I've witnessed some pretty cool things when God has moved; limbs growing, miraculous healings, and even gold dust appearing. It's always awesome when God impacts people's lives visibly and powerfully.
However, what may have impacted and changed a person's life initially when they've seen God do something supernatural doesn't necessarily affect everyone's lives forever. Some people have returned to how they were before a God encounter a few months or years later. The change or revelation of God's love and care for them didn't change them permanently.
Jesus gave us a key as to why this happens when He said to watch the condition of our hearts because when He speaks and reveals, it's like a seed being sown.
It can either fall on good ground, which will cause it to grow and bear fruit in our lives, or fall on the cluttered ground of hearts where it will struggle to thrive and inevitably die away. (Matthew 13).
Some keys to help position ourselves to hold onto what God has revealed and "sown" into our lives, we can:
1.Be a person who values and honours God's presence and power. Decide to stand on what He has said in His word more than anybody else's opinion. Keep your eyes focused on what He says rather than be moved by circumstances or the pressure and temptations of the world.
2. Keep short accounts and our hearts uncluttered – Deal with issues when they arise and forgive and let go of offence quickly. It only hurts you when you don't.
3. Prioritise time with Jesus – Spend time with Jesus, in His Word, and being with Him. It's a relationship, and if you don't spend time building relationships, they don't work, and our love and sensitivity to one another grow cold. The same is true for your relationship with Jesus.
4. Spend time with others who know Him – there's a reason God's Word says to "not neglect meeting together". No matter how on fire we may feel, if you take hot coal out of the fire, it will eventually grow cold all by itself.
"Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another" (Hebrews 10:25)
5. Write down what God has said and has revealed - Keep it before your eyes, in your mouth and in the forefront of your heart and mind. We think about what we are looking at, so be mindful of what you focus on and think about. God is faithful to His promises, so don't let go of them.
6. Keep your emotions under control. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit working in our lives is self-control. The more time you spend with Jesus and are open to His presence in your life, the less you'll be governed by our emotions, and the easier it is for God to lead you. If your emotions are getting the better of you, it pays to examine why? Do you have undealt with hurts or issues? Are you stressed, overtired, or need to readjust some things in your life?
Unchecked emotions will cause your life to run amok if you're not careful, so do what you need to do to keep yourself in balance.
"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23)
Today don't allow the world's cares, pressures, concerns, and the desire for the temporary to cheat you out of God's best and the life you were created to live.
Keep short accounts, an uncluttered heart, and emotions in check and determine to value and hold onto what God says and has revealed to you more than anything else.
Prayer: Lord, thank you that you speak and reveal things to me. I value and honour my relationship with you and want to keep my heart uncluttered. Please help me to deal with things that affect my heart quickly and to hold onto what you say more than anything else today. In Jesus name Amen.
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