STILL MY HEART
- Olufunmilayo Adekusibe
- 11 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Readings:
Exodus 14:5-18
Exodus 15:1-6
Matthew 12:38-42
What you want is not what you need. Our wants are superficial, temporary and often selfish. Our needs are deep, long-lasting and profitable to others. Sadly, we fall into the trap of confusing our wants and needs just like the Israelites and the Jewish leaders. The Israelites had successfully left Egypt, but not without a fight. Egypt gave chase, and the hearts of the Israelites melted. They blamed God and Moses for bringing them out of slavery: “Were there no graves in Egypt that you must lead us out to die in the wilderness? What good have you done us, bringing us out of Egypt? We spoke of this in Egypt, did we not? Leave us alone, we said, we would rather work for the Egyptians! Better to work for the Egyptians than die in the wilderness!” (Exodus 14:11). The Pharisees and scribes, in a similar way, demanded a sign from Jesus to prove he was the Messiah of God (Matthew 12:38).
Both instances reveal how much work needs to be done on our minds and understanding of who God is to us and for us. God is our Lord, our Master, the One to whom we owe allegiance, service and worship. For us, He is a deliverer, a saviour, a sanctifier (the one who makes us holy), a vivifier (the one who gives supernatural life) and our source of lasting happiness. If we cry at the slightest sign of trouble or rebel at the slightest discomfort, we display our disloyalty and lack of trust; we show that our hearts belong with someone else than God. Who does your heart belong to? Who does your heart yearn for? Jesus says that the only sign that is required for an unbelieving heart to be convinced is the sign of Jonah, which is made even more pronounced by the death and resurrection of Jesus. In both Jonah and Jesus, impossibility became possible. Once thought dead, Jonah was delivered from the belly of a whale. Buried for three days in the grave, Jesus rose from the dead. In both cases, death is swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54). Indeed, nothing is impossible for God. Nothing you are going through will consume you if you stand firm.
Take to heart Moses’ admonition to the Israelites: “Have no fear! Stand firm, and you will see what the Lord will do to save you today: the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will do the fighting for you: you have only to keep still.” (Exodus 14:13). Pray this week for stillness of heart before God. No matter what you are going through, it shall not swallow you up. Do not run helter-skelter in search of solutions, deliverance or breakthrough. The Lord who broke the prison bars of death has already won victory for you. Free yourself from the strangle-hold of sin, selfishness, malice, disloyalty, lack of trust and myopic vision. Fix your gaze on Christ and He will save you from sin, Satan and eternal death, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
JUDE-MARY OWOH
To surrender your life to Christ, say this prayer aloud. “Father, I acknowledge my sin against You. I repent and ask for forgiveness, in the name of Jesus. I surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, take control of my heart and lead me in Your path of righteousness. Thank you, Lord.”
If you said the prayer, Congratulations! You are welcome to the body of Christ. Prayerfully look for a living church and meet the resident reverend, pastor or priest.
Prayer:
Eternal Father, I am sorry for the times I have been faithless and distrustful. Release me from fear and anxiety, bestow me with your perfect gift and fill my heart with the everlasting reassurance that nothing is impossible for You. Amen.
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