Create in me a clean heart...O Counselor and Friend

"For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite." Isaiah 57:15 esv

He does not say that He dwells with the religious, noisy gongs; wolves dressed as sheep seeking to add victims to thier numbers to inflate their pride. He does not dwell with the ignorant, bottom-dweller who insists, again, pridefully, that God has no place in Creation, daily life or the Universe at all. He does not dwell with those too rich to lay down their crowns, or those too blind to trust Him. He dwells with the one whose heart is honest. His sacrifice desired is not a spotless lamb, or a purse of coins, or even a sonnet of verses carefully formulated to portray religiosity. Yet, child, find hope! His sacrifice is able to be found, it is easy to reach into the soul and display at the feet of our Precious Father!: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:17 nkjv

He does not despise you when-get this-you are in the position you were born to be in. When a child is born, that child depends on her parents to "train her up in the way she should go." She needs them to be fed, to be clothed, to be safe; emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. When she is in her mothers womb she is curled up in safety, face down, knees in, ready to be loved. This is where our hearts should be when looking to the face of God. I myself am extremely guilty of coming to the Lord with a list of good ideas in my hand, "here, God, I wrote down some thoughts for You to pray about. Get back to me when You decide which of my plans best fits Yours." What??? "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much." Job 38:4 nlt
"When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled." Psalm 77:16 esv
"Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God." Psalm 90:2 nlt

Let us now pray for food, knowing that when we receive, it has always come from His hand without us even asking (Matt. 6:9-13, Matt. 6:25-34). Knowing all good things, whether 'tis through our lense or His that we see them, come from Him. Wisdom and knowledge are from Him "33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." Rom. 11:33-36 esv and even more; Psalm 147:4-5, Hebrews 4:12-13, Proverbs 15:3, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Psalm 139:1-6 and 12, Isaiah 28:29, Job 9:4, Psalm 104:24, Ephesians 1:11, Romans 11:33!

And it is not by mistake or chance that in his letter to Collosae, Paul prays that the saints there would be "filled with the knowledge of [God's] will, in all spirtual wisdom and understanding...bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (esv, verses 9 & 10ish). And all throughout his letters to the various churches, Paul discredits himself and lifts the readers heart to the Sovereign love and knowledge of God.

The pattern of the lives of those whom we see in the Bible who live in unexplainable passion and unquenchable love for the Lord and His will is exactly that which we should follow. It was the Lord whom the prophet Isaiah trusted in to 'renew his strength' and mount him up 'with wings like eagles' and keep him from growing weary or faint when running and walking in faith for the Lord's will to be done (chapter 40, verse 31). Woven through all of the Psalms is a broken record of David pouring his heart out to God for hope and wisdom, "Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them. 3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever...10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!" (Psalm 111:1-3 & 10 esv). Why would he be seeking the wisdom of a God who has obviously not proved Himself? That's exactly why he calls out to our God, because He simply is a God who is faithful and just, Whose ways have been proven over and over! "This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him." (Psalm 18:30 esv). David didn't understand until he went to the Lord with his trial, "But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end." (Psalm 73:16-17 esv). He keeps the pillars of the earth (Psalm 75:3 esv) and discerns hearts from afar! Psalm 139:2b, and the book of Proverbs is filled with Solomon leaking out the wisdom of God! (Which we see him ask for in 1 Kings chapter 3).

So, let us be humble and contrite before the Lord, bringing a sacrifice of praise to the One who is worthy. Asking Him for His wisdom to guide us, as He promises He will give it to the faithful (James 1:5-8).

"Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?"
declares the LORD. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." Isaiah 66:2 niv

What Has Gotten Into You?

What is it that I feel inside of me...? What is it that is moving...aside from my heart beat. Aside from my organs and my veins that run through and pump and vibrate with life and blood...what is this tingle? This sparkle? This trembling I feel?

A spark gets started and then lights me on fire. I speak words I don't plan, I bless even when my heart aches. I love even when I feel broken. I care when I feel stone cold and blind. And then these blessings, these beautiful things that flow from my heart begin to change my hearts composition. The color of my insides change from darkened and grey, dry and decayed, to vibrant and alive! They transform to colors and light and soft plains where love and truth can rest...

It is not me.

I want someone to ask me, "what has gotten into you?" so that I can tell them WHO has gotten into me.

"A helper will come and be with you...as I am with you, this Helper will be inside of you...you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." (The Gospel of John, chapter 14, verses 16, 17 & 20 paraphrased).

A helper has come who is just like Jesus Christ, who knows well all the mysteries and all the knowledge of God the Father...and He is inside of me. He came inside me the day that my eyes were opened to the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ. But I have quenched him. I have toned him down and painted over his powers with the so-called 'goodness' of my faith. The so-called 'virtue' I think I have worked for and carried and put on like a show, selling tickets and receiving profits for the empty words I speak without love, this has done not good for the glory of the Lord, but it has built me up in my pride and been a pedestal for me to stand on and wave to the fans. Now, I will no longer put on a suit of tin foil, but I will place on the armor of God and the Sword of the Spirit will be my tool. I will not filter the voice of God and pick and choose what works for me, I will not exlude what seems 'unrealistic' or 'difficult,' but I will embrace the Spirit that has been caged within my soul by my ignorance. I will open the door of my heart and allow the Spirit of God to work and live and breath. Read this,

"26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:26-28 ESV).

But I will not blaspheme what the Lord says. Check out 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote to them about the Spirit and says this, "4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." (chapter 12, verses 4-7).

Paul goes on to talk about how some are given the gift to utter wisdom, some are given the gift of faith, some are given the gift of healing the sick, some are given the gift of discerning between Sprits and some are given the gift of prophecy, or tongues. Some are given the gift to utter knowledge and some are given the ability to work miracles, BUT "all these are empowered by ONE and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills."

So I now seek to embrace the gift of the Lord according to His will in my life. I seek to invite the uniting of God and myself in my soul, I will receive His invitation to become His daughter! "but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons [and daighters], by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."

I am not perfect. I am far from His standard and have much of this path left to walk, but I now choose to live in the Grace of My Lord Jesus Christ. I choose to be used aside from skill or virtue or goodness that I think I need to be accepted by God and by man, and I seek to love through His goodness in my heart and the overflowing of Christ in my life, "10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness" for HIS glory, and the love of all His children, my brothers and sisters... Sola Ingratia.