With Purpose Of Heart

November 1

"When he came and had seen the grace of God,
he was glad, and encouraged them all
that with purpose of heart
they should continue with the Lord."
Acts 11:23

"With purpose of heart..."

Our walk with the Lord must not be a passive thing. Let us walk it with purpose of heart, always watching for the Lord to open to us an opportunity to serve him in any way he chooses. Learn to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and don't try to open doors or move obstacles from your own will or by your own wits. First, it won't work. Second, it could do harm. Learn to wait on the Lord. When Jesus was told Lazarus was dying, he stayed where he was for four days, waiting on the Father to tell him when to go. By waiting on the Father, a greater miracle happened. Rather than healing, the people witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. In this story it was absolutely crucial that Jesus wait on the Father until the Father said “go.”

Let it start with our own hearts, being ready to surrender to anything the Lord wants to do in us before we even think to walk in ministry. Let us maintain an openness to the Lord to receive anything he wants to change in us at any time, whether it be repentance or attitude change, or even just to wait. Let us pray for grace to stay in all humility before him, trusting him to change us, as it is written, "from glory to glory."

And then let us "continue with the Lord" in all purpose of heart.