Issues of the Heart

INTRODUCTION It was almost unbelievable to wake up one morning and find yourself, after twenty years of ministry at the threshold of walking away from it all. I had a life filled with demands, and an overwhelming schedule of preaching, teaching, presenting workshops, seminars and the daily routine of ministry, which brought me to the point of taking a leave of absence. There were times when I allowed the demands of life to become my focus, and the work of ministry to become my lifestyle. The recognition of this came slowly, spanning several years, until I realized that some of it left me lonely, and empty handed because I had lost focus. More than any other time in my life, I knew that I needed to make some changes and allow God to be my guide. Oddly, or so it might seem, my first step was to vow to spend more time seeking the presence of God through prayer and meditation. After time spent in prayer my attention became fixed on the words of Psalm 46:10-11, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” I began to contemplate the value of stillness, solitude and silence before the Lord. It is not that God was not exalted in my life, but there was very little time for stillness and listening to the voices of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. After periods of reflections I made a personal decision, despite the demands of life, I would follow the plan God has for my life and not my own. The pressure was lifted and I felt free to be---not the demands to do—but to be. My constant prayers for wisdom and spiritual insight, over the span of two years, has brought me to a pivotal point in my spiritual journey and has led to the discovery of some of the spiritual principles found in this writing. Additionally, I have put them to practice in my life and the life of my ministry. We serve a God who has made His desire for His children known and long for every believer to have a deep and intimate relationship with Him. The kingdom of God is at the heart of the Lord’s work and it is obvious we should seek first the kingdom and all these other things will be adding in their proper order. More than any other time in my life, I became aware that we must consistently seek the presence of God. However, the developmental efforts aimed at developing good spiritual leaders have often neglected the personal issues of the heart of the individual believer. Every person is a spiritual leader; whether in the local church, on the job or in the home. This aspect of shaping the heart is personal and is different for every Christian. The defining moment in the life of any leader is the understanding of what God is doing in order to stretch us spiritually and move us to a closer walk with Him. This aspect of heart shaping through the issues of life can be a reflective process of cultivating a more meaningful relationship with God. We find numerous examples in the Bible of how God used life changing events in the lives of leaders to shape their character and prepare them for service. Moses stands in the archway of Old Testament history. The legacy of his leadership is saturated with trials and triumphs. The time spent in Egypt at an early age prepared him to be a great warrior; however, the time spent in the desert of Midian prepared him for leadership. Moses encountered God. He met the living God in the burning bush where the flames beckoned him to draw closer. Moses realized that God had all power and was commissioning him to exercise that power to lead His people out of Egypt. The desert experience helps to prepare Moses for the Exodus and the journey from Egypt to the approaching Promised Land. Even though, Moses had some character flaws, like the feeling of inadequacy of speech and trust in God. He learned how to place his trust in God. God gave Moses a shepherd’s staff as a reminder of His promise to be with him throughout the journey.. It was Moses assurance of the power and presence of God. David, anointed the king of all of Israel was trained as a shepherd. The anointing with oil poured over David’s head stood for holiness. God was commissioned him as His representative to the people of Israel. God in leading David gave him success in defeating his enemies and the enemies of his people. Although, David was successful in his leadership, he had some lapses in his personal and spiritual life, which proved to be costly. David’s many wives caused him a great deal of grief and the result of his sin with Bathsheba had great consequences. However, David did not continue to dwell in his sin, he returned to God and God forgave him, opening the way for a new start. The words of Psalm 51 expressed his sorrow. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.” (vv. 1-4) When we return to God and accept his forgiveness, God can give us a fresh start. David admitted his sin and was forgiven and through God’s grace became a man after God own heart. Like many biblical leaders, God works in the life of the believer in a special and unique way. You may not be a leader like Moses or David, but God has called you to service and unless you allow Him to prepare your heart through trials and triumphs; you will not be the kind of servant leader He desires. Prayer, meditation and devotion to the things of God are the best weapons in a leader’s arsenal against the forces of evil. God looks at the heart and through His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit He will shape our lives to be true ambassadors for Him. A Christian’s walk with God can be enhanced in many ways through the use of this book—in personal devotion, small-group study, and discussion with family and friends. This book can also serve as a spiritual journal. It is written for young and the old. My prayer is that each study will be used by God to lift burdens and bring about a closer relationship with Him. It is also my sincere desire that through the use of the Scriptures, meditations, prayers and spiritual insights you will experience the presence of God’s love, grace, and mercy toward us.