10.16.7 "With All your Heart"

"With All your Heart"

Jeremiah 28:1-29:32
I Timothy 1:1-20
Psalm 86:1-17
Proverbs 25:17

"I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jer. 29:11) This is one of my favorite scriptures because it's such an encouraging scripture. It's awesome to know that the God of the universe knows my name. He is concerned with my path. He's concerned with where I am.

It is extremely important to always remember the context of this verse, however. In Jeremiah 28 there is a "battle" of two prophetic messages. In Jer. 27, God instructed Jeremiah to wear a yoke on his neck as a symbol, and bring the message that God's people are headed into captivity. Things are going to be hard. This is a result of disobedience, and there will be consequence. In chapter 28, Hananiah, the son of the prophet Gibeon speaks to Jeremiah in front of everyone and says, in essence, "No THIS is the word of the Lord..." and breaks Jeremiah's yoke, and declares God's people free, and basically tells the people what they want to hear. Even Jeremiah responded, "Amen! May your prophecies come true! I hope the Lord does everything you say." (Jer. 28:6)

But, as great as Hananiah's message was, it wasn't the word of the Lord. God's plan was that Israel would be in captivity for 70 years. He told them Babylon would rule the world. He told them to submit to the process. He told them to build homes and plant trees. They're going to be in captivity for a while.

My personality is the type that wants to tell people what they want to hear. I want to be an encouragement. Because of that tendency, when someone comes with a trial, I WANT to say, "this will be over before you know it! Victory will come today!" While there may be times where that IS the word of the Lord, there are many times that is NOT the word of the Lord. It may be that the Lord is using this trial for a purpose that is far greater than we could understand.

So the question is: Is it worth it?

The Israelites would much more love to align themselves with Hananiah's message, but what good would that do them? Would their hearts change? No. The Lord commanded them to submit to their captivity, and to prosper where he had placed them.

The fact that they're in captivity doesn't change the fact that God has a plan for their life. In fact, the captivity serves to GIVE a future and a hope, not to be in the way of it. I think that's an important message to always remember, but the purpose of the captivity is found in verse 13: "You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest." The NIV says, "... when you seek me with all of your heart."

In the midst of the trial, God is found IF we seek him with all our heart. Sometimes we fall short because, "my boss isn't fair!... My spouse wont change... This hurts too bad..." We want the circumstance to show change before we're willing to allow our heart to change. What the Lord is saying is, the circumstance isn't changing anytime soon, so allow me to change your heart. Produce fruit where you are.

The objective is not rosy circumstances, it's a pure heart.

In I Timothy 1:5, Paul says, "What I am eager for is that all the Christians there will be filled with love that comes from pure hearts, and that their minds will be clean and their faith strong." in verse 19 he says, "cling tightly to your faith in Christ and always keep your conscience clear, doing what you know is right."

What's tying these all together? "... seek me with all your heart." "... love that comes from pure hearts... Minds clean..." "... conscience clear..."

We need to be giving God our all, all the time. What is the highest form of worship? Obedience. Ps. 86:11 says, "Tell me where you want me to go and I will go there. May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name."

"May every fiber of my being..." That is the intensity in which we will truly experience the "Dynamics" of the Lifestyle of Worship. Too often worship is an event. It's a sunday morning service. What a tragedy when our obedience is an "event". Just a moment where we were aligned to God's direction.

Give your all to him today. Serve Him with all of your heart. Give Him a pure mind. Choose to do right. Worship Him with every fiber of your being so that wherever He says to go, you will go there.



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


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