God Desires Your Heart ©

Today's post comes from Starla at Keepin It Real




freecodesource.com

When I read the bible, it really comes alive and speaks to my heart.  Even the Old Testament (which I used to think was very boring) until I started reading during alone time with God.  I try to spend quiet time with God in the mornings.  I begin with prayer, thanking God for waking me up.  Then I pray for my family and friends and I finally pray for myself.  I ask God to open my eyes and ears to reveal what He wants me to learn.

I was recently reading Matthew chapter 9 and verse 13 jumped out at me:


"But go and learn what this means:  "I desire compassion, and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."


I continued to the next verse but I wasn't able to go any further.  I felt God telling me to GO back to verse 13 and DO exactly as it says.  (Ok, I hear you Lord)


The beginning of verse 13 says "But go (don't wait) and learn (don't ignore) what this means.  


Jesus was talking to the Pharisees who were questioning why He was dining with tax collectors and sinners.   Matthew was a tax collector and tax collectors made their money by taxing people for everything they could think of and were often pretty wealthy.  For tax collectors greed was the name of the game.


Sounds like the IRS to me.   Boy do I have some personal stories to tell about them.......

 I desire compassion (sympathy for others distress and the desire to alleviate it), and not sacrifice (precious offering),
Hosea 6:6...For I delight (take pleasure) in loyalty (faith) rather than sacrifice, And in knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Mark 2:17.....it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick, I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
Luke 5:31,32....it is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
1 Timothy 1:15...Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners


Psalm 50:8  I do not reprove (convict) you for your sacrifices, And your burnt offerings are continually before me NASB study note.....God does not reprove them for failing to bring their offerings (v8) but for bringing them with the motive of trying to make the God who owns everything dependent on their generosity.


He elaborates more in the following verses from Psalms 50
10....for every beast of the forest is mine 11.....And everything that moves in the field is mine  12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine and ALL it contains. (I love that part.  I feel Him saying, "No need for dead animals, PLEASE") 14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.....  (Just say THANK YOU!!  And mean it of course)



My best summation of these verses is that God desires your heart more than anything else.  That is the only thing you can truly give to Him.  Everything else already belongs to Him.  Be loyal and understand His will for your life.  God takes pleasure in your loyalty and knowledge of Him.  Your gratefulness and thankfulness is very precious to Him.  God is more eager to bless us than we are to receive His blessings.


Obey God's will and put it into action by learning, seeking, reproving, defending and pleading.
 

Learn to do good;

Seek justice,

Reprove the ruthless,

Defend the orphan,

Plead for the widow.

Isaiah 1:11

Have you given Him your heart?  I mean have you truly given your heart to God? 

From my heart and spirit to yours, ©

Starla Danielle Espinoza

©

Scripture from the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Just Ask

Today's post comes from Starla at Keepin It Real

²³ In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. ²⁴ Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:23,24  NIV

I teach my girls not to be afraid to ask for anything.  Negotiate.  I tell them that doesn't mean that they will always get what they want, "The worst thing that can happen is you will be turned down or told no."  I myself was raised by the creed,  A Closed Mouth Don't Get Fed and in my 34 years of life, I have found that to be very, very true.  Now I raise my girls to apply this concept to their every day circumstances.  Whether it be asking the teacher for help with something that they don't understand, asking me if they can stay the night with a friend (a very brave thing for them to do because they go through a serious interrogation), asking permission to play their favorite computer game, etc...... you get my drift.  

My 11 year old daughter Dayna even went so far as to request a round table discussion to negotiate terms for a computer game that they wanted to play but had recently been grounded from because they were neglecting their chores.  My husband and I were so impressed by the way she went about this request that we agreed to give it a try.  You see, this is something that Dayna really wanted to do and she figured out a way to ask with a resolution.  I mean she had a written plan for their requirements and everything. There have been times when we have given them things w/o them asking but sometimes, I wait for them to ask even though I already know what they want.  God is the same way with us.  He knows what we want and He is ready to give it to us but if we don't ask, sometimes we don't receive.

