Genuine Heart

Heart of Worship (Bridge)

I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart
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When you come before God are you ready? Have you realized how much time you spent that week spending time in other things instead of letting him take control of what is going on? When you surrender those worries and other things on you heart and mind God will replace them with better things and your heart will change to a beautiful gem.

One speaker that I heard one day posed a contemplating question. "What is heavier in the room?". The meaning: What is your main desire/worry/stresser/burden/emotion...etc? God should be the heaviest thing in your heart.

A genuine heart of worship is what you want to bring to him. No fakes.

This is something that I always struggle with... Do you?

Recently I have started doing something new to my worship. Before I start my singing and worshiping I am going to ask God to search my heart for wickedness so that I can relinquish it to him.

God deserves a genuine pure heart. ♥
It will either look like an ugly stone or it will be a beautiful gem. Which heart do you want?

~Hannah

Directions

Psalm 119:57-64

{Lord, you are mine!
I promise to obey your words!
With all my heart I want your blessings.
Be merciful as you promised.
I pondered the direction of my life,
and I turned to follow your laws.
I will hurry, without delay,
to obey your commands.
Evil people try to drag me into sin,
but I am firmly anchored to your instructions.
I rise at midnight to thank you
for your just regulations.
I am a friend to anyone who fears you—
anyone who obeys your commandments.
O Lord, your unfailing love fills the earth;
teach me your decrees.}

Having such a wonderful God is such a blessing. He gives me a fellow Christian at work + sends me to a great school with awesome people + gives me a job at the school + blesses me with a new awesome roomate + many more things.

When we follow his commands (directions) it brings us blessings.

God's Boundaries

Jeremiah 5:22
"Have you no respect for me?
Why don’t you tremble in my presence?
I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline
as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross.
The waves may toss and roar,
but they can never pass the boundaries I set."

Our God is All-Powerful. He places boundaries around us because he knows we aren't ready for what is behind it.. and he takes them away because he knows that we can handle it to become stronger and learn more.

Knowledge a rare jewel.

Proverbs 20:15 (NIV)
"Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel"

Proverbs 13:14
"The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain; those who accept it avoid the snares of death"

Makes me think of college at IWU! :-)

Psalm 32:8-9

"The Lord says; 'I will guide you along the best path for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep under control."

Part of a poem I wrote:

God why can't you give me a clue?
This clue I will so longingly pursue!
I want to skip the hard rotten times
I just want to hear those joyful chimes!

This I have learned from many days
of me waiting on you to act
it's not only you that does stuff...
it's me that should learn how to react
to these seperate thoughts that keep coming my way
to these several things that have lead me astray
the only way I can learn this
is by watching for things that bewareingly are amiss
these things should not be in my brain
so my authentic can no longer be stained

Do you need to wear a bit and bridle. Does God need to say "WOOOOAAAAH!!! Hold on!!"

My Disability

2 Corinthians 9:12-10

He told me, "My grace is enough it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness." Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become." ~ The Message

This verse first made me think of finding a photograph that displayed a handicap of some sort... but then I remembered a favorite TV show I use to watch called Sue Thomas F B eye. She was deaf and had a dog that helped her. Buuut she also because of her disability she had a better ability to read people's mouths. This came in handy when undercover.

God can definitely use our weaknesses and he can make our weaknesses make us look stronger.

Foundation Stone

2 Timothy 2:19
"But God's truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription 'The Lord knows who are his' and 'all who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil'."

I never knew that those signs on buildings that dedicated the building to a person was called a foundation stone. I flickr'ed for a picture and that is what I saw. Pretty neat.

Just Imagine God's house with a foundation stone. Where is God's house? Is it the temple? Our bodies are his temple. Just image a placement of a sign or seal engraved on you that says "The Lord knows who are His".

Pretty neat.