The View From My Heart

This is that which has been given to me and I give to you....

Genesis 24:10-28 (Message) tells this story of the heart this way…^10-14 The servant took ten of his master’s camels and, loaded with gifts from his master, traveled to Mesopotamia and the city of Nahor. Outside the city, he made the camels kneel at a well. It was evening, the time when the women came to draw water. He prayed, “O God, God of my master Abraham, make things go smoothly this day; treat my master Abraham well! As I stand here by the spring while the young women of the town come out to get water, let the girl to whom I say, ‘Lower your jug and give me a drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and let me also water your camels’—let her be the woman you have picked out for your servant Isaac. Then I’ll know that you’re working graciously behind the scenes for my master.”       ….Notice that this man knew God. The text says he was prepared to give. He knew and took authority over the animals as he had been instructed. He was a prayer warrior and with definite requests he made his wants known to God (Philippians 4:6 Amplified)

^15-17 It so happened that the words were barely out of his mouth when Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel whose mother was Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with a water jug on her shoulder. The girl was stunningly beautiful, a pure virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please, can I have a sip of water from your jug?”   ….The favor of God was on this man as his prayer was answered with Godspeed. She was everything he asked for and more. He recognized his answered prayer.

 

 ^18-21  She said, “Certainly, drink!” And she held the jug so that he could drink. When he had satisfied his thirst she said, “I’ll get water for your camels, too, until they’ve drunk their fill.” She promptly emptied her jug into the trough and ran back to the well to fill it, and she kept at it until she had watered all the camels. The man watched, silent. Was this God’s answer? Had God made his trip a success or not? ….She didn’t hesitate. She went the extra mile. She graciously served him and promptly. She not only did as he asked but more than he asked. He was watchful of her blessing. Verse 21 (NKJV) says that he wondered at her. Moreover, being discerning of how his prayer just got answered.

 

^22-23 When the camels had finished drinking, the man brought out gifts, a gold nose ring weighing a little over a quarter of an ounce and two arm bracelets weighing about four ounces, and gave them to her. He asked her, “Tell me about your family? Whose daughter are you? Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay the night?” ….His gifts were generously given though he gave also treasure of his heart in conversation. This proved his gift of any value was worthy from a heart cultivated of God.

 

^24-25 She said, “I’m the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor. And there’s plenty of room in our house for you to stay—and lots of straw and feed besides.” ….She graciously responded and the generosity was returned once again as she offered him her blessing.

 

^26-27 At this the man bowed in worship before God and prayed, “Blessed be God, God of my master Abraham: How generous and true you’ve been to my master; you’ve held nothing back. You led me right to the door of my master’s brother!”  ²⁸ And the girl was off and running, telling everyone in her mother’s house what had happened. ….Notice that His gratitude was instantaneous as he was exceedingly thankful. He was led of God because it was in his heart. This kind of attitude of heart is almost a rush to give thanksgiving for what he had received.  She was giddy and told everyone of the great blessings. The woman at the well realizing the blessing she just spoke with in her Savior ran telling everyone she knew.

 

This is that which God gives…love….salvation, generosity, gifts that are exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask, think or imagine. We receive His heart and we go forth doing likewise.

 

Proverbs 18:14-24 Message says….

¹⁴ A healthy spirit conquers adversity,
but what can you do when the spirit is crushed? (You must have God in your heart to give of his blessings of love. There is healing for a crushed spirit!)

¹⁵ Wise men and women are always learning,
always listening for fresh insights. (This is wisdom)

¹⁶ A gift gets attention;
it buys the attention of eminent people. (Notice that if there is a gift. Gifts are given from on high. If there is a gift to give there are those that are in need.)

¹⁷ The first speech in a court case is always convincing—
until the cross-examination starts! (Examining the cross helps examine the heart)

¹⁸ You may have to draw straws
when faced with a tough decision. (Ask for a verse and be led of the Holy Spirit)

¹⁹ Do a favor and win a friend forever;
nothing can untie that bond. (It is in your power. Ask for the gift of love. Give. You have a blessing to gain. A cord of three is not easily broken!)

