Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Be His

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I’ll never forget receiving the candy hearts on Valentine’s Day when I was in middle school. You know, the ones that taste a little bit like Pepto-Bismol? My friends and I would tear our little bitty envelopes open to see which hearts someone put inside with the generic card. Reading into every phrase, we fantasized of that special someone spending tireless efforts to make sure he delivered the perfect message and emotion to each of us. It was dreamy.

It didn’t take me too many years to realize that the boys’ mamas probably just threw them in an envelope for them, OR worst case scenario, picked out the girl SHE wanted for him to like via pepto-heart-a-grams. So much for dreamy.

The reality of the analogy the Lord laid on my heart today was not so dreamy either. I realized that He has written His message on my heart. It is forever inscribed and perfectly perfect, which is a beautiful truth. But when others look at my heart, so often I have covered up His words with my own unintentional messages.

Sometimes my heart begs, “Be mine,” when it really should cry out, “Be His.” Often it shouts out, “Love me,” when God begs me to “Love them” or “Love Him” instead. The mixed messages my heart delivers to others can leave them with mixed feelings about the heart of God.

This is deep stuff, I know, but bear with me. Luke 6:45b says, “…for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” It’s saying that the ‘stuff’ we stuff into our minds gets stored in the treasury of our hearts, and eventually it begins to flow out of the heart via tunnel of the mouth. Then it is spread to others, and “round and round it goes, where it stops…?”

When I complain frequently, I have probably listened to a bunch of complaints. As I throw out a zinger in the name of humor, I realize I have maybe seen a few too many sit-coms. During those moments of pouring out flattery to others, could it be that I have enjoyed the empty, false praise that I have indeed received myself? What ‘line’ do others see displayed on the tablet of your life?

All the static this world has to offer us can cloud the message he has carved on our hearts:

Hebrews 8:10b
“I will put my laws in their minds, 
and I will write them on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

Do you see His Valentine’s message for us? 

♥BE MINE♥ 

Make HIM our True Love. Let’s not mix His message with overflow from the world’s waste. Instead, let’s spread His Word, the Word that He has written front and center in bold letters on our hearts—the Word that we have fallen in love with so that we could keep from sin and love others God’s way.

Sometimes we just need to be reminded, friends. I know I do. The way we spend our time matters. The people we allow to rub off on us are important. The shows we watch and the websites we visit and the novels we read—it has an affect on us. Pray about it, allow the Lord to lead and guide you into the perfect balance of freedom and works. It is then, and only then that our hearts—the new ones He gave us when we became a Christian—will show the world that we are His.
Psalm 86:11
“Teach me YOUR way, O LORD, and I will walk in Your Truth; 
give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.”
If you'd like to see a great idea on spreading the love of Jesus at Valentine's Day, visit Lori's blog at I'll Take It Lord, All You Have To Give.
Also, Sunny at A Damsel No Longer In Distress has added her own ideas to Lori's post. GREAT stuff flowing out of these two sisters' lives.

In the Key of HE,

23 friends shared a comment:

Denise said...

Amen, be His totally, and completely.

Laurie Ann said...

Great reminder, LauraLee. The stuff we put in our minds really does affect how we love and how we show love. Thanks for a wonderful post!

Sara Harricharan said...

lalee, you have no idea how important this is to me today. thnx.

Beth in NC said...

Good word LauraLee. And too funny about the Pepto-bismol taste.

You're right. ha.

LisaShaw said...

Praise the LORD! Thank you for sharing this! I belong to Jesus and may my words, thoughts and behavior reflect that in Jesus Name!

Kim @ Homesteader's Heart said...

Amen sister LauraLee! We got rid of "tv" years ago. We aren't hooked on any show. Oh and who has time to read? LOL. Just kidding!
Love you my sister.
Kim

Carol said...

Thanks for the comment at the Cafe today! :)

Sita said...

A sober reminder...thank you...

lori said...

aw shucks....it's HERE that it's flowing!!
again....you got me thinking....I have a tendency to "zinger" occasionally.....

What a great message!
hugs to you!
lori

Anonymous said...

Hey! That was a great post...something I need to hear often to keep it stuck in my head! :0) Your blog is beautiful.

Dee Yoder said...

When I dedicated my life to the Lord at the age of 18, I felt Him asking me, "Am I for you and you for Me?" That was it...that simple phrase over and over again in a friend's church (not even my own!). But His tug at my heart that morning was impossible to ignore. I often think of that moment, when His gentle voice called me to Him...over and over and over again. I never want to forget that call. He truly DOES want us To Be His! What an awesome Valentine!

Peter Stone said...

Hey Laura,
What a challenging reminder to be careful what we let into our hearts via our minds, because what is in our hearts will come out. And count me in, I want to be His. I Him and His Word to overflow from my heart. I read something beautiful this week, by Selwyn Hughes. John, an apostle, a disciple, author of several Bible books, did not think of himself in any of these ways. He thought of himself as 'the one Jesus loved.'

Yvonne Blake said...

Beautiful and sharp thought, as usual...thank you, my dear Lalee.

Vonnie

LAURIE said...

I just loved your analogy here. I also remember those candy hearts and would dig thru the bag looking for just the right words...isn't that just like us (to only hear what we want to hear) but thank you Lord that His truth sets us free! - Blessings, Laurie

Patty Wysong said...

La, you really nailed it. All too often I cover His message with mine--gotta work on that soooo much! Thanks, sweetums!

Mrs.Naz@BecomingMe said...

This is spot on! Beautifully expressed

Sherri Ward said...

You are setting your mind on the things of the Spirit - and out of the mouth the heart does indeed flow. Thanks for truly letting His message shine through you!

Joanne Sher said...

You absolutely nailed it, La! I so needed this. I so wanna be His.

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

A couple of thoughts...

When my husband proposed to me, he did so using a note he had written out of these candy hearts. I'm pretty sure momma didn't have anything to do with it!!! It sits framed over our bed...faded with the years, but still a precious memory. Especially because of all the years I would get these hoping to be someone's "choice" but never quite making the grade!

Thought #2...

A few years ago, God really began to challenge me regarding the junk I was putting into my mind, and thus, my heart. It's been a holy purging over here...from music to tv to magazines, etc. Now that I'm mostly on the other side of it, I feel so much better and have no desire to revisit much of these fillers.

Anyway, great post!

Happy love week.

peace~elaine

TREY MORGAN said...

Excellent post. You know ... that'd preach :)

Debra Kaye said...

LauraLee,

It is my hearts desire that Jesus be so inscribed on my heart that it is ALL anyone can see...that I am HIS.

Beautiful post, my friend.

bp said...

Thanks for sharing this wonderful reminder. That made me smile your description of the perfect valetine card, I followed you completely! And it reminded me how now they don't even have envelopes to put them in, just fold them over!

Sharlyn Guthrie said...

You are so right about the mixed messages. "Be Mine" instead of "Be His" is such a temptation. This is a perfect Valentine devotional.