We Are What We Keep in Our Heart

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 11:46 am Post subject: We Are What We Keep in Our Heart

We Are What We Keep in Our Heart

Scripture:

And the priest taking the basket at your hand, shall set it before the altar of the Lord your God: And you shall speak thus in the sight of the Lord your God: The Syrian pursued my father, who went down into Egypt, and sojourned there in a very small number, and grew into a nation great and strong and of an infinite multitude. And the Egyptians afflicted us, and persecuted us, laying on us most grievous burdens: And we cried to the Lord God of our fathers: who heard us, and looked down upon our affliction, and labor, and distress: And brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand, and a stretched out arm, with great terror, with signs and wonders: And brought us into this place, and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey. And therefore now I offer the first fruits of the land which the Lord has given me. And you shall leave them in the sight of the Lord your God, adoring the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 26:4-10)

But what says scripture? The word is nigh you; even in your mouth and in your heart. This is the word of faith, which we preach. For if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him up from the dead, you shall be saved. For, with the heart, we believe unto justice: but, with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says: Whosoever believes in him shall not be confounded. For there is no distinction of the Jew and the Greek: for the same is Lord over all, rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 8:10-13)

And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led the by the spirit into the desert, for the space of forty days, and was tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. And the devil said to him: If you be the Son of God, say to this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him: is written that Man lives not by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil led him into a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And he said to him: To you will I give all this power and the glory of them. For to me they are delivered: and to whom I will, I give them. If you therefore will adore before me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answering said to him. It is written: You shall adore the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem and set him on a pinnacle of the temple and said to him: If you be the Son of God, cast yourself from hence. For it is written that He has given his angels charge over you that they keep you. And that in their hands they shall bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone. And Jesus answering, said to him: It is said: You shall not tempt the Lord your God. And all the temptation being ended, the devil departed from him for a time. (Luke 4:1-13)

Reflection:

And so it is, when the children of His creation face challenge and trouble, they bow and cry out to Him for deliverance from what threatens them; but when they walk in comfort, their memory fades and they fail to remember the grace that sustained them. His hand of compassion remains outstretched and His patience endures, for He seeks those He set free to come to Him of their free will. In affliction, many bow to Him; but when there is no sorrow, many wander, leaving the remnant few faithful to His Word.

The world leads the people to blindness; they close their ears to Him, their hearts become cold with selfishness. In the moments of time, they lose sight of what was given to them and their way becomes lost. Blessed are the faithful, for they shall become the beacon in the fog. As they walk, seeking to be examples of His Word, they brighten the light by which the lost may find their way from the darkness.

As each soul walks from the darkness into the light, they should give thanks and praise for the God who invites them to His embrace. No terror of the world has meaning when our faith is placed is in Him; but let us not remember Him only in times of trouble, rather, let us pray to Him as we wake in the morning, pray in thanks for our day as we end the evening, and talk with Him as we walk our daily journey.

What we invite into our hearts becomes the nature of our soul. If we let evil wander within, we shall be consumed and will reflect its ways; but if we invite the Holy Spirit, love shall be our blessing and the warmth of His light shall fill us and the example of His love will be seen through us. In prayer, we open ourselves to Him and all to which He calls us. It is for this reason He made us, so that we might know the blessings of love; and it is because of His love that He sacrificed so that all who come to Him might be saved and shall walk with Him in eternal life.

Blessed would we be if we were able to resist the temptations of sin. For each of us, what seduces us is different. Where one may find the will to resist, another may be weak. In community, we have the opportunity to care for one another so that we do not fall to the evil which lays in wait for us. Blessed are we that He has shown us the way away from temptation, but it is our choice whether to follow in that path. The blessing of the Word is to guide us on the journey.

Though we may be weak, He has sent us the Holy Spirit to guide us. Just as Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, responded with strength and wisdom to the temptations of the evil one, so too can the Holy Spirit fill us. As we bring Him into our daily lives, we walk away from the paths of evil; but we must take care each day, for evil hides in many places. Through prayer, we open our heart to Him. To keep Him in our heart is our choice each day that we wake, each path that we walk, each deed that we do. Blessed are those who choose to walk with the blessing of His love.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier