"I believe the only fitting response to His pursuit of our hearts
is to wholeheartedly seek Him in return."
Jennifer McCaman
"We are free to behold Christ in scripture because He reveals Himself to us. Behold Him and His love for you! He’s on every page and you belong to Him." May your time with Him lead you to new roads and may it's lovely shades of color draw your heart to Him!
"Brokenness is never a dead end for a Christian; it's a new road."
Well Watered Woman
Our journey this month is to have a quiet heart, anchored in Him and refreshed by His promises, let's start with Psalm 23. It's full of promises specifically for you.
Psalm 23
The Lord the Shepherd of His People
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside tstill waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
Your first point - Read & Meditate on God’s Word
If you want a “Quiet Heart” one filled to overflowing with the Lord -
Read and meditate on God’s Word every single day. Ponder on it, drink deeply at the well of God’s Word. Consider what’s being said, reflect on scripture. Dwell in scripture. Read it out loud.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." John 7:38
This is your second point – Speak the Word of God Over Yourself
Speak His Word over yourself, this is what David is doing in Psalm 23. Proclaim what David proclaims. Proclaim the truth of His Word. This will take you on a journey from knowing God’s Word to believing it for yourself.
Point three – Savor the Word
We dissect the Word, study the Word, cross-reference the Word, teach the Word, memorize it, fill in the blanks and answer questions. We often do everything with the Word but enjoy it. Most of us know how to study the Bible well. But we have no idea how to SAVOR IT.
Look at these verse in Psalm 119:
“Your decrees are my delight and my counselors.” (Ps. 119:24)
“I rejoice in the way revealed by Your decrees as much as in all riches.” (Ps. 119:14)
“I have Your decrees as a heritage forever; indeed, they are a joy to my heart.” (Ps. 119:111)
“How sweet Your word is to my taste – sweeter than honey to my mouth.” (Ps. 119:72)
"I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure." (Psalm 119:162)
To the psalmist, the Scripture is not a textbook to be completed by a deadline. It is not data to be programmed for later retrieval. It is not a specimen on the laboratory table to be dissected. THE WORD OF GOD IS A DELIGHT TO THE PSALMIST. It made his soul sing out. It made Him happy. It awakened joy. It was sweet to his taste and beautiful to behold. He savored God’s Word and we want to Savor God’s Word. We want every pleasure of this world to dim in comparison to the treasure we have in Jesus Christ, who we know through scripture.
Point Four - Cultivate joy
Here are 3 ways to cultivate joy around the Word of God and to create a “Quiet Heart” that rests in Him and is filled to overflowing.
1. I believe the only fitting response to His pursuit of our hearts is to wholeheartedly seek Him in return. Set aside one day a week to enjoy the Word of God. No questions, no blanks to be filled in. Just you and God’s Word. Read for pleasure, just take it in. Your only goal being to savor the words in the Bible.
2. Sometimes, all you need is the Bible. Psalm 119:18 says, “Open my eyes that I may contemplate wondrous things from Your instruction.” If you’re in Christ you have the Holy Spirit living within you. He will teach you how to read, understand, and apply the bible.
We are free to behold Christ in scripture because He reveals Himself to us. Behold Him and His love for you! He’s on every page and you belong to Him.
(excerpts from Jennifer McCaman ).