²⁰ Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach;
good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest. (There are many gifts to be given of good conversation and much harvest to be reaped in its doing)

²¹ Words kill, words give life;
they’re either poison or fruit—you choose. (Choose this day whom you will serve and be as the giver of life)

²² Find a good spouse, you find a good life—
and even more: the favor of God! (Do not be among the deceived in the latter days, holding back the plan of God for these precious relationships)

²³ The poor speak in soft supplications;
the rich bark out answers. (Carry joy with you! There is a big difference in a bark and a rebuke. One carries unregenerate anger. The other carries the Spirit of God)

²⁴ Friends come and friends go,
but a true friend sticks by you like family. (And precious are these!)

 

John 12:1-8 Message says this….^1-3 Six days before Passover, Jesus entered Bethany where Lazarus, so recently raised from the dead, was living. Lazarus and his sisters invited Jesus to dinner at their home. Martha served. Lazarus was one of those sitting at the table with them. Mary came in with a jar of very expensive aromatic oils, anointed and massaged Jesus’ feet, and then wiped them with her hair. The fragrance of the oils filled the house….The friendship of God brought Lazarus from the tomb to the table of fellowship. Martha was serving with her gift. Mary brought her own gift and at the shock of those watching poured it on his feet and bowed down low and washed his feet with her hair. The fragrance of love filled the whole house. Her humility was her greatest gift. From this love gift she had there was no cost too great to give to Him.

^4-6 Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, even then getting ready to betray him, said, “Why wasn’t this oil sold and the money given to the poor? It would have easily brought three hundred silver pieces.” He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them….one not carrying love always wants an account of how you spend, often has a better plan with different intentions at heart and usually does not act out of love. The fruit is evident.

^7-8 Jesus said, “Let her alone. She’s anticipating and honoring the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you. You don’t always have me.” ….Honor speaks. In this day it is spoken of his upcoming burial. Though love of the heart was the greatest message in this gift, the greater gift is asking Him into your heart.

 

John 4:1-14 Message says…

^1-3 Jesus realized that the Pharisees were keeping count of the baptisms that he and John performed (although his disciples, not Jesus, did the actual baptizing). They had posted the score that Jesus was ahead, turning him and John into rivals in the eyes of the people. So Jesus left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee…Rivalry is the breeder of strife, used to destroy rather than to be giver of love.

^4-6 To get there, he had to pass through Samaria. He came into Sychar, a Samaritan village that bordered the field Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was still there. Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down at the well. It was noon. ^7-8 A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, “Would you give me a drink of water?”….His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.)….There was much to learn of this age old well. And there is much to learn from the giver of spiritual drink, a gift to be given.

⁹ The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, “How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” …these were that which set itself up against the knowledge of God, but in the asking, brought about love.

¹⁰ Jesus answered, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.” ….To know God and those who carry this generous heart he speaks of is to know what freely give and freely receive means from the enlightened eyes of the heart.

^11-12 The woman said, “Sir, you don’t even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this ‘living water’? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?” …there much to be learn from the life of this water.

^13-14 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.” … an ever flowing spring of goodness full of life never ending.

Deuteronomy 8:5-18 Message says….^1-5 Keep and live out the entire commandment that I’m commanding you today so that you’ll live and prosper and enter and own the land that God promised to your ancestors. Remember every road that God led you on for those forty years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you so that he would know what you were made of, whether you would keep his commandments or not. He put you through hard times. He made you go hungry. Then he fed you with manna, something neither you nor your parents knew anything about, so you would learn that men and women don’t live by bread only; we live by every word that comes from God’s mouth. Your clothes didn’t wear out and your feet didn’t blister those forty years. You learned deep in your heart that God disciplines you in the same ways a father disciplines his child. ….these are producers of this same heart of generosity, both by less and by plenty, learning that he is always more than enough holding the ever present reminder of his loving goodness.

