State of the Heart

It is Valentine's Day ~ a day when many folks rush to determine what that perfect gift is to express their love for their special someone. People sift through shelves stocked with heart-shaped items: giant hunks of chocolate, greeting cards, stuffed animals and those little boxed candies called 'sweethearts'. You know, the ones with a different message stamped on each heart.

But maybe Valentine's Day is a day of pain for you. Perhaps it brings back sad memories, or is marked by the brokenness of a relationship or loss through death. Maybe you are still waiting to find your soulmate in life and it simply has not happened yet.

Let's stop a moment and deliberately turn our thoughts away from ourselves or other people. Instead, let's think about searching for just that right gift to express our love for our Lord Jesus.

What kind of heart does He want to receive?

Psalm 51:17 describes just the type He is looking for. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Contrite means crushed or broken. Does this describe your heart? While human love is a great and marvelous gift from God, it is not the deepest form of love for us to know and share. The purest love we can experience is the love of God.

And why?

"...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God." Eph. 3:17-19

So, however you choose to spend Valentine's Day I pray you will carve out extra time to reflect on God's love for YOU. He's not looking for a lace-laden manufactured heart. Your open, honest, contrite heart will do just fine.

If Christ were handing out sweetheart candies, the one placed in your palm would be stamped with three simple words, "I love you."

For Him,
Julie

John Piper on Adoption

Several times people have asked me to write about the spiritual aspects of adoption. It is certainly a passion of mine, but why should I write when you can read, listen to and learn from master communicator John Piper?

In this brief video Piper shares the reasons behind his actions of adopting his daughter. He also explains point by point the theological basis for adoption. At 50 years old, Piper opened his heart and his home to a little girl in need of receiving a father's love. In doing so, he not only provided her with a picture of an earthly father's love but more importantly, he provided her a glimpse into a more profound love that we all can find through the Heavenly Father.

Did you know salvation is adoption?

There is only one begotten (born) son of God: Jesus, the Christ. The rest of us, whether Jew or Gentile, are brought into the family through adoption. Isn't that phenomenal? And, God had it planned before the foundation of time!

Humbled and grateful all over again,
Julie