The Fire Of Your Heart

"Want to know God's will for your life? Then answer this question:

What ignites your heart?

Forgotten orphans? Untouched nations? The inner city? The outer limits?

Heed the fire within!

Do you have a passion to sing? Then sing!
Are you stirred to manage? Then manage!
Do you ache for the ill? Then cure them!
Do you hurt for the lost? Then teach them!

As a young man I felt the call to preach. Unsure if I was correct in my reading of God's will for me, I sought the council of a minister I admired. His council still rings true. 'Don't preach,' he said, 'unless you have to.'

As I pondered his words I found my answer: 'I have to. If I don't, the fire will consume me.'

What is the fire that consumes you?"

-Max Lucado

The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity.

"...the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity..."
-Isaiah 57:15 KJV

I wanted to write about something I have been thinking about and learning alot more lately. I don't even know what I'm going to write, or how it's going to turn out, but here it is. I was just thinking about all the confusing things in life. There are a few big things in my life right now that are really worrying me, and I don't have any clue how anything is going to turn out. And I'm sure everyone that is reading this has at least one thing in their life that is bothering them right now, and really causing some burden and worry. Whatever the situation, remember this:

God is "...the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity."

We don't always know why things have to be the way they are. We don't know how everything is going to turn out. Whether your a young person worried about the future (like me), or some bad thing has happened in life, and you don't know the answers.

No matter what, God knows what you are going through. The Bible says He inhabits eternity. We only see and understand the "here-and-now". I don't know about you, but I sure don't know what is going to happen in the future. If I'm lucky, I might be able to guess just a little bit of today. But God can see from eternity to eternity. He can see the whole picture. He can see the things we can't yet see, and He knows the things we don't yet understand. And He understands everything that we are going though.

When hard times come, and you don't understand, and you don't know the answers. And when you don't know what to do or where to go; go to Him! When you don't know what to do - go to Him. When you don't know where to go - go to Him. When you don't know or understand - rest in Him and trust in Him. Whether we are walking through green meadows and peaceful streams or stumbling through the valley of the shadow of death, we need Him. He is in control, He is in charge, He knows and understands what is going on. And He does care!

I personally don't always know where I am going, but I do know Who is leading the way! I don't understand everything that happens, but I know the One who does. I can't see the whole picture, but the One Who sees eternity to eternity, from everlasting to everlasting, does see everything.

Trust Him...

[article from my site: daretobereal.net]

"When we place our lives in the hands of Jesus, we place our lives in the hands of one who would rather be abandoned, than to abandon us."
-Pastor Chuck Legvold

"If you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it everytime."

"I will never stop chasing
I will never stop running after
You are all I want forever"
-Chasing (Glen Packiam)

"The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over."
-Psalm 12:6 NLT

"But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us. And when I awake in heaven, I will be fully satisified, for I will see you face to face."
-Psalm 17:15 TLB

He is my God, and I will praise Him...

"The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my victory. He is my God, and I will praise Him."

- Exodus 15:2 NLT

Praise music is the only music I can never get enough of.

Sure, I love rock, punk, and all that other stuff I listen to. But I can only listen to so much of it. Praise music is something that just never gets old to me.

When everything is going great, there is a song that I can use to praise Him. When things are dark and confusing; when I feel totally defeated; when I am confused and have no direction; there is a song that I can use to tell Him, ask for His help, and be reminded that there is a light up ahead. When the Devil is bombarding me with lies, in addition to my own fears, there is a song I can use to remind me that He loves me, and will take care of me, and to trust in only Him and listen to His voice.

Praise music is alive. Some of it has come out of the darkest and lowest times of life. Some of it, from times of victory and thanksgiving. It's full of meaning and life.

I am beginning to find all other music just...empty...

I love music more than anything. I want to spend the rest of my life worshiping with it.

All that I have and everything that I am...

Take My Life And Let It Be
Frances R. Havergal

Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise. Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move At the impulse of Thy love; Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee. Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing Always, only, for my King; Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee. Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold: Not a mite would I withhold; Take my intellect, and use
Ev'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose. Ev'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine, It shall be no longer mine; Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne. It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure store; Take myself, and I will be,
Ever, only, all for Thee. Ever, only, all for Thee.

God doesn't want mere rituals. He doesn't want us to be Christians for one hour on Sunday. He doesn't want us to read the Bible in the morning and forget what was said before we even close the cover. He doesn't want a hurried, thoughtless prayer in the morning before we set off and go and do what we want to do. He couldn't care less about any of those things if we:

"honor Him with our lips, but our hearts are far from Him."
Isaiah 29:13.

God wants all of me!

He wants my heart. He wants my life. He wants my dreams. He wants to be my dream! He wants my will. He wants my plans. He wants my love. He wants to be my only God. He wants me, and all of me; everything that I have and am. He wants to be my everything. He wants to completely fill me and my life. He wants my total loyalty. He wants to burn like a raging fire in my heart.

God wants all of me; everything there is and all that I have and everything that I am...He wants.

"Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an off'ring far too small
Love so amazing so divine
Demands my soul my life my all"
-The Wonderful Cross