“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.�  Proverbs 4:23

What a delight it was to drive into our yard after a three-week ministry trip. My eyes drank in the colorful, beautiful flower beds and I gave my inward approval. They had been well looked after. They were alive and vibrant with color, a wonderful contrast to the lush green lawn surrounding them.  I was content. Working in our flower garden, watching them grow, planting and pruning has always been therapeutic for me. The artist in me finds expression in gardening.

Even before unpacking, I walked around the garden, checking the flowers. I noticed two specimens that didn’t look healthy.  Their stems and leaves were drooping and the flowers weren’t developing like they should have.

On closer observation, I noticed their stems were covered with aphids. These aphids were sucking the life out of the plants.  One flower, the nasturtium, had black aphids–easy to notice against the green stem.  The other flower, the dahlia, also had black aphids and had I not looked real close, I would not have noticed them on the black stem. I needed to rid these plants of their life-sucking problems so they could again become healthy.

Upon reflection, I thought to myself: our hearts are like that.  Sometimes we feel so listless, we don’t seem to be growing.  It could very well be that we have sin in our  hearts. David noted in Psalm 32: 3-4 , “When I kept silent  (about my sin), my bones wasted away . . .  My spirit strength was sapped.�

Taking a lesson from the aphids, I concluded that sometimes sins are easy to determine: yelling or snapping at the children, our spouse or slow drivers, stealing small things from work, lying, gossiping. These are like the black aphids on the green stems of the Nastursiums–easily visible.

However, some sins that drain us of Life are not so outwardly noticeable.  Sins like disobedience to the Lord’s prompting, critical attitudes that are not voiced but are festering in our hearts, impure thoughts, lack of love, lack of prayer, bitterness, withholding information. These sins (closet sins) are more like the black aphids on the black stems of the dahlias.  Not seen by others, but draining the Life out of us.

Take a moment to check your heart today. Do you have sins in your life (noticeable and secret) that need to be confessed? I encourage you to do so right now. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.â€? When you have done that–ask the Holy Spirit to take control again and empower you to lead a life of joy, peace and love.

Father, thank You for the Holy Spirit, Your Word.. Thank you for convicting us of sin, and then forgiving our sin and empowering us to live a life of joy, peace and love. Help us guard our hearts.  In Jesus  Name, Amen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/07/06/kk_aphids/

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“I the LORD do not change� Malachi 3:6

Recently we decided to downsize and reluctantly listed our property on the real estate market. So for the past month we have been sorting through everything: cupboards, closets, shelves, drawers, storage rooms, the garage and barns. Sorting through forty-seven years of stuff and many, many precious memories.

Everything has changed…..except God!

• Our children have grown and left home. They all have their own wonderful families now.

• Our home address has changed several times.

• Friends change but God always supplies new precious friends.

• Careers change and our responsibilities change.

• With moving, we have changed churches several times. And pastors move to another church.

• Hobbies change with age.

• Our bodies change – our looks change.

 But God does not change!

What a secure feeling to know that although our lives and circumstances keep changing, God is always the same. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He always leads, guides and protects us. He never gets old, tired or hard of hearing. He never gets sick. Not only does He not change, He is always present. He is always faithful. His love endures forever. Our God is amazing!

Father, what a comfort You are. Knowing You means security and peace. Thank You, thank You! Amen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/03/08/kk_never-changes/
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“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.� Psalm 37:4

Shirley’s life was one hurt after the other.  Two divorces and the challenges of a blind son had left her aching to be happy. 

One day as she read the Bible verse: “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart� she decided to do exactly what it says.  Delight in the Lord!  She began praising God—no matter what happened. 

The car wouldn’t start.  Praise God.  Her boss was unreasonable that day.  Praise to You, Lord. 

It wasn’t long before the “desires� of her heart began to change.  Did she suddenly have a wonderful marriage?  A son easy to rear?  No.  She discovered the joy of God’s love and His “blessings� on her life—despite the circumstances. 

Dear one, delight in the Lord.  He will give you the desires of your heart.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/03/05/vb_delight/

“Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him to help you do it and He will” Psalm 37:5

Janet remained after the student meeting for counsel.

“How can I commit everything I do to the Lord?” she inquired. “What is involved in a total commitment?”

I explained that mere words can be superficial and shallow, and even insulting to God. It is the commitment of our intellects, our emotions and our wills to do the will of God in every situation with the faith that we can, as promised, trust Him to help us do whatever He calls us to do.

Sometimes I wonder if we really know the meaning of the word commitment. Paraphrasing an anonymous source:

We sing “Sweet Hour of Prayer” and are content with five or ten minutes a day. We sing “Onward Christian Soldiers” and wait to be drafted into His service. We sing “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” and don’t use the one we have.

We sing “I Love to Tell the Story” but never witness to the love of Christ personally. We sing “We’re Marching to Zion” but fail to march to worship or Sunday school. We sing “Cast Thy Burden on the Lord” and worry ourselves into a nervous breakdown.

We sing “The Whole Wide World for Jesus” and never invite our next-door neighbor to consider the claims of Christ. We sing “O Day of Rest and Gladness” and wear ourselves out traveling or cutting grass or playing golf on Sunday. We sing “Throw Out the Lifeline” and content ourselves with throwing out a fishing line.

Consistency is a wonderful word for the believer in Christ. Add to that the word commitment and you have a rare combination of supernatural enablements that result in a triumphant, fruitful life.

Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:5-10 (http://www.biblegateway.com/)

Today’s Action Point: Today I will commit everything I do to the Lord and trust Him to help me do what He calls me to do. Since He has called me to be His witness, I will trust Him to enable me to share His love and forgiveness through Christ with someone else today.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/02/25/bb_commit/
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