Matters of the Heart

The eyes begin to water, the nose starts to tingle, a yawn. A sneeze.

The beginning of a cold.

It manifests itself into your body, ever so carefully, starting out as something small, hinting at the infestation to come.

Hinting at the lingering discomfort. A headache, a runny nose, a sore throat.

Our strong bodies, which were designed to fight off illnesses, easily defeated by one intrusive germ that mutates into an army of bacteria. 

Then there is the heart.

The eyes begin to water {oh don't tell me}, the nose starts to tingle {if I get sick again I swear}, a yawn {I don't have time for this crap I have so much to do this week}. A sneeze {Well that's just great. Just great.}

The beginning of a cold {bring on the misery, didn't I already put in my pittance with the stomach flu last week, with getting puked on by my children and cleaning/disinfecting everything we own all weekend. Why should I have to go through this again. Now!}

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. ~Luke 6:45 45

Negativity weaves it's way into your heart, ever so slowly, careful to be sure it's justified, making way for the indignation to come.

The heart, designed specifically to love others, easily infiltrated by one proud thought that turns into an army of bitterness.

Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.~ Proverbs 18:12

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." ~ 1 Samuel 16:7

I want my heart to be pure, to have good stored up within it, not grumpiness or distrust because of something minor like a cold, or a long month, full of selfish desires. I want my heart to reflect me as a child of a King, a Lord who is in control, worthy to be praised, loved, feared, followed, in ALL THINGS.

And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD. ~2 Chronicles 12:14 

I want to make sure that I make an effort, daily {hourly, minutely, secondly, when necessary} to prepare my heart to seek the Lord. To seek Him out in the Word, in my circumstances, in the beauty around me, in the forced break a cold and stomach bug give, in the new home that's easier to clean, in everything that's affecting me today. To see Him, His will, His desires, and live according to His commands, not complaining and being sour about whose circumstances are worse but being self sacrificing and giving to others, and lifting everything to Him in prayer. 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ~ Matthew 5:8