Each Tuesday this month, I’ll be sharing from the book Whispers and Wildflowers by Sarah Beth Marr.
We all want new beginnings – a fresh start. I always love the start of a new journal or notebook as it waits for fresh thoughts and quotes to take life. Isaiah 43:19 brings this hope to us all:
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (NLT)
We are reminded that when God forgives and restores, He starts a new thing in our lives.
“He wants us to forget the failures of the past, witness Him in our present, and claim His promises for the future” (Wiersbe Study Bible).
God can calm every storm in our lives. There are no hopeless situations in God’s sight. Every storm must obey His command.
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The Lord extends the invitation to us to “Come”. However it is we who must take His yoke upon ourselves and be willing to learn from Him.
“Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile. He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.” (Mark 6:31, NLT)
Jesus called the disciples to come aside to rest a while, and it was to be a deserted place. He wanted them to be renewed in body and soul. Jesus knows we need time alone with God to recover what we lose of ourselves in the busyness of the day.
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“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”
(Proverbs 4:23, NKJV)
The passage in Proverbs reminds us of the preciousness of our hearts. They need tending both in the physical and spiritual realms.
Our hearts are crucial in the battles we face, as they will determine if we will be wise or foolish, godly or sinful.
The question we must ask ourselves is, “What is springing from my heart?”
That which fills our hearts will affect our thinking. If we desire right thinking, we must fill ourselves with the right things – God’s Word results in right thinking.
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8, NLT)
Paul urges us to focus on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise. Our hearts are storehouses and if we are going to make room for right thinking and thoughts, we must empty our hearts of all that is taking up space.
This week as we think about what is crowding our hearts, let’s join Sarah Beth Marr in praying:
“Lord, I give You my heart, and I ask You to reign in it fully. I ask You to ultimately be the keeper of my heart. Amen” (page 54)
1 – Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash
2- Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
3 – Photo by Francesco Gallarotti on Unsplash
Today I am joining … Tell His Story and Grace Full Tuesday and Purposeful Faith .
Joanne, such beautiful reflections from Sarah Beth. I’ve always loved Mark 6:31, realizing Jesus is calling me to go away with Him to rest a while. And a powerful thought to ponder what is crowding my heart. Thank you!
I’ve been going through the book with a small group of women this month. We are each discovering that even good things can crowd our hearts and keep us from the best things. May we each make room in our hearts for Him and what He would have for us. Blessings!
Joanne,
What a great reminder to fill my head and my heart with what is pure and lovely. What can be more lovely than God’s holy word. The more I take it in, the more it pushes the junk out and what a beautiful reminder that every day is a fresh new start. Here’s to beginning this day right!
Blessings,
Bev xo
Yes, indeed Bev! He pushes out the crowd, making more space for Him. xo
Joanne, in this season of my life, rest seems to be a precious (RARE) commodity. I am working to find times of rest in each day, but it’s been hard to take advantage of them when they come because so many items on my to-do list call to me. But, rest is important, and I need to change my thinking about it.
I loved this: “Jesus knows we need time alone with God to recover what we lose of ourselves in the busyness of the day.”
Jeanne, I have been discovering how much I lose of myself in the busyness. Busyness can deplete me leaving me unable to be effective or productive. But rest is restorative, filling our souls so we are able to continue on. I’m discovering that they don’t call it a “power nap” for nothing 🙂
Beautiful thoughts from Sarah and from you. I fill my heart with more than anyone ever should thinking I have it all under control. I love the quote from Sarah about creating heart-space so we can flourish. That caused me to pause. Now I need to take time to see what God is telling me about all of this.