A Soft Heart part 4
The issues of life flow from the heart. Did you catch that key word? Flow. The issues of life aren't forced out of the heart. And they aren't held in. Because the heart isn't closed down. It isn't hard. It's opened up. It's soft. And it's filled to overflowing with love. Which (using Logan logic) means the issue of life... is love. Love is what matters. Love is what makes life worth living. Love IS living. And living is loving. So the key to life is taking care of--guarding--your heart. Following your heart. Trusting your heart. Believing in your heart. I said this the other day when I was preaching--or I least I TRIED to say it--your heart, for the most part, lasts your whole life long. It starts when you start and it ends when you (IF YOU) end. It's the beginning and the end. Jesus is the beginning and the end. Love is the beginning and the end. Love is so important that we will literally give everything we've got in order to try to get it. But that's the trick: Love is a gift. It is freely given and it can't be earned. And not only can it not be earned, but it can only be received, because it has already been given! On the cross Jesus gave His life FOR us, but He also gave His life TO us. He did it all so we could get it all. The "all" He did was the cross. And the "all" that we got... was Him. He poured His Spirit out on all flesh. He gave us everything we would ever need to enjoy HIS abundant, eternal, everlasting, Resurrection Life! He blessed us with all Spiritual blessings. He gave us all things that pertain to life and godliness. We don't need to "get" anything. The good fight of faith is LAYING HOLD of eternal life. KEEPING our heart pure. Which is only possible because He GAVE us a pure heart. He cut away the flesh and REVEALED His heart beating with love in our chests. And now instead of works and labor (which don't work) we can rest. We slept, but our heart--deep within--was awake. It was yearning for that connection of love. And then the Voice of our beloved knocked at the door. Jesus is the door--the heart is the door--and Jesus is the One who was knocking. When we open the door the former rain makes the ground--the heart--soft so that the seed that was planted (after the latter rain came) can grow. So that the love inside us can flow. What's inside comes out. Or, I should say, what you BELIEVE is inside comes out. What you believe (either the world's report or the Lord's report) defines your reality. When you hear the Voice of the Lord knocking... that's the way of grace. The more excellent way. The way of love. And when you open the door--open your heart--TO that grace and love... that's the walk of faith. That's Peter stepping out of the boat and standing on the Word of the Lord. That's knowing and believing that we ARE loved, and loving one another WITH that same love. And guys... that's why we're here. To be loved by God and to love others with that same love. To receive it and release it. To partake of His life by letting Him live it in us, and through us, and as us. To be loved... and to love.