^6-9 So it’s paramount that you keep the commandments of God, your God, walk down the roads he shows you and reverently respect him. God is about to bring you into a good land, a land with brooks and rivers, springs and lakes, streams out of the hills and through the valleys. It’s a land of wheat and barley, of vines and figs and pomegranates, of olives, oil, and honey. It’s land where you’ll never go hungry—always food on the table and a roof over your head. It’s a land where you’ll get iron out of rocks and mine copper from the hills….This land will be gracious to you because of the fruit within, the glorious goodness of God that generously gave and now lavishly provided because of the humility of respect and adoration of a love that has been formed within your heart. The fruit is not only fruit of the vine but fruit within the heart; a heart that looks more like the one who formed it.

¹⁰ After a meal, satisfied, bless God, your God, for the good land he has given you. ^11-16 Make sure you don’t forget God, your God, by not keeping his commandments, his rules and regulations that I command you today. Make sure that when you eat and are satisfied, build pleasant houses and settle in, see your herds and flocks flourish and more and more money come in, watch your standard of living going up and up—make sure you don’t become so full of yourself and your things that you forget God, your God, the God who delivered you from Egyptian slavery; the God who led you through that huge and fearsome wilderness, those desolate, arid badlands crawling with fiery snakes and scorpions; the God who gave you water gushing from hard rock; the God who gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never heard of, in order to give you a taste of the hard life, to test you so that you would be prepared to live well in the days ahead of you…. This is the place that hold the generosity in your heart. A place that makes you steady, the place that reckons the fruit of the heart. This is a place you hang onto always, carrying with you all that has been gained in the walk along the way, pulling it out in times of need.

^17-18 If you start thinking to yourselves, “I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!”—well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today. …When you think of it, the blessing overtakes it cannot be measured by a pharisaical standard, nor by what you have always considered enough….because this shall be called ‘a more than enough’, ‘a cup running over’, ‘a blessing that cannot be contained’. This is that which we have waited on, worked for and prayed in order to bless. Anything less will not be that which this means.

 

Luke 21:1-4 Message says…^1-4 Just then he looked up and saw the rich people dropping offerings in the collection plate. Then he saw a poor widow put in two pennies. He said, “The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today. All these others made offerings that they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all!”  …She had cultivated the exaggerated and poured out kind of love. She knew what love really meant. She knew what to do with the love she was given.

Hebrews 6:1-3 Message says…. ^1-3 So come on, let’s leave the preschool finger painting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on “salvation by self-help” and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we’ll stay true to all that. But there’s so much more. Let’s get on with it! ….Only generous kind of love, the developed kind of heart can know that this does not mean not to make use of your gifts but rather to bless others with that which has been given.

 

Nehemiah 2:4 Living Bible says….⁴ “Well, what should be done?” the king asked. With a quick prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, “If it please Your Majesty and if you look upon me with your royal favor, send me to Judah to rebuild the city of my fathers!” ….He was speaking to a leader and regarding his place of authority and asked for that which he desired.

….and then he said….And the king granted these requests, for God was being gracious to me….As God grants great blessing hang onto the attitude of gratitude and thankfulness.

It has been said…God’s generosity finances imagination. Can it not also be radically said…God finances the true believers heart. He finances a righteous Word. He finances mighty acts and exploits for Him.

Can His love and needs come from the seemingly nowhere? Can the love of God still touch hearts? Has the Word of God changed?...or has a foul, to- be- despised spirit overtaken the dreams of the hearts of the people?...has mere circumstance taken anything from you? …for these were dreams to become true because of what God has done already in your heart.

….unless you have not given your heart to Him.

Mediocrity won’t meet with imagination, no matter what is in another’s pocket full of gifts or the gifts to be lavishly given from their heart because….because it is found out and found fearing. Know this….fear is not of God. It is associated with punishment. Fear of God changes all that into receiving His love. There is a fear that hasn’t yet found true love and true generosity of heart. Here something  profound happens.  God be found and in one another, and gifts be given and love be poured out. And life be furthered. ….and God’s Word be done and friends be made. This is the ever flowing river of God that flows from the view of my heart. It is that which was cultivated and that which is to be freely given. This…this is a love that cannot be forgotten from the view of my heart.

Receive His heart of love! It is being freely given! Will you freely receive?