Case in point.  Did you know that some hotels offer additional amenities that they don't necessarily advertise such as bathrobes, slippers, extended check out and things of that nature?  Just because you don't see it in your room does not necessarily mean that it's not available.  They only give them to the people that ask for them.  There are so many deals and opportunities that we miss out on simply because we don't ask for them.  I have negotiated lower rent, scholarships (basically free versus $100) for summer programs at our local college, daycare expenses for more than 1 child ($100 per week instead of $140 per week) and the list goes on and on.  I'm so glad my girls are no longer in daycare, that's for sure but I managed to save $160 per month by negotiating a.k.a. (asking).

In James 4:2  scripture says that you do not have because you do not ask (see full scripture below).   What does this really mean?  I will tell you what I believe it does not mean.  It does not mean that you will receive everything that you ask for.  James 4:3 goes on to say  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. Ever done that before?  I know I have.  For the most part, I ask for what I want and I ask God if it be His will, In Jesus name.  I always ask in Jesus' name.  God knows me better than I know myself so I ask Him to open any doors that need to be opened and close doors that need to be closed regarding a specific situation.  You see, every day is an opportunity to be blessed by God but sometimes we miss out on those blessings simply because we do not ask to be blessed.  We may not know specifically what it is but we should still ask.  That's what I recently told my 16 year old daughter the other day.  Part of my daily morning prayer includes asking God to bless me.  Sometimes I forget and I may not always know how He blessed me, but I know that I should always ask.  

I have asked friends and family if they ever pray for themselves and more than half of them said no.  Why not?  They say they never think about themselves.  That is when I quote the scripture as best I can.  Enough to explain to them that God expects you to ask.  

Do you just ask?  Why or why not?

References:

Bible Gateway

James 4:2

New International Version (NIV)

² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.

James 4:3

New International Version (NIV)

³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

John 16:23,24

New International Version (NIV)

²³ In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  ²⁴ Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

  

Money Comes and Money Goes

This week's post comes from Starla at Keepin It Real

My husband and I like to play the lottery.  So far, the most we have won is $9.  The possibility of hitting that jackpot makes it fun and somewhat exhilarating but it's not something that we put our hope in.  Truth be told, we won something far better than the lottery a long time ago when we established our relationship with God.  Christ himself is much more valuable than money.  Money comes and money goes, but money cannot give you peace, bring you happiness, or buy you love. 

 Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. Eccliastes 5:19

God reminded me that when it comes to money or anything else it all belongs to Him.  It can be here one day and gone the next but the One who owns everything will always be here.  This I know because he has blessed me time and time again, even though I never deserved it. We know that we need money to live but God is our provider at the end of every single day.  I try not to look too far ahead because when I do that's when I begin to worry about things that I cannot control.  Hmm, I just thought about something.  My current bible study is on the book of Ecclesiastes.  You know, about King Solomon and his pursuit of wealth, status and things.  The futility of labor and wisdom.   When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on? Ecclesiastes 5:11  Part of me is like king Solomon in his pursuit vanity of vanities as he calls it.  I think this study will really help me bind my will to God's will concerning money and loose my will for myself concerning money.  Does that make sense?   


I learned a great lesson about value when my Auntie died over 2 years ago.  My uncle (grandma's brother) lost his sweetheart.  They were together for 53 years.  She was our family matriarch for years and years.  Both of them have always been there for everyone in our family throughout the years.  As you know, when someone dies, their material possessions are often divided. Whether it be in a will or not, some family members will always want what they think they deserve.  My Uncle told them that the most valuable thing he ever owned (Auntie) was no longer in that house.  He told them to take it all.  And he meant it.  I'm not sure what, if anything, was taken by whom or if she even had a will.  I never asked because it was none of my business and my only concern was being there for my Uncle.  He knows that he will see her again.  His faith in God is unwavering.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we are heirs to the treasures awaiting us in Heaven.  ¹⁸ The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite aka peridot, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.^[f] 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.  Revelations 21:18-21. I can't imagine a more beautiful place myself.  Our treasures are in heaven but if we have nice lavish things on earth is that good or bad?  I guess it depends on where your heart is, and that's the bottom line.


So why do my husband and I play the lottery?  Are we putting our hope in money?  No, even though it would be nice to win but maybe not. I can come up with all kinds of excuses for wanting to win that kind of money.  But I know that God is good and has always provided our every need and even our desires according to His will. God knows what's best for us and we want His will and grace above all else.  I don't know if it's wrong to pursue money this way.  We are not extreme but the more I read about money in the bible, I realize that there are more warnings and negative things about money than anything else.
  

