Sharing some thoughts from my quiet time reading today, and being reminded that God requires a few things from me. They take my mind back to yesterday's post and what God wants to be navigating my heart.
And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD's commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? (Deut.10:12-13)My Beloved asked me last evening what my day was going to look like today, so that we sync our activities. What did I have planned for the day? Well, besides the routine responsibilities, returning an item to Walmart and picking up an item that I keep forgetting about until I need to use it, wrapping my sister's birthday gift and taking it to her so she can enjoy the anticipation of what might be inside for her birthday tomorrow, possibly a haircut (I surely need it!), continuing preparation for a Sunday School opportunity. All to be viewed as positive action items.
As I plan out my day and plot my journey through it, though, I'm reminded that my overarching theme is to be my relationship with God. Jesus reiterated this Himself, as we're reminded in the gospel of Matthew, You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind...You shall love your neighbor as yourself (22:37-39). I've had this reminder in my kitchen for several years, to be cognizant of where I let my mind wander, to put a guard over my heart as to what I allow to influence it.
It takes practice to know what does.
But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil (Hebrews 5:14).None of my action items for today are required of me, except through the filter of loving God with all my heart, my mind, my soul. Will I journey through the day with this objective in mind? Walmart will be where I meet my challenge. Practice, I tell myself. Practice.
Painting ~ The Artist's Wife Reading, Henry Bouvet
1859-1945, public domain
