What Is God Putting On Your Heart?
Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. - Psalm 25:4-5
I’ve been going back through a lot of my old journals recently, and as I flipped through the pages yesterday, I stumbled upon an entry from early 2022. I had decided first thing that morning to get up and go for a walk, which wasn’t something I normally did, but apparently, I needed to get some fresh air and spend some time outside - away from my phone, away from work, away from all the things that were overwhelming and demanding.
In my journal, I talked about how life had been extra busy and stressful lately. Between working full-time, coaching two basketball teams, getting engaged, planning a wedding, and serving in my church’s youth group, I had a lot on my plate. And as a result, other areas of my life looked and felt chaotic.
The trunk of my car looked like an extension of my closet, housing all of my wardrobe changes as I would go from basketball practice to youth group to dinner with friends. My bedroom was an absolute wreck with piles of clothes and empty Diet Coke cans all over the place. And my quiet times felt more like squeezing in prayers while I was driving or listening to sermons while I put on my makeup, rather than carving out time to read my Bible and write in my journal like I normally would.
Needless to say, the walk felt necessary that morning…I just needed some room to breathe, to process, to sort through the million and one things that were circling through my brain begging for my attention.
I walked down the street at a pretty slow pace, praying in my head, and asking God to speak to me. I needed peace. I needed comfort. I needed to know that He was in control because I felt so out of control. But more than anything, I needed to know that I could trust Him, that He could handle everything I wanted (and needed) to offload. Because as I’m sure He was aware, I’d been carrying far too much for far too long.
After I told him all of this, I kept walking, but I quieted my thoughts. I wanted to listen. I wanted Him to respond to me. And in all of His goodness, He did. He graciously began to give me verses, ones I’ve memorized over the years, that spoke perfectly to what I was needing from Him.
Just in case these are some words you need to hear today, too, here are the verses He reminded me of this morning:
Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. - Psalm 25:4-5
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30
Be still and know that I am God. - Psalm 46:10
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?…Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” - Matthew 6:25-27, 34
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves though who are crushed in spirit. - Psalm 34:18
I can’t tell you how much peace and comfort I felt as the Lord put these verses on my heart. Remembering moments like these almost gets me frustrated with myself, as I wonder why my default reaction is to get stressed and bent out of shape when life gets overwhelming, rather than running first to my Heavenly Father and asking for His help.
He proved that to be true that morning in early 2022, as He always does, that He knows exactly what we need. He knows how to take care of us. He knows how to comfort us. He knows how to help us. And He knows how to love us exactly the way we’re wanting to be loved.
Have you carved out time to hear from the Lord today? Have you asked Him to speak to you? And if so, what is He putting on your heart? What verses is He reminding you of? What memory of His faithfulness is He bringing back up? Which worship lyrics do you find yourself singing? Whatever God is putting on your heart today, I hope you’ll be diligent to pay attention. I hope you’ll soak it in. And I hope you realize that you’ll always find whatever it is you’re looking for if your Heavenly Father is your guide.