Heart and Word

Hey, friend, havin’ you stop by here today is like gittin’ some sunshine after a good rain! Come right on up here on this ol’ front porch that’s creakin’ like an ol’ porch swing holdin’ a full grown, sleepin’ bear that wandered out of the woods lookin’ for snacks. You know, I was just watchin’ a lil’ ol’ chipmunk that tried to stuff one more acorn in its cheeks even though it already looked like it was smuggling two biscuits. It reminded me of how we try to cram our own ideas real tight into our hearts when God is trying to speak something better to us. Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” And Isaiah 30:21 promises that whether you turn to the right or to the left you will hear a voice behind you saying this is the way walk in it. Those two verses fit together like a pair of boots that finally found the right feet to be on.

Where does God reveal your next step? He speaks through His Word, and He speaks in your heart. But, friend, He’ll never lead you anywhere that contradicts Scripture. God puts His direction in the place you look first, right in the center of your desires, but only when those desires have been shaped by Him. That there’s why Proverbs 3:6 says that if you acknowledge Him in all your ways He will make your paths straight.

Some folks only follow their heart. They say things like, “I feel led” or “I sense God wants this”. But feelings can be trickier than a lil’ ol’ raccoon that sneaks into the chicken coop and pretends it was invited. Other folks only follow the Word. They know Scripture backward and, but they have never learned to sense God’s gentle nudge in their spirit. They have information without intimacy.

God uses both. His Word is the anchor. His Spirit is the wind. When your heart’s desire lines up with Scripture you can move forward with confidence. When what you sense inside matches what God has already said in His Word you have found your direction. But when they git to conflictin’, always go with the Word. Your heart can mislead you. God’s Word never will. Psalm 119:105 says His Word is a lamp for your feet and a light on your path.

Friend, that’s plum why you can’t trust your heart unless it lines up with the Word of God. Jeremiah 17:10 says, “The Lord searches the heart and examines the mind to reward each person according to their conduct.” That there means God sees the real motives tucked behind our feelings, even the ones we try to dress up like an ol’ possum that rolls in the flower bed and pretends it smells good. Your emotions may shift like a squirrel that can’t decide which tree to climb, but God’s Word stays real steady. When your heart bows to Scripture, that’s when you can trust the desire that rises up inside you.

Father, help me delight in You so deeply that my desires reflect Your heart. Teach me to listen to Your Word and Your Spirit with equal trust. Keep me real steady and guide me clearly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Well now, friend, as the evenin’ gits to settlin’ in across this ol’ porch like a soft quilt laid over a sleepy lil’ colt, let this here truth sink in real good. God guides you through Scripture so you never lose your footin’. He guides your heart so you can be learnin’ to walk with Him in relationship. He brings both together so you can be movin’ with confidence instead of confusion. And when your heart and His Word are pointin’ in the same direction, you can step forward knowin’ full well that you’re right where He wants you to be.

With joy,

Gwen