Burn for You

Photo Courtesy of Jody Stuart

Valentine's Day has passed, but my heart beats for Jesus throughout the year. This morning, while reading my Bible, I came across this verse:

"And they said to one another, 'Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?'"
~ Luke 24:32

Does my heart burn within me as I read the Word or talk with the Lord? It sure does!

How about you? Can you relate to any of the following?

• While reading the Word, a scripture verse jumps off the page at you, and your heart leaps with excitement as you learn a new facet of who God is.
•  While reading the Word, you melt and a tear wells in your eye as God speaks words of comfort and love into your heart.
• You're standing in the shower, talking to God before your day begins, and God whispers a plan into your heart that you can't help get excited about. You feel it start down in your belly and rise through your heart and up into your throat, knowing this is of God. You can't contain the anticipation and long to announce this new plan to the world. Cutting your shower short, you quickly dry off and throw your clothes on, nearly tripping over your pants as you race to your desk to start an outline of said plan.
• You hear His voice in your friends' phone calls, Facebook posts, Tweets, or pins. And when you do, you feel a little tingle inside.
• God speaks to your heart, and it feels like you just laid eyes on your beloved for the first time. You get all jittery and nervous-like. You glance around to see if anyone else notices your sudden reaction.
• You're praising Him on Sunday morning, and you get swept away to another world. Suddenly you're ballroom dancing in a palace hall with arched golden windows. You meet your lead's eyes, and it's Jesus. Suddenly, you're no longer just a person in a sea of people.
• Your husband (or parent, pastor, close friend) brings your attention to an area of lack in your life, and despite your urge to kick him (her), you feel conviction weighing down on you. God is speaking, even though He's using someone else. Instead of kicking the person, you run off to your prayer closet and bury your face in the carpet, because your heart is burning in the Refiner's fire.

These are just a few examples to consider. How else can you describe that burning in your heart that only Jesus' presence brings? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Proverbs 21 - Convicted

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
  But the Lord weighs the hearts."
  ~ Proverbs 21:2

Have you ever had one of those moments when you thought you were in the right, that what you felt was truth, only to discover a minute, an hour, or three days later that you were utterly mistaken? God's voice pierces your thought life and gently whispers, "By the way, you were wrong the other day. You should go back and correct that."

Your heart sinks. You stand convicted.

Many people thought they were right over 2000 years ago. They screamed, "Crucify Him!" They wanted an innocent man dead. They let a convicted killer go free in His stead. 

Later, two men hung on the crosses beside Him. At first, both mocked him. And then, one had a change of heart. He came under conviction. 

"Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." He turns to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." The first sinner's prayer is whispered at Calvary.

And Jesus answers, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise." (See Luke 23:39-43)

Jesus understands what it feels like to be convicted. Whether what we do is right or wrong, our Savior understands the need to make things right. He understands the humility of having to face our sins. 

Sometimes, we think we're just plain right. But the Lord weighs our hearts. And then we discover just how wrong we really are. 

If you hear God whispering a word of correction today, make the effort to make things right. Repent, like the thief on the cross. Confess your sin to your Savior. Get a glimpse of heaven today when God moves in your heart. 

Photo Copyright 2010 Alycia W. Morales