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:19

When I wake up each day, God is the first thing I think about, not money and may it never be the other way around.  I thank Him for waking me up every day.  Then, I get ready to go to work for...money (release me from this slavery, just kidding).  The reality is we need money and most of us have to work to get it.  That's fine by me because when we work for something we are more careful and appreciate it more.  It is by His grace that I am able to work or that I even have a job.  I give God the glory for blessing me.  We are truly rich with God's grace and mercy, family, health, love and more.   Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” Hebrews 13:5 is a great reminder for me to be careful what I wish for, including winning the lottery.  I really would rather have Jesus than all the money in the world, and that is the honest truth.

Nothing......But The Blood

This week's post comes from STARLA ESPINOZA at Keepin It Real 

 The human body has about 5 liters of blood continually traveling through it.  Our blood is composed of plasma, blood cells, and platelets and our blood is one thing that cannot be manufactured.  More than 38,000 donations are needed every day but less than 38% of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood. 

 I used to donate blood several times a year.  When I was diagnosed with MS in 2007, I was no longer qualified to donate blood.  I found this out on a day when I was actually planning to donate blood.  I was answering all the screening questions and when they asked if I was taking medication I told them about the meds I was taking for MS.  That put the brakes on my ability to donate blood that day and any other day in the future.  I never thought about it but it makes perfect sense now.  They must do their best to make sure that people receive safe blood.  Blood obviously plays a vital role in our lives.  Without blood, we would not have life.

But there is life giving blood that is always qualified to for us to receive. That's the blood of Jesus.  His blood is more powerful than mine and yours.

²² In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22

Jesus shed His blood to atone for our sins.  His blood is the only acceptable payment for our sins.  He was wounded for our transgressions and by His stripes, I am healed.  That's what I like to say when I think about having Multiple Sclerosis.  By His stripes, I am healed.  If he had not shed His blood, I don't know where I would be.  I was purchased with His blood.

Who can wash away my sins?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Who can make me whole again?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

No matter how successful we consider ourselves to be in this world, our success cannot save us from hell. Without the blood of Jesus, it is all futile.

Our blood must rely on other systems & organs to be effective but the blood of Jesus cleanses, heals and purifies.  Our blood can become infected with bacteria and other organisms.  His blood cannot be infected with sins.  Our blood can become tainted by viruses.  His blood cannot become tainted with evil.

There is power in His blood.

How important do you consider the blood of Jesus to be?  

"Lord, I lift up the person reading this.  I pray for the power of Jesus' blood over their health, finances, and family.  I pray that they have accepted the gift and understand the power of His blood.  In Jesus name, Amen."

And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.  Luke 22:20

STOP, DROP, AND PRAY

This week's post comes from STARLA ESPINOZA at Keepin It Real

Sometimes it doesn't seem to take much to make me mad.  People who can't drive, (or drive worse than I do).  When things don't go my way, (am I spoiled?).  Having to repeat myself, (by the 3rd time that is). Etc.....and the list goes on.  Thankfully, the Holy Spirit always intervenes within seconds.  Yeah it may take me a minute or 2 (hours that is), to actually listen.  When life throws darts at me, it's time I put up my shield of faith and take some of my own "godly" advice.

STOP (time out, blow the whistle) and ask myself,  "Self, what is really going on? Is it really that serious?  Will it matter in the next 10 years?"  That question is a great way to put things in perspective. I should also put on my helmet of salvation (guard my mind and my hard head) and my breastplate of righteousness (basically act like I have some sense).

DROP it and give it to God ASAP.  I say that I trust Him with every second of my life (at least that's what I tell people). And I really do trust Him so why do I feel the need to be a backseat driver?  He has already proven time and time again that His way is much, much better than mine.  And please whatever I do, don't speak while I'm upset, (nothing good typically comes out).  Keep my mouth shut. I must let it go and keep it movin!

PRAY and then pray again, then pray some more til I get it right.  If I can't seem to utter anything at the time, I could always ask someone to pray for me.  Now Starla that does NOT mean call someone and start complaining about someone else, (girlfriend you know that is gossip).

