You know that Sunday feeling, right?
We leave the church building inspired and filled with Truth and encouragement on Sundays … and somewhere along the course of the week, pieces of the message tend to fade and we often lose that Sunday feeling.
The Monday After {the Sunday Sermon} carries the Sunday message into Monday mornings by sharing how what we’ve heard on Sunday morning is making a difference in our Mondays, our weeks, our lives. Because of your generosity to Accelerate, we are able to share these stories! Thank you!
The Monday After Sunday, March 23, 2014 : The Authority of the Bible {click HERE to listen!}
By Sheryll Belonga
Imagine with me the first days on Earth as God brings forth all there is to be. The sun shines at the dawn of a new day.The birds are singing their morning song. In the distance clouds move ever so easily as the wind sways them; yet something is missing. Everything Adam could possibly want is at his finger tips so what else could there be?
He awakens again to the same beauty around that was there once before except now something is different. God, in His wisdom, has looked into the very depth of his soul and knew that he needed more. He met a need that Adam was unaware even existed. He saw into his heart and gave him Eve.
I wake in the morning, and I know — I am Adam.
And I am grateful that God can see into my heart and meet needs that I am not aware exist.
1st Samuel 16:7 says,
“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
To a stranger passing by our life may look perfect at times — like we have everything we need and we have it all together. I myself have had many people tell me that they thought I had it all together, but I made sure I set pride aside to reveal to them the truth. I am a work in progress. I am a piece of clay, and I need God to continually mold me. At times I may be hard, already set clay, and he needs a sharper instrument to make me into what he wants me to be. God looks into my heart, and He knows what I need and what I need to remove. He sees beyond what already is and knows what I need.
Spending time in His word helps with this process. It doesn’t make the process any easier but just like the warmth of your hands can soften clay, the Bible softens my heart. When my heart is softer He can work with me more easily. He can then make me into who HE wants me to be. I don’t always bend in the direction He wants me to go, there are times when I resist. It is in those times that I need to be broken so that He can remake me again.
As I go through this process over and over again with Him I learn to trust His guiding hand. I have learned to trust His word. Sure the process is still painful at times but I know that it is for my good. That is when being in His word gives me strength. I need to have His word in me so that I can lean on those scriptures that I know to be true.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says,
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” I may not always understand but I still need to trust and acknowledge Him.
I follow my husband’s leading when it comes to making decisions — no, not all the time and not without kicking of heals. But when I reflect on his history with decision-making he has never steered me wrong. I’ve realized I need to trust him. God reminds me that my husband has my best interest at heart. God is like that, except perfect.
When I look back over my life I see God’s hand in the good and the bad. I see Him guiding me and looking into my heart and giving me what I need. I trust Him and I know that I can take Him at His word. He has my best interest at heart because He knows my heart. He knows yours, too.
This week is to try setting aside time to strengthen your connection with Him. Start off simple with 5-10 minutes, and then increase as you feel led to. I heard someone say today that obedience will lead to desire and desire will lead to joy. If I am honest I have not quite gotten to the joy part consistently. I am barely at desire on some days, so my goal for now is just obedience. Ask God to look into your heart and allow Him, through His word, to meet your need.
Sheryll Belonga is wife to Jurrell and homeschooling mom to their three great boys. Her hearts desire is to glorify God in all she says and does in spite of life’s daily happenings.
IMMANUEL CHURCH 