Welcome to a group of women who's goal is to encourage each other to put down some serious roots in the Word of God. This blog is dedicated to reading through the Bible in a year. Hopefully you will find the encouragement and accountability here that you need to push through the tough parts- or when life just gets in the way. The reading plan is located at the bottom of the blog. It contains links to the passages we are reading through biblegateway.com. You can use those links or read your own Bible, whichever you prefer.
We are all members of Oak Hill Baptist Church in Griffin, Georgia and felt the need in our own life for a little bit of the Lord's splendor. Please join us!!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Heart and Soul


As humans, our hearts can be pulled in so many directions. Just this morning, my heart was pulled to my son's kindergarten class. I was very emotional as we are preparing to close that chapter of his life. I am so thankful for his teachers and how much he has learned this year. My heart was overflowing with joy and thankfulness for a healthy little boy and caring teachers who have helped teach him to read and write. This is a perfect lesson for me today because I am reminded to pour my thankfulness and joy back to the Lord.

The Bible gives us wonderful examples of how we can express our emotions to God. David directed his joy, sorrow, anger to God through prayer and song. He had a passion for the Lord! David sought the Lord and wanted others to also.

David had "it in his heart" to build the temple for the Lord. However, as we were just reminded in I Chronicles 21, God told David that was not his job to do. Instead, God's plan was for one of David's sons to build the temple. David had obviously been blessed with great worldly riches and God did allow David to participate in the process. David made "extensive preparations" including purchasing land and gathering skilled laborers and supplies. When David felt the preparations were completed, he called his young and inexperienced son, Solomon, and charged him with the task at hand. David gave Solomon instructions, blessings, and words from God as he turned the job to his son. David also some of the challenges and temptations Solomon would face as king AND he knew what was MOST important as he gave this advice:

Now devote your HEART and SOUL to
seeking the LORD your God.
~ I Chronicles 22:19

In David's later years, he was concerned with building the temple, or God's dwelling place. He wanted to make sure the temple was constructed well, with the finest supplies and laborers and that Levites and priests were clear about their assignments (23:2-5). God's House needed to be established and maintained. The same is still true for us today as New Testament believers.

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple
and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person;
for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
~ I Corinthians 3:16-17

Today, we are the temple of God. He has given us the assignment of building and protecting His dwelling place, the "church". How perfectly this ties into Pastor Chris' sermon yesterday! By church, I do not mean the physical building, but people who believe in Jesus Christ. As Pastor Chris stated yesterday, building the church means: First, devoting ourselves to learning more about God and building our personal relationship with Him; Second, telling others so that they can know and believe.

God desires our heart, soul, mind, and strength... everything we have! Are we devoted to seeking Him? Are we devoted to building His church? Are we devoted to grow in our personal relationship with Him? Are we devoted to telling others about Him?

Do we have a burning passion to seek Him with all of our HEART and SOUL? I pray today that we do!
Posted by at
Labels:

4 comments:

  1. BarbaraMay 23, 2011 at 7:50 PM

    Thanks Terry for another good post. I loved your title - "Heart and Soul." I think as parents we have the hearts and souls of our children in our minds all the time. I was impressed that David instructed his son as to what was in his heart to do for the Lord. It is sad in a way that as much as David loved God and wanted to build Him a house, that he did not get to do that. But what could be better than passing this on to his son and being able to get the materials together for him.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MindyMay 23, 2011 at 9:29 PM

    Don't you just love it when God does the thing where what we are doing here ties right in with Pastor Chris' sermon? I just think that is the neatest thing!!! Ms. Terry - your post really convicted me because I DO NOT do a good job of taking care of my temple (body) in the physical area. I do not feel that I am as effective for furthering God's Kingdom because of my lack of physical health. Thanks for such a great post and for "pricking" my heart to do better in this area Ms. Terry! You are such a blessing!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. JaybrenaMay 24, 2011 at 10:36 AM

    Foundation and Devotion......Pour that cement THICK, and make your feet STICK before it dries!!! :) That's good stuff, Terry!

    Let's build on the rock, and if we can't build it then let's make sure to tell our sons (David, Solomon) what type of foundation to use!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AngelaMay 25, 2011 at 5:14 PM

    Such encouragement for me today!!!! I have put my heart and soul into my kindergarten students this year. I saw one of my kindergarten students take a visit to first grade today and flourish. She told me "she did well in first grade today." If we provide our children with the tools they need (love, self-esteem, nurturing care, they will spread their wings and fly with confidence. I am so proud of my students as they end this school year. They feel my heart with joy and happiness.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)