The Faith Dare: Day 1

Picture Source

Today's focus, Day 1's focus is on a new heart...and this one is close to my heart, for this reminds me so much of where we have been to allow God the use of doctors to correct my daughter's heart/lung defect.  She is a miracle, a miracle performed by The Miracle Worker.  He gave her a new heart by correcting her defect via four surgeries.  Praise God!

"As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man." - Proverbs 27:19

Have you ever noticed, though, that the best reflections are the ones in the cleanest of waters?  Muddy water reflects, but that image just does not contain the pristine sharpness, the sparkle of life that comes from clear water.  This, then, has to be true of our hearts as well.  A heart that is pure reflects just that, a life that is lived for Him, a life that reflects His love.

My heart is not pure and will not be so until our days are ended here, but that does not mean that do not daily attempt to live for him.  I can strive to stay out of the muddy, stagnant waters, thereby better reflecting a Christian walk.  Two years ago this past May, I experienced a revival in my soul, and while I may not always reflect this minute to minute, from day to day, from week to week, from month to month...and now year to year, my life does reflect that stirring of revival.  As a matter of fact, I just shared with my Sunday evening discipleship class this past weekend, that this is my prayer for our church...that we experience a revival.  First, though, that revival has to come to each individual, for that is what makes up the church.  Lord, send your people a revival!

Debbie Alsdorf, author of The Faith Dare, encourages the following prayer found in Psalm 86:11:  "Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name."  To obtain this, I must not allow myself to be distracted, to be have division; I must remain focused on Him.  These distractions can be so simple, so sly, so seemingly insignificant, yet so harmful, for they are usually the things that steal our time away from such book studies such as these.  Social media is one such distraction for me...Facebook, Twitter.  If not careful, I can spend several hours perusing posts on each of these.  Precious time that I might have spent reading His Word.

All this adds up to that desire for a continued new heart, to a continued revival of my soul.  Yes, Lord, give me a new heart, one that is not divided, one that reflects Jesus Christ.

Tonight, for the first time, I experienced an online chat hosted by a facilitator for Bible Cafe for Women (please click on the link to learn all about it!).  What a blessing!  Truly! 

How's your heart?  Need a new one?  God can do that.  

Blessings!