From the Heart by B.Demaere

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 to you when you give.   That verse is in the context of gi

  God is fully aware of what you either care or worry about.   He also wants you to let him know how you feel about it.   Are you angry about it or not?   He wants to know even though he knows.   He wants to know for your own sake.   You need to vocalize your feelings.   Prayer is super healthy for you mentally and physically.   I am not just saying that I have not been sick in a long time.   I don’t want to be. In Psalm 139:1-3 “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways.”   Is it not great to know that God knows all this about us and still is merciful with us to allow us to worry about it all?   Would it not be easier to simply trust Him and “Cast all our cares upon Him for He cares for us” (1 Peter 5:7).   I know but I still do worry occasionally.   The older I become the more I realize how futile and wasteful it is

When I struggle, there is a scripture that I go back regularly and read.   It is Psalm 37:1-4 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass And wither like the green herb.   Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, And he will give you the desires Of your heart.   No matter in what kind of situation we might find ourselves in among people, our vertical relationship with God should take the precedent over our horizontal relationships.   We cannot change people anyway and we must trust God for them and with them.   We cannot be jealous of them because they are getting away with so many things.   We must find our comfort in the fact that we in the end have the better end of the stick.   The end with the honey.   Our hope is that sweet compared to the pleasures of sin.   Even people around let themselves slide into complacency I

  Simple as Faith Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality-faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experiences by the physical senses] Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified Bible) Many people wish that they had more, but God only wants us to operate first in the faith we have, then as we do it he will give us more. Hebrews 11:1 tells us what faith is.   Apparently, if you are a born-again Christian this is how you started.   Faith was already there in your heart, and you acted on it. What is faith? It is the certainty of what you hope for.   You were certain of what you hoped for and that was Jesus.   You acted as if you had always known him and went forward with it. Well, faith is that simple, so simple a child understands the concept.   With that assurance put your best foot forward and trust God.   He will carry you through. Faith is the reality of what you

  Be like a Tree (Jeremiah 17:7-8) I like this verse in the Bible so much.  This is one of my goals in life.  The verses before these ones are the alternative life one gets if they do not trust the Lord. “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.   They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.   It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.   It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”          (Jeremiah 17:7-8) Over the years I have noticed some improvement in my life as the Lord has used this verse to help me to trust him more and more.   I used to be very anxious because of my mental illness.   To get back to this verse.   The trust that we must have in the Lord must ideally be unshakeable because he is unshakeable.   Our reliance must be on him and his ability to do something about the situation we are in.   It must be so easy for us to focus down on our situat

  Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will heard from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land. I like this verse and the way it's constructed.  I like the "and's" in this sentence connecting all the elements into one.  Not one element is more important than the other.  All must be done together. Humble could mean a lot of things to us and yet one thing humility is related to is 'rest'.  They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31)  The word "wait" means trust and God is fully aware of what happens inside of us.  A lot of mistrust, worry.  We can put a humble face, but God sure looks at the heart.  If humility is not part of our characters it doesn't count.  Are you afraid of what people may think of you?  Where is humility in that.  Now the kind of praying I am sure he is referring to is mostly 'closet' pr