Power of Exercise

Key Scripture:  “Blessed-happy, to be envied and spiritually prosperous (that is possessing the happiness produced by experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions)- are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!   Matthew 5:8, Amplified Bible

Power Point:

The heart is a very powerful organ. I mean, now really, where would we be without one?  I have known people whose heart “has failed” them at times, either physically or emotionally. The “life” just stops coming out. The thing about hearts is that they need proper food and they need exercise. They also need to be “guarded” by making sure that only good things enter in.  Did you know that your heart responds to your emotions? In the Greek, the word for heart means the “center of the issues of life”. I guess that means that if your heart is blessed, (happy and conditioned by the fact of God’s faithfulness) you will look at life differently from someone who has not “guarded their heart”.

A blessed heart sees problems differently. It sees God as bigger than those problems. A blessed heart is connected by the Blood of Jesus to God Himself, and God has given that person a new heart that sees and understands Him. In Ezekiel 36, God says, “I will give you a “new” heart and a “new” spirit.” What a great exchange. I was pretty tired of the one I had. Now my heart has the privilege of releasing God thoughts, and God emotions, and Godly wisdom and as a result I SEE Him. I can allow Him to bring His life into my heart, physically, spiritually and emotionally. Wow! That’s a very good thing.

Our spiritual hearts need to be exercised just as our physical hearts do.

I can “exercise” my heart muscle by loving with God’s love.

I can “exercise” my heart muscle by forgiving with God’s forgiveness.

I can “exercise” my heart muscle by offering God’s grace.

As I do that, my “new” heart becomes stronger and more like His because I’m letting His Life issue His Life from my heart. Jesus was pretty clear that when you look at things from His perspective your “whole body” will be full of light. That’s what He did for us, Beloved, gave us His own heart and His own mind so that our “whole bodies” will be full of light.  We SEE God for Who He really is because we KNOW Him in our hearts, not just in our minds.

Are you guarding your heart today so that what issues from your issues is Life? In I Timothy 4:8 Paul says, “ Exercise daily in God-no spiritual flabbiness, please!”

Have you gotten a bit “flabby” this year?  Time to do your exercises!

Power Thought:

The issue in your “issues” is seeing God smack dab in the middle of them and knowing He has a plan to bring good things your way.