May 5, 2022

Rhonda Patterson
“But I will trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.”
Psalms 13:5-6
“I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure.”
Psalms 16:8-9

A heart that’s joyful and glad…we can all think of times in our lives when this certainly would not describe our heart. Life can be hard and relationships challenging. Our hearts can become wounded, anxious, angry, hardened, or bitter. Proverbs 13:12 tells us that hope deferred can make our hearts sick. There are many scriptures that address the condition of our hearts. And in Matthew 12:34, Jesus tells us that it’s out of the overflow of our heart that our mouth speaks. When I was younger (and admittedly not pursuing Christ) and my heart was offended in some way, I often would fall into the trap of grumbling to those around me. And my tendency was to do so with people I felt would sympathize with my plight. But Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that our hearts deceive us. So who can we trust? Pause and think about it…when your heart is troubled, where do you tend to go first? Your spouse, a friend, a coworker? “Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.” Psalm 26:2-3

Father, You are our healer and our safe place. You are our starting point. You hold our hearts in Your hands. As we come first to You, comfort us and guide us to Your pathway to healing. We trust you.