Who is the God you are serving?

Hi everyone! Breanna, here. It's been awhile since I've written on the blog. Today, however, I was reading the Word and felt the Lord put a message on my heart.

The message is about my view of God. I just wrapped up my second year of college (CRAZY), and as the past year fades into memories, I am pulling several lessons from the year and all the experiences it brought.

Although on paper, you'd think I had the perfect year- finishing off the year with a 4.0 semester, a full resume, a beach vacation, etc., the truth is that the condition of my heart has not been the prettiest. Though it's been a tough season mentally, I believe God allowed this past year to happen so that I could experience His grace and the truth of the gospel more deeply.

It all comes back to the heart. When we are saved, we are all given a new heart & made into a new creation. Although it's easy to type this, it's just as easy to forget this, and if I'm honest, I don't meditate on this truth enough on a daily basis.

Ezekiel 36:26 says, " “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” When I looked into commentary on this verse, I found the following: "Having a stone-cold heart is a miserable thing. It makes life harder than it has to be. Turning back to God can be a huge, courageous step, espe­cially if it means leaving old habits and attitudes behind. But the promise of having an undivided heart and God’s Spirit in a heart of flesh is definitely the better way. It’s what God desires for our lives. It makes a radical change in life worth every effort, and we can do it in God’s strength." (1)

Having a hardened hard towards God is truly the worst thing ever because you're no longer deepening your relationship with the Lord- the author & giver of life and all things good + holy. Thus, your life is significantly lacking in all things good + holy (imagine that 🙈). Don't get me wrong, we all go through dry seasons in our faith, but I can tell you firsthand that following Jesus is better. John 15: 4-5 says, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing".

Again, I love up looking context and commentary for different pieces of scripture. One resource I came across said this: "Those connected to the vine are animated by the life-giving Spirit, and they are fruit-bearing by nature. Apart from the vine, there is no nutrition, no life, no fruit." In my own life, I have seen this to be true. When I am abiding on my own strength and wisdom rather than the Lord's, my life is devoid of the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control- Galatians 5:22-23 ). While the world values external beauty & accomplishment, the Lord knows what truly sustains the soul- Himself.

I am the first to acknowledge that abiding in Christ looks different in each season. But Scripture never changes. In each season, the Word of God should be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 109:105). In order for the Word of God & the Holy Spirit to guide our lives, we have to keep our heart soft so that it may be shaped by the Spirit.

So, this begs the question: How is your heart currently? What parts of your heart are hardened towards the Lord and His teaching? What areas of your heart are hard as stone? If you're not sure, look at your life & see what actions are not aligning with scripture. Then, trace back to what lie you may be believing. This will reveal something about your heart towards this characteristic of God and His word.

Faith is a journey. And you can't make it alone. You'll need a church, God's people, scripture, mentors, counselors, and much more. Let this be an encouragement to you to stop treating the surface-level issues. Instead, let them point you to something deeper within your heart that you and the Lord can work through together.

I'll be praying for you! If you have any specific prayer requests, navigate to the "Leave a Message" tab of our blog, and let me know!

I'll close with a prayer I hope you pray with me!

Dear God,

Praise You for Your word and Your teachings. You know the human soul better than anyone, for you created it. You know how easy it is to get swayed by the world. It's been the same story since the beginning. But You are coming to restore and redeem the world. In the meantime, would you restore our faith & strengthen our souls? Teach us to follow you. Help us keep our hearts soft & attentive to the ways you are working. Help us see the world with spiritual eyes.

In Jesus's name we pray,

Amen.

Works Cited

1. A heart of stone. Today Daily Devotional. November 17, 2018. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://todaydevotional.com/devotions/a-heart-of-stone.