Saturday, April 7, 2018

A Stabilised Heart


UV 2914/10000 A Stabilised Heart
He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
Psalm 112 v 7

A believer and follower of Christ will not be apprehensive but be hopeful. His source of security is not anything earthly or external but it is the Lord. His focus is on the locus of his life. He is the central point of his universe and everything rotates around Him. He knows he can trust the Lord with every aspect of His life. He is not shaken by happenings around him but understands that there is a purpose behind everything that has happened to him whether good or bad or even terrible. He is both able and stable as he does not rely on his own finite abilities and judgement but seeks the wisdom and the will of the Father in heaven. The Lord grows a hedge around us to protect us from strong gusts of trial and temptation. We water and trim and maintain this hedge with our prayers, our observance and obedience of His holy word, our constant and diligent application of the principles of wisdom He has taught us this far. When we fix our hearts on the Lord, a spiritual process is set in motion that nothing in nature can reverse or oppose: our hearts are established or stabilised by the Lord. A stabilised heart is a sign of spiritual maturity and growth. With a stabilised heart, we are not easily swayed by passion or emotion or desire. We will cease to be like the flotsam and jetsam that is blown hither and thither by every wind and wave of happening or stimulus.
An important aspect of this uni-verse is that “his heart is fixed” on the Lord. The image is of a vessel that is anchored in a stormy sea. As long as the anchor holds, the vessel is safe from the stormy winds and waves. Our own strength, resources, wisdom and intelligence are illusory or vulnerable. The Lord is the beginning and the end of life, the Alpha to Omega. We derive all of our strength, energy, inspiration, wisdom, guidance, counsel, hope from Him. We are not deterred by temporary obstacles, hurdles, opposition, persecution, threats, hostility, powerful adversaries as we are confident the Lord is with us and He will defend and deliver us. When we store the word of God in our hearts, we are fortifying ourselves much like soldiers gather a lot of ammunition before the outbreak of war. We will be able to defeat the evil that is crouching at the door of our own hearts and also send evil or trouble of different kinds fleeing from us.
Instead of allowing fears, real and imaginary to take hold of our minds, we need to hold onto the promises of the Lord. I have learnt to pray prophylactically before a thing happens so that the Lord preserves me or mine from that specific trial or trouble. If we pray, we will not be a prey to these fears. We believe and expect good things to happen to us and to ours. All the heroes of faith mentioned in the Bible went through a variety of terrible situations but their story ends with deliverance and victory. Even the tragic and often foolish hero Samson, despite his eyes being gouged out by the Philistines after they capture him through the deceit of Delilah, was victorious in the end as he killed more people in his final act of bringing down the building where he was chained. The true story of Daniel and above all the true story of Jesus inspires us everyday to shield our minds and hearts from every form and type of apprehension. If we comprehend His love and power, we will not apprehend evil.

Prateep V Philip

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