Hardened Hearts

"Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened." Mark 6:51-52 When I read this it made me a little disappointed in the disciples. How could their faith be that small when they had just previously saw Jesus perform a huge miracle? But then I also thought..."their hearts were hardened?" It wasn't just a lack of faith issue, but an issue of the heart. Their inability to understand what Jesus had done with the loaves and the fish resulted in the hardening of their hearts. And I walk through life doing the same thing. I've worried about money, though I've experience the Lord's provision in small and big ways. I've stressed about not knowing what the future holds, even though I follow the One Who holds my future. I've felt lonely even though God is with me always. I've not been able to let go of past hurts, even though God has been waiting to embrace me with His healing arms. I've feared stepping out in faith, even though I've experienced the peace and joy there is in following God. I've failed to trust people even though I know God's love for me never fails. I've had a hardened heart. I need first recognize the Lord's hand on my life, then praise Him for it. So that when the next thing comes, worship is just automatic. I don't want my hardened heart to ever get in the way of me faithfully following, passionately loving, fervently trusting, or joyfully rejoicing in the God Who walked on water, fed 5 thousand, healed the blind man, and parted the Red Sea.

Let's get serious

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us." 1 John 4:16

It's valentine's day...The day you have a date with the couch, watch Bridget Jones, and eat your feelings with chocolate or you wish your valentine was a little bit more romantic than pizza and a new vacuum, or maybe you think it's dumb that one day of the year people use flowers and chocolate to express love that should be expressed year-round. It's fun to joke about singleness, the ups and downs of relationships, and I'll admit that I also do enjoy a good ounce of cynicism over Hallmark's big money making day. But I also think that humor is a way to make light of very serious things. And I think that cynicism is used to smite our deepest longings and eventually kill the life of our heart. So in an effort to be serious and breathe life back into our hearts, I pray that we can allow God's love to speak into all our situations.

Missing your valentine who is far away? "And so we know and rely on love God has for us."

Wishing your valentine was still here? "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us."

Never had a healthy relationship with a man/woman because of childhood wounds? "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us."

Maybe you've just never had a relationship and wonder if there's something wrong with you? "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us."

In the worse part of the "for better or worse" promise you made years ago and looking for an out? "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us"

Feeling abandoned by people whom you thought loved you? "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us."

Never been loved by a single person? "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us"

Stay busy and work hard so you don't have to deal? "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us."

Realize that your social life would be over the second you lost your fancy house, cars, and houseboat? "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us."

Tried to find God, but He never really showed up? "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us."

Don't really believe in the existence of God? Even still..."And so we know and rely on the love God has for us."

God's heart for us, how He interacts with our lives, and pursues our hearts is the most amazing thing I've ever come across. It's meant to fill every whole of our lives, quiet the stirrings of our heart, is the healing nectar for the wounds that have scarred us, and the fulfillment of aches that seem to imply that we were made for something bigger than this world. May we know God loves us...and eventually learn to rely, stake everything, on His love for us. Happy Valentine's Day.