Oh, and one more thing.  Get my PRAISE on and give God glory for giving me the grace to be able to do all things through Him.

I am a strong woman with thin skin aka sensitive.  Is that an oxymoron?  I don't know but it could be a dangerous combination.  I act like I don't care what people think about me but honestly, what person doesn't care what people think?  I mean we have to care a little if we want to keep our job, and our friends, and--well you get my drift.

Wow.  Have I really told people to do all these things at one time or another?  It was most likely God telling me what to say.  It's great advice and I need to put it to use.

Ya'll pray for me cause you know life is not always a box of chocolates and a bowl of cherries but that sure sounds good to me.

Welcome!

This week's post comes from Starla Espinoza at Keepin It Real

Hey Sista. Welcome and thank you so much for stopping by.  If you are seeking an amazing group of women who love God with all their hearts and souls then you have found us. We have a strong passion to bring glory to God through writing. God has strategically placed us in each others path via Girlfriends in God on FB. We have never met each other in person but after many discussions and viewing each other's blogs, our spirits connected and we realized how powerful it would be to combine forces and form "Blogger's in God" aka BIG sisters.

I love the way God order's the steps of His children. We are His willing vessels to be used for His glory and honor. I am so honored to be used by God in any way that He chooses to increase His kingdom. I believe that the formation of this group is the beginning of something BIG.  Look forward to a weekly post from someone in the group.  I am the first to kick things off so please check out my post below and have a blessed week.

Let The Words of My Mouth

I am a Christian, do you know what that means? That means I'm far from perfect, simply redeemed. These are the words to the beginning of a song by Isaac Carree called "Simply Redeemed". The journey of a Christian is far from perfect. There are so many times that I have had to repent and ask God for forgiveness for either thinking the wrong thing, saying the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing.

Right before Christmas I struggled with a rude voice mail from one of my colleagues. Well, this person works for the same company as I do but she is located in the Southern part of our state and I am in the North. I work in Accounts Payable at my company and we process payments for the entire company. Since the end of the year was approaching, the deadline was fast approaching for projects that need to be accounted for on time. Tension is thicker than ever and people wanted to get things out of the way so they could take extra time off for the holidays.

I was attempting to explain to someone that there wasn't enough funds on their purchase order to pay their invoice. She only understood enough to be dangerous. Sooo, she called me but I was already gone for the day so she decided to leave the rudest voice mail that I have ever received. She was talking to me like I didn't understand what was going on. Her vocabulary included several four letters words that start with an F, S and a D. I think you get my drift. When I returned to work the following day and listened to my messages, the first message was actually an apology from this person. She said that she was sorry and she knows I am just a human being and no one deserves to be talked to that way but she doesn't agree with the way we do things in our department. She didn't sound sincere at all but more like she was trying to cover her behind.

I hadn't heard her initial message yet so I skipped through a few messages and came to her original message. I often listen to my voice mail on speaker phone and some of my co-workers overheard what was being said to me. Everyone was so upset so I discussed it with my boss and he asked me to forward the voice mail to him so he could listen to it. My co-workers were very offended not only by the way this person was talking to me, but she also put our entire department down. She simply did not understand why things are handled a certain way. I have forgiven her even though her apology was not sincere at all. I prayed for her a few times but I have not spoken to her since this incident.

To "keep it real" and be honest, I have been that person speaking to someone in a condescending manner and after being on the receiving end of some one's wrath, I get it. I understand how others have felt when it was me talking to someone when I was obviously annoyed and frustrated with them. I have hurt people's feelings before (w/o cussing) and have apologized to them for being rude. The moral of the story is, our words can really slice through a person like a sword. Even if we are not literally cussing them out, our tone can set the stage for an ugly battle. This has taught me to be more careful about the way I deal with anyone when I am frustrated. I say to myself, "Starla girl you have the right to remain silent and anything you say can and will be used against you."

Lord, you know how often I ask you for forgiveness due to my mouth. I know that if I don't forgive others, then I should not expect you to forgive me. Teach me to be slow to speak, slow to anger, slow to judge, quick to listen and quick to forgive. Create in me a clean heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. In Jesus name, Amen.

Starla Espinoza