Tilling the Soil of the Heart: Thankfulness..Craig Denison Ministries

 Tilling the Soil of the Heart: Thankfulness

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

This week we'll look at a vital spiritual practice to all those seeking to grow in God:tilling the soil of the heart. Jesus spoke in Matthew 13 of two different types of soil—hard and soft. God longs for us to till the soil of our hearts that we might be receptive to the seed of his word and bear fruit. May your heart become more responsive to the presence, will, and love of God this week as you cultivate good soil with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Scripture:“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 107:1

Devotional:Thankfulness is one of the most powerful tools in making our hearts both soft to the seed of God's word and filled with abundant joy. Thanksgiving aligns our thoughts and emotions with the reality of God’s goodness in a world wrought with lies about the character of God. It breeds joy and trust rather than entitlement and negativity. With each declaration of thankfulness you dig a shovel into the hard, rocky soil of your heart and churn it over until it becomes receptive to the fullness of God and filled with the fruit of the Spirit.

The Bible is laden with commands to be thankful. Ephesians 5:20 tells us to be “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” But my favorite command on thankfulness is Psalm 107:1, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

You see, it's important to understand that the Bible doesn’t suggest that we give thanks, but rather commands us to always be thankful. And in God’s command he reveals his heart. We learn in Psalm 107 that our thankfulness is meant to be a response to the steadfast love of our heavenly Father. Thankfulness is meant to be the overflow of remembering, encountering and mulling over how our God is abundantly faithful and filled with unconditional love for us.

I used to read Scripture commanding me to be thankful and think, “Sorry God, I know I need to be more thankful. I know I'm so provided for and loved. I'm sorry for not thanking you more.”

But after meditating on Psalm 107:1, I realized that my lack of thankfulness is a symptom of not spending enough time encountering God’s wonderful character rather than a core issue in and of itself. Tilling the soil of my heart through thankfulness requires that I set aside time to simply experience God’s goodness and love. Because everything he does is by grace, my natural response to his character will always be one of thanksgiving.

Take time today to reflect on the faithful and loving character of your heavenly Father. Allow his goodness to cause thankfulness to well up within you. May your time in guided prayer be filled with a transformational encounter with God and cultivate good soil that bears the fruit of an abundant life.           

Guided Prayer:

1. Reflect on the faithful and loving character of your heavenly Father.

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” Isaiah 40:28

“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

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.” Psalm 103:1-5

2. Now respond to God's character with thankfulness.Take Scripture and thank God for who he is. Look at your life and thank God for any good gifts he’s given you. Allow his goodness to stir up thankfulness within you.

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 107:1

3. What changed in your heart as you engaged in thanksgiving? Journal about the power of thankfulness. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see how God is at work in your life today and offer thanksgiving in response.

If you start to feel your heart begin to harden because of something that happens today, simply reflect on the goodness of God and give thanks. Negativity and sin have an incredibly harmful effect on our hearts. Decide to put away any form of slander, impurity and anything negative at all, and instead focus on the goodness of what God is doing. Choose to love today and align your thoughts and emotions with faith and trust in who God is. To walk in relationship with God is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit at all times. If you get off track for a bit, simply ask the Spirit to lead you back to the perspective and posture of heart he desires for you! God's grace is abounding and powerful. He longs to walk in relationship with you all day today. May your day be filled with peace, joy and a passionate pursuit of bringing his kingdom to earth all around you.

Extended Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Is Everything OK in Your Heart?.. ANDY STANLEY

 Is Everything OK in Your Heart?

ANDY STANLEY 

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) 

We spend a good deal of time teaching our children to monitor their behavior. But what about guarding their hearts?

The Old Testament book of Proverbs is filled with extraordinary wisdom. That so much good advice is packed into this ancient document is all the more reason the following statement should cause us to sit up straight and pay attention:

“Above all else, guard your heart …” (Proverbs 4:23).

Not our wallets? Our purses? Our daughters? Why our hearts? And why “above all else”?

“… for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Think about that. Everything we do on the outside originates on the inside. If that’s true, then, by all means, we should pay attention to what’s going on inside. Jesus agreed. He said this:

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19, NIV).

According to Jesus, these sins originate in our hearts. They come from within. That being the case, we would do well to guard our hearts. The problem is: No one taught us how to do that.

One evening as I was putting Andrew, my son, to bed, I decided to take the direct route. Andrew was probably 6 years old at the time. We had already prayed and were chatting about the events of the day. Right before I got up to leave, I put my hand on his chest and said, “Andrew, is everything OK in your heart?”

Andrew smiled and said, “Yes, sir, Daddy.” That became a bedtime routine I eventually did with all three of our children. I decided the first step to guarding their hearts was to help them get in the habit of paying attention to what was going on in there. Over time I added several other questions. Eventually, the list looked like this:

• Is everything OK in your heart?
• Did anybody hurt your feelings today?
• Are you mad at anybody?
• Are you worried about anything?
• Did anybody break a promise to you today?
• Is there anything you want to tell me, but you’re not sure how?

