STRENGTH AND HEART
13th Apr 2016
John the Baptist started his ministry beside the Jordan river, and as Luke 3:18 in The Message describes, this included, “.....words that gave strength to the people, words that put heart in them. The Message!” I found this combination of strength and heart to be fascinating.
Our mandate to go and make disciples involves bringing words that will strengthen every believer. Ephesians 6:10 says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God.....” We need to put on that armour regularly, with the belt of truth which assures us of our salvation; the breastplate of righteousness which affirms that we have been made righteousness, and therefore the devil cannot place us under condemnation. We need to carry the gospel of peace into our troubled world, and use the shield of faith to ward off the arrows of the evil one. The sword of the Spirit is our offensive weapon where we take hold of God’s word to confront everything that would try and oppose us.
The armour of God is very important to keep us fit and equipped for life, but it is in many ways cerebral and unemotional. John also gave, “words that put heart in them.” Many times we can have all the truth and right action, but lack the heart to live in it.
I believe the “heart” comes from living in fellowship with God, listening to him, being in a living and loving relationship with Him, vitally connected to Him. It also come from being filled with the Spirit on a daily basis. Ephesians 5