HEAR. you need to HEAR me.

A couple weeks ago I posted a blog called whispers... what has God been whispering to you lately?

This morning in church we went through James 1:19-27, and you could say that the Lord is moving swiftly through our church, and in my life... I am sure that it was the Lord whispering those sweet things to me a couple weeks ago, all to prepare my heart for this James series.

" My dear brothers, take note of this; Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all normal filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what is says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Man, I have read that so many times as a believer... and there was something that just jumped out at me today, despite the many times I have heard this.

"Christy, I want you to HEAR me. not just hear my words... but HEAR my words!"

my thoughts.... ok, I hear you... but what do you mean by HEAR me? I listen for you all the time... I hear what you have to say to me, so what is different about this time? What is different about HEAR me now?

Then ever so graciously, the Lord spoke through pastor in order to give me HIS definition to the word HEAR... to take what is in your mind to your heart.

As women we feel things with our heart, and we make it very clear to whoever is around us. We have no problem letting people know what is on our heart at that moment...

"Christy, what is it that is on your heart? Is it you? Is it your selfish desires? Look deep inside and see what it is you find there."

(side note: I love growing deeper in my walk with the Lord, but man it hurts sometimes! He is all about truth... and you know the old saying "the truth hurts"... well it does many times and in this case it stung a bit.)

Yup... I have been very selfish lately. I hate to say it, but I cannot lie. I need to confess that I am so very selfish, and lately it has felt like it's all the time. I don't want to be a selfish person, I want to be a giving person, someone who is known because of her love... not her love of self... but her love of others, her love for the body, her love for Christ.

"Yes, my daughter! You got it! The eyes of your heart need to be set on ME! What is it that you are reflecting from your heart? "

Then pastor went on to say that we need to not only hear... but we need to reflect on what we hear... and not only reflect, but as James encourages us... we must then DO. Just hearing what is said on Sunday, is as silly as looking in the mirror... walking away and forgetting what we look like... not forgetting what we were wearing, but forgetting what we physically look like... and that is just plain silly. We all know what we look like, the physical characteristics that make you, you... we are not going to forget. Well, as believers we must not walk away from Hearing the word and just continue on our way, we must be doers of the word. He deserves every facet and every fiber of our being... not just what we bring to the table on a Sunday morning... but throughout each and every day we are alive. Deut. 6:5-9 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

So, women, remember that. We are to write it on our hearts... we speak from our heart all the time... so if we are to write it on our heart... you do the math... what are we to reflect? What is our heart supposed to be a reflection of?

A couple more verses to set our minds/hearts on are....

Deut 11:18-21 " Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads...so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth."

Job 22:22 (read 21 as well... very good) "Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart."

Proverbs 4:20-23 "My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

So women (and men alike) what is it that you HEAR today? Will you listen closely to what the Lord is whispering to you? Do you HEAR what it is He is trying to say to you? HEAR , not only with your ears... but with your heart... and let Him write His words on your heart so you can then reflect His love... and they will know that we are Christians by our love (there is a verse but I can't remember which one it is for the life of me).

Lord, let us HEAR, let us reflect, let us do... and let us love as you love... ~Amen~