Occupy My Heart
“Ruth, I want to occupy your heart.” It was clear, it was convicting, and it was timely.
‘Occupy’ had been my prayer throughout 2020. “Lord, help me to occupy (take possession of) all you have given me—ministry, marriage and more. I want less talk and more walk. But, You Lord, want to ‘occupy’ MY heart?”
The whisper came midway through 2020 when confusion, division, hatred of those with different views, rose like an ugly, smoke-filled cloud obscuring the blue sky above and polluting the air all around. I sure needed a “check-up from the neck up!” I was on a journey, solid in Biblical foundation. I was fully aware that all that was happening in the world had been prophesied by prophets who were stoned, hated, and murdered for telling the truth. “Help me in my continued search for truth, Lord.”
Still, my heart was hard and needed attention. It started slowly with a negative response and then, one after another, thoughts crept in. I did not realize that I was being deceived, but my hard heart made me vulnerable to lies. “I confess, Lord, that I have a hard heart. Remove the lies, the doubts, the fears, and soften the rough edges so that I can once again hear Your whispers.”
My softened heart refilled with a joy I cannot explain—a fresh reminder that God knows everything about me… Everything! Psalm 139:5 clearly states that His hand is upon me—the unseen truth until all becomes seen.
As the bride of Christ, my responsibility in the waiting is to keep my heart pure for my soon to return bridegroom. Wedding preparations are underway!
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
