From the Heart by B.Demaere

Have you ever read a book with a new outlook, a renewed focus about it or life?  This happened to me as I was reading the “strange ” book of Ecclesiastes .  Although the author of the book is thought to be king Solomon.  It is now Solomon as a ‘senior” we are reading.  I always thought I was reading the book of an old man“tired of life”.  But now I am reconsidering him.  He is not so far from the truth.  I better pay attention to his wisdom. What I see in this book is phenomenal.   He is inviting us to evaluate our lives and to think long and hard at our time and moments. How we value it or them.   Do not work so hard that you miss half of your life.   He is asking us to consider the value of things and for him to have reached the end of his life and passing it on to us is a treasure of wisdom that I am truly thankful for.   It is my legacy from him. In the third chapter he wants to break our time in moments and name them. ...

  Today’s scripture is straight forward:   “Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble, the Lord delivers him; The Lord protects him and keeps him alive; He is called blessed in the land; You do not give him up to the will of his enemies. The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; In his illness you restore him to full health . (Psalm 41:1-3) Yes although the picture changes after this verse as he goes through persecution he does not take his sight off the Lord and he return to him in victory.   Why? Based on his integrity.   The psalmist always believed that his integrity would save him.   He viewed God with a pure heart and blessed are those who are pure in heart for they shall see God.   It is the way you think God views you that affects your relationship the most.   Look at the servant who hid his talent and did not let it grow into a profit.   He did not view his master as a good master because he feared him...

 In truth, God loves you always even when you do not feel it inside.  Even when you feel all alone and abandoned, do not fear but always press into his love in complete trust. Are you in the depth of your soul crying for help?   Help is on the way in a new way.   Be ready to listen to God’s prompting. Go wherever he leads you he will give you an answer. He did give an answer to Hannah in (1 Samuel 1:9-20) when she was praying quietly for a son.   It was between her and her God and out of great sadness she trusted God. After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose.   Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord.   She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.   And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give your servant a son, then I will give him to th...

The whole world is into it now, investing, gambling and banking but is it for the Christian community to get involved.  We like it but is it good, is it expedient?  Do we honour God in that way?  Jesus said sell, give to the poor but is that too radical for us?  There is a constant pull in us to be like the world.  It is comfortable.  We have to provide for our families, or do we?  Is it not God’s responsibility?  Do we let him be God?  Do we let him be in control or do we do our own thing?  How much comfort do we need?  It is hard for me to write this because I like it so much my way. But I also like it God’s way and I want to grow in wisdom, his wisdom.   Many will hate it but that is the risk I take, not to be liked. Nevertheless, in Galatians 6:7 it says: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap”(NLT) Yes, and so God does not want to be mocked and so he will remain faithful...