“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile,
a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment,
or the smallest act of caring,
all of which have the potential
to turn a life around.”
Leo Buscaglia
Recently I admitted having thin skin. On one hand I am Steel Magnolia, resilient and strong and confident. But the tiniest of daggers can pierce skin’s shield and impale my heart. Pieces shatter, blood flows, wounds seep. In that moment I take my eyes off Christ and I forget who I am.
No…I forget Whose I am.
Our hearts are fragile, aren’t they? God gave us new hearts, hearts of flesh to replace the stony hearts we had before we met Him; a place His spirit could reside, so Christ could live in and through us. I searched the word “heart” on Biblegateway and it returned 805 verses (NASB). This leaves little doubt to the heart’s importance based on Scripture’s pure repetition alone. Many were familiar references to the hardening of the heart and to its evil inclination, but also your heart:
- is an indicator of what you value. (Matthew 6:21)
- can be jealous and selfish (James 3:14)
- reflects what you think and believe (Matthew 12:34)
- empowers us to do the will of God (Ephesians 6:6)
- holds memory and affection (Luke 2:19)
- grieves (Romans 9:2)
- must be guarded (Luke 21:34)
- may be encouraged (Colossians 2:2)
- rejoices (John 16:22)
- is known by God (Acts 15:8)
- is cleansed by faith (Acts 15:9)
- can be broken by the actions or words of others (Acts 21:31)
(and this is just a sampling of the more exhaustive list I’m pondering…!) But how can we know if we don’t read His word? And how can we hear ~ truly hear ~ if we’re reading out of compulsion or obligation? With the turn of a new year, many of us claimed a word (or received them as a God-gift) as a banner for these 366 days in 2012. As much as I’m anticipating adventure, though…a question dogged me leading up to the new year–
What if on 12/31/12, I had spent the 365 days leading up to it reading Scripture daily, devotionally…passionately…relationally…?
Less than two months into daily reading, I’m better at the “daily” part of that question than the descriptors that come after; regardless, here’s the remarkable discovery:
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Funfun–a cliffhanger! Please finish reading Fragile’s conclusion at (in)courage today.}
