.

But one day, as I was reading, I heard the Spirit say, "Meditate on what I show you, and you will learn more." This was new territory for me. I had no problem immersing myself in Scripture or in spending time in prayer. But meditation? I'd never done that before.  I can't remember even hearing a sermon on that topic. But when God points you in a new direction, He's not going to be silent. So, I turned to the Word to discover how to seek Him in this new way.

In the Old Testament, the words meditate or meditation often come from the word hagah, which literally means to ponder, imagine, or converse with yourself. When I ponder, I'm taking time to wonder what God is saying or how to live out His message in my life. 

Have you ever come across a verse in the Bible that stirred you up? I remember the first time I discovered that I was a child of God. I was in high school then and feeling quite a bit like the number zero. I was used to hearing how dumb or how ugly I was. And I ended up believing it. But when I began to read the Bible, I came across these words, "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1) When I read that, something lit up inside. Even though I didn't grow up with a Bible, I knew that God was the King of Kings. And if I was His child, then that made me a princess, someone with great influence and value. I didn't realize it back then, but I was actually meditating. I was pondering what God was saying to me--to me personally. And that knowledge began changing my life. 

Now, here I was, many years later discovering meditation once again. And I began wondering as I read the Bible. I began asking questions about what God said, not to doubt what was written, but to question my place in the verse or story. Am I acting in the same way as the Pharisees? Is my faith strong enough to move mountains? Would I have turned away if Jesus said, "Come, follow Me"? What kind of excuses do I make when I hear Him calling? The answers to these questions aren't found within a gospel story or a single verse. They're discovered by meditation.

In many places, the word 'meditate' is translated as 'commune' or vice versa. In the King James Version, today's key text says, "Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still" (Psalm 4:4). But other versions, like the New American Standard and the New King James, replace 'commune' with 'meditate.'  They're so closely connected that you can't separate communion from meditation. They're vitally linked together in building intimacy with God.  I'm discovering that when I meditate, God speaks to me--not merely through the words on the page, but through His still, small voice. Quite often, He shakes me up or gives me exactly what I need right then. Or He points me to other places in the Bible that answer my questions. And I end up digging much deeper into the Word of God. 

When you meditate on Scripture, God moves into your life in a more powerful way. It's hard to put into words, but I believe His presence becomes more real to you. You feel like you're in the very atmosphere of heaven. When I open up more to God, and listen more intently to the Holy Spirit, I have a sense like Jacob did after his vision of the angels ascending and descending heaven's ladder. I can truly say, "Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it!" (Genesis 28:16). 

"God bids you fill the mind with great thoughts, pure thoughts. He desires us to meditate upon His love and mercy, to study His wonderful work in the great plan of redemption. Then clearer and clearer will be our perceptions of truth, higher, holier, our desire for purity of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in the pure atmosphere of holy thought will be transformed by communion with God through the study of the Scriptures" (God's Amazing Grace, pg. 34).

Share Your Thoughts

THE FATHER'S HEART

"I meditate within my heart and my spirit makes diligent search" (Psalm 77:6).

On the last day of campmeeting (a week long spiritual retreat), I heard a soul-stirring sermon on how Jesus can be formed within, "the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). The pastor gave a very simple message saying, "You must be born again" (John 3:3). But then, he added something I've never heard before--when we experience the new birth, Jesus doesn't merely give us a new  heart. He gives us His Father's heart! One that's filled with tenderness and love. One that rejoices when the lost sheep is found. One that goes looking for him in the night. The Father's heart can be yours and mine. Is it something we really want?

It's not a question we often ask, is it? If you're like me, you may delight in studying the Bible and other inspiring books. You may love spending hours at your computer or with a concordance propped up in your lap. But quite often, our studies don't take us deep enough into the Word to discover the Father's heart.

In my new journey with Jesus, I've discovered a way to do this. As I meditate on what I read in the Bible, He's opening my eyes to see what He sees. And it's radically changed how I approach Jesus and the study of His Word. I read with greater reflection now, asking myself questions as I go. But perhaps, it's not really me who's asking. I tend to think it's the Holy Spirit who's planting these questions in my mind.

One of the recurring questions He asks me is "What is My deep purpose for you today?" You see, you and I make plans of our own. Sometimes we make lists of things we want to accomplish. We go to work. We go to school. We hang out with friends. But as Jesus walked with His Father, He made no plans for Himself. Every day the Father revealed His plans and Jesus simply followed where His Father led. He said, "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do" (John 5:19). "So should we depend on God, that our lives may be the simple outworking of His will" (Desire of Ages, pg. 208).

But God's "deep purpose" involves more than what I simply do each day. It's about who I am or what needs to be deep inside. I remember one morning reading Psalm 101:2, "I will walk wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart." As I read those words, I could see the many mistakes I've made at home--the angry words I've said, the times I'd jumped to wrong conclusions, the time I'd wasted. How could I possibly walk in my home with a perfect heart when I'm so flawed?

But it was those words that began my conversation with Jesus, not as a justification of my sin, but as someone desperate for answers. How could I really do it?

As I waited on the Lord, praying for direction, the Spirit gently asked me another question. "Who is perfect in love and righteousness? Is it you?" And then He brought back these words to my mind, "As for God, His way is perfect; the Lord's Word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him" (2 Samuel 22:31). That's how the light turned on. It was a new step in communion with God. As I spend time with Jesus, He becomes my refuge. And His presence that is formed within is what enables me to walk within my home with a perfect heart. 

My natural heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). If I listened to my heart, I'd think everything was A-OK when it really isn't. But when I give myself to Jesus each and every day, I have my Father's heart. And He shares with me just what I need and how we can walk together.

Because I'm taking time to meditate--to ask these questions along the way--I'm able to hear God more personally. I'm able to ask questions I'd never ask myself. Now on the surface, it may look like God is only pointing out my shortcomings. But it's much more that that. Because the revelation He's giving me leads me to pray more fervently, to pray specifically, and to be more open to my great need. And  I think it's turned my Quiet Time with Jesus into a conversation more than just a monologue. And that alone has brought us into deeper communion with each other. For me, that's the real remedy. For communion gives me my Father's heart!

"Will you carefully search your heart and see what you indulge in and cherish that displeases Jesus and keeps the door of your heart shut against the dear Savior? Is pride or love of the world or selfishness in your heart shutting Jesus away from you? Go alone and pray for grace, over-coming grace. Die to these sins and make the happy exchange for Jesus, His presence, His love, His power" (Youth's Instructor, 10/1/57).

Share Your Thoughts