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Facing Adversity with a Servant's Heart

By Pastor Flor M. Díaz

By Kaaren Craig

Every year I ask the Lord to give me one verse that He wants me to seriously consider. Of course, we all know there is an abundance of meaning in just one verse, so this exercise has had a powerful impact on my life.  What first appears to be a narrow concentration (because it is only one verse) invariably launches me into a rich wealth of curiosity and questions that lead to deeper study and introspection.

I am asking you now to join me on this quest of penetrating my verse for 2022, which is Psalm 86:11. Let’s start with the NASB translation.

Teach me Your way, LORD,

I will walk in Your truth.

Unite my heart to fear Your name. Psalm 89:1

Do you perceive the four parts in this verse? Try to identify them before reading what follows.

1. David is asking the Lord to teach him something. Note that it is the Lord who will be his teacher.
2. What David wants to learn is how to walk in the ways of God. Isn’t that what we all want because that is the only way we can draw near to our wonderful God?
3. Next, something important must happen to our hearts. Different Bible versions convey what must occur. We desire to:
   1. “unite our heart” with God. (NASB)
   2. have an “undivided heart”. (NIV)
   3. let our heart grow in a way that is “knit with God”. (Geneva Bible)
   4. present a heart that “God can direct”. (Amplified Bible)

All these translations capture in a broad and magnificent way what we must do with our heart so we can build a heart relationship with our Lord. The original Hebrew is expressed as a command, so God is requiring us to unite our heart with God! Then we come to the last part of the verse.

4. The goal of creating a heart relationship with God is so we will “fear Him”, which does not mean to be afraid of our loving God. Instead, it means to fear His judgment, both in our lives today and in the future judgment to come. God penetrates our hearts to perceive the extent to which we desire to walk in His ways. We can only accomplish this by allowing our Lord Yeshua to lead us so our heart can grow closer to God.

Remember, it is a heart relationship with God that we must cultivate in a maturing process. Who will lead us in that direction? It is our Lord Yeshua who brings us into the presence of the Father. As Jesus told His disciples, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We [you together with Yesua] will come to Him [the Father] and make our abode with Him’” (John 14:23). The only way to come into the presence of God is to build a heart relationship.

Your teacher is Yeshua and your spiritual connection with him. I suggest that being curious and asking questions is the key to allowing Yeshua to help your heart mature. So, I will now pose some questions that I encourage you to consider.

1. How is my heart divided by still retaining some worldly thoughts and actions?
    
2. Do I have any false altars and if so, what are they?
    
3. Can you help me, Lord, to find other verses that encourage me to build a heart relationship with God?
    
4. In which direction (or directions) are you leading me? Can You help me see them opening before me?
    
5. “Rejoicing” in You is a wonderful concept.  How can I grow in my desire to rejoice?
    
6. Lord, since You are my teacher, please help me understand awe-inspired wonder and submissive reverence to You.
    
7. And finally, teach me Your ways so I will walk in the fear of the Lord’s judgment. How can I do that?

Now comes an important finale. To seal what you have learned, share with someone. Sharing with others helps us walk out what we have learned. Head-knowledge means nothing unless we put it into action!

Are you ready for your New Year challenge? Let the Lord guide you to a verse that will follow you through 2022. And don’t forget to pose questions that will lead you to deeper understanding.

May you be blessed in your journey to grow closer to God.

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