One Decision with No Regrets: A Mother’s Perspective
Ten years have passed since the last of our three JD students graduated from OBCL and passed the bar. It has been even longer since we graduated the same students from...
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Jesus confirmed that the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” (Mark 12:30; Matthew 22:37; Luke 10:27; Deuteronomy 6:5). We know that “God is love” (I John 4:8) and He does not ask us to do what we cannot do, albeit by His grace through faith. In fact, Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). The Apostle John said, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (I John 5:3).
What does it mean to love God with “all thy heart”? Does it mean that we never sin? Does it mean that we are always in solitary prayer or Bible reading/meditation? Does it mean that we must be in “full-time Christian ministry” as a pastor, evangelist, or missionary? We learn what it means by considering the qualities of heart that please God and for which He “commands a blessing” (Psalm 133:3; Deuteronomy 28:8).
Scripture tells us that King David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), but he was not a man without sin. He committed adultery and ordered the execution of a plan resulting in the death of Uriah the Hittite (II Samuel 11). When confronted with his sin, however, David repented and cried out to God for mercy. He asked God to “create” in him a “clean heart” and to “restore” unto him the “joy of thy salvation” (Psalm 51). Despite his failings, God was pleased with David’s faith and the focus of his heart. (See Hebrews 11:32-33.)
Last time we described the conditions of the heart that separate us from God. All of the “bad hearts” are rooted in pride, selfishness, and a sensory or intellectual belief system. In fact, we know “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6; I Peter 5:5). What is the “good treasure of the heart” that “bringeth forth good things” (Matthew 12:35)? What are the conditions of the heart that foster a deeper relationship with God and others to fulfill the two great commandments? Meditate on these verses to gain wisdom:
How do we change our heart? The truth is that we cannot change our heart, but we can choose to direct our heart (focus, thoughts, affections, beliefs) toward the source and power of change — the great, loving, and merciful God who desires that we have a changed heart to have closer fellowship with Him. It is like when you go on a trip in a car. It is not your power that gets you to the destination. But you choose to direct your attention and focus (and the car) toward the destination. You set your heart on the goal. For a Christian the focus and goal is Jesus, the “author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).
Next time we will look at how to cooperate with God to receive and maintain a “new heart.”
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:16-17).
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26).
Ten years have passed since the last of our three JD students graduated from OBCL and passed the bar. It has been even longer since we graduated the same students from...
Running a small business from my home has been such an amazing experience! My name is Bethany Covey, and I’m a portrait and wedding photographer based out of Orange,...
Ten years have passed since the last of our three JD students graduated from OBCL and passed the bar. It has been even longer since we graduated the same students from high school, the final portion of which included a rigorous year of OBCL paralegal study. We chose...
Running a small business from my home has been such an amazing experience! My name is Bethany Covey, and I’m a portrait and wedding photographer based out of Orange, Texas. I have been honored to meet people from all over the state and country as I capture...