One night I was working through my list with my daughter Allie, and for some reason, I added, “Is there anybody whose failure you would secretly celebrate?” She was so young at the time that I wasn’t sure she would understand the question. Her response shocked me.

She immediately blurted out a name. Fortunately, it wasn’t one of her brothers. But it was one of her brother’s friends.

I said, “Allie, do you know what that question means?”

She said, “Yes, sir, Daddy. It means if they didn’t do good at something, I would be happy about it.” Turns out she had something lodged in her heart that needed unlodging. So every once in a while, I would toss that question into the mix.

This was our routine for years. These questions became so ingrained that one night, as I was putting Allie to bed, she lay down, closed her eyes and said, “Daddy, everything is OK in my heart. Nobody hurt my feelings. I’m not mad at anybody. I’m not worried. And nobody broke a promise. Good night.”

The questions we most often ask our children communicate what’s most important to us and what we’re convinced should be most important to them.

For our entire lives, we’ve been encouraged to monitor our behavior. But if Jesus is correct, guarding our hearts may be more important than monitoring our behavior. His Word is filled with guidance related to behavior, but at the same time, He instructs us to get in the habit of paying attention to what’s swirling around on the inside — because what’s on the inside doesn’t stay there. Our hearts direct our behavior.

And the author of that statement from Proverbs isn’t wrong. The condition of our children’s hearts is “above all things” (Proverbs 4:23) because their emotional health determines their relational health and, ultimately, their behavior and their lives.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of influencing another human being as parents. Help us to guard our hearts as we care for our children. We pray this in the matchless name of Jesus, our Savior, thanking You that He has invited us to address You as our heavenly Father. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Throne of Grace..Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Throne of Grace

Dr. Charles Stanley

Hebrews 4:14-16

Almighty God is righteous and just. Romans 3:23 tells us that all people have sinned and are inadequate to be in His presence. As a result of His wrath against sin, we were doomed to eternal separation from Him.

But thankfully, the story doesn’t end there. In His love and mercy, God sent His Son to walk among us. Jesus experienced the hardship and temptation common to all people, yet He never sinned. The Savior chose to die a gruesome death in our place, paying the penalty for our wrongs.

There is no deeper love, Scripture tells us, than a man who gives up his life for a friend (John 15:13). Jesus went even farther—dying for us while we were still His enemies (Rom. 5:10). In fact, He would have sacrificed Himself even if you were the only person ever to exist.

Promising forgiveness and eternal life, Christ asks sinful man to believe and follow Him. When we trust in Jesus, we are adopted as God’s children and receive His indwelling Spirit, who blesses abundantly with joy, peace, and guidance. Always welcome before the Throne of Grace, believers have access to converse with the Father at any time. He promises to hear and respond to our seeking, repentant hearts. And Jesus intercedes for us, praying on our behalf.

We don’t deserve the Lord’s invitation to have an intimate relationship with Him. Yet in His grace, He is loving and compassionate toward us. What a privilege to be able to approach the King’s throne, knowing He listens, understands, and cares. Rest in God’s love, and enjoy sweet fellowship with Him.

How to Experience More Peace and Less Anxiety.. Amanda Idleman

 How to Experience More Peace and Less Anxiety

By: Amanda Idleman 

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7

Paul writes these words in Philippians at a time when he was locked in a Roman jail unsure if he was going to live or be killed. From the perspective of an outsider, he had every reason to be stressed and frustrated. Yet, somehow he writes saying there is no need to worry about anything. What a crazy thing to say? Shouldn’t we at the very minimum be worried about staying alive? The Bible says, no. Not even death is something to fear! 

Anxiety is an epidemic in our country. We are rattled with stress, fear, and these color our other interactions we have with the people around us. Laughter is rare in our lives, work is never-ending, and peace is an elusive mystery. Pessimism permeates our conversations. Small issues become huge pains because our load already feels unbearably heavy. If our hearts and minds are filled with fear, how then can we experience peace and joy in our relationships? From the overflow of our hearts come the words of our mouths. If our hearts are paralyzed with anxiety then our words will be sprinkled with tension. 

How do we remove the diving bell sized weight of anxiety from our lives so we can experience more joy and peace in our marriage relationship? Paul gives us a simple answer in Philippians; he says pray about everything. Does God really want to hear about it all or does He tire of all our petty issues and requests? Thankfully, the answer is no, God never gets tired of hearing what’s on your mind. He cares about all the details and no concern is too small to bring to His attention.

I’m convinced God actually loves when we bring our tiny issues to His attention so He can show up in the most subtle of ways in our lives. I think He’s in the business of leaving us tiny love notes by graciously gifting us through blessings in details that only we would notice. I experienced this a few weeks back. I prayed to find a wooden cradle for my daughter’s new room in the midst of a move. Really, this was a want not a need and God could have breezed past it as a silly request. Honestly, I didn’t really even expect to find what I wanted. Even so, the next day I found the perfect $5 wooden cradle at Goodwill and this tiny find spoke volumes about God’s love and faithfulness into my heart during an uncertain time. 

When we bring the concerns of our heart first to God instead of putting the pressure on our spouses to alleviate our anxiety, we make room to experience peace in our marriages. No person can ensure that your fears won’t come true. The most loving and attentive spouse is not capable of carrying the weight of our fears. Only God has the strength to hold the load of our concerns. Let’s stop dumping tension, strife, pessimism, and unfair expectations into our relationships. Instead, let’s live each day striving to experience the amazing peace that Paul says we have access to through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Walking in Sustainable Faith..Meg Bucher

 Walking in Sustainable Faith

By Meg Bucher

“As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.” John 6:66 (NASB)

Can you picture the scene? After Jesus preached that He was the only way to the Father.

Earth-shattering and …in the minds of those who did not believe He was the Messiah, blasphemous speech. It was too much for many to wrap their minds around. And I believe that’s where they went wrong. Our minds will never be fully capable of comprehending Jesus.

Faith kicks in to cover what we cannot comprehend.

We are purposely not privy to all of the answers. But that doesn’t mean we can’t live a life full of the tremendous purpose God has intentionally placed upon all of our lives.

It’s all in how we walk. Where we walk. And Who we follow.

The original translation of walked in this verse is, peripateo, meaning to make one’s way, progress; to make due use of opportunities. (Strong’s.) 

We walk in the life of our steps.

“Jesus had already made clear what discipleship meant, and many were not ready to receive life in the way he taught.” NIV Study Bible Notes

There are many rounds of pain we are promised to go through in this life. Rounds of physical pain, mental pain, relational pain, and tests of our faith. God is not surprised by any of them. What will we chose to do in each round? Will we remember that He’s in our corner, and continue walking …continuing fighting on in faith with Him at our side. With the Son and the Spirit that He sent to help us and build a bridge into His arms everyday we are alive.

Or will we walk away from the fight? Will we turn around when it’s too much for us to understand …bear …or carry? Life is too heavy for our backs, but fits perfectly in His arms.

Father,

Praise You for carrying us through pain. Thank You for Your faithfulness and compassion for us. Forgive us for walking away, making life in harder to bear. Remind us in the moments when life seems impossible …that it is. And that’s why You are the only One capable of carrying us through it. In

Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

A Prayer When You Feel Condemned..Emily Rose Massey

 A Prayer When You Feel Condemned

By Emily Rose Massey

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, ESV).  

For many years I was driven by perfectionism and the feeling that I had to work successfully or perform well in life to be loved by other people…and be loved by God. On the outside, I looked like I had it all together- high honors throughout school, hyper-involvement in extracurricular activities, serving in any ministry I was asked to be involved in, star of the high school plays and musicals, head cheerleader, first chair clarinet player in the band, and the list goes on and on. But on the inside, I was so empty and constantly searching for true fulfillment. I knew God was there for me, but somehow, I thought I could be perfect in my own strength on my walk with Him. 

Because we are human, we fail time and time again. We make a mess of things more often than not. Guilt and shame can often push us further away from God instead of closer. For so long as a Christian, I was allowing self-condemnation to take root in my heart, and it weighed me down as I walked around carrying all of the baggage of my past sins and failures, thinking that I had to continue to strive to keep God’s forgiveness. Thankfully, today, I no longer live burdened by a works-based mentality. I find my identity in the finished work of Christ, and I want to encourage you, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, you should too. Grace is a gift that cannot be earned, and you do not have to strive to keep it, either.

In Romans 8:1, the Bible tells us that we do not have to carry condemnation in our lives when we’re truly in Christ. If you are a born-again believer, condemnation does not exist because the punishment for our failures and sins does not exist. 

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, ESV). 

This means that when we embrace and believe what Jesus did for us on the cross, as He took the punishment for our sins that we deserved, our lives are now hidden in Christ. When we come to God with a heart full of repentance, resting in this glorious, finished work of the cross, we can stand before the throne of God without any shame because Jesus bore all of it for us. The debt we owed has been paid in full- we are free from all bondage.

Jesus took all of your sin and your shame upon Himself and cast it as far as the east is from the west, friend. You no longer have to live with the weight of your failures. You can come boldly to the throne of grace, beloved because it is grace that did the work for you. You can rest assured that God sees you as blameless and perfect because you are in Christ. There is no reason to carry that heavy burden of condemnation you’re your shoulders…surrender it to Christ today. Let’s pray that you learn to no longer walk around carrying the weight of your past and stop striving for perfection. Remember, Jesus is blameless and perfect for you…lean upon Him. 

Let’s Pray:

Father, 
I know that I need to stop running away from You when I fail and sin. You see it all and know that I am going to undoubtedly mess up. That is why You sent Your Son Jesus to earth to live the perfect life for me, to fulfill the law completely for me. His death on the cross paid for my punishment of the curse of the law that I will never be able to uphold. So I come boldly to the throne of grace today and receive new mercies that Christ died for me to have. I lean upon Your strength and grace today and trust that the work that You started in me will continue until Christ’s glorious return or when I meet You face to face. I rest in Your beautiful mercy and cast off any condemnation that may be trying to weigh me down. In You, I am completely free and forgiven!
Thank You, Lord! In Jesus’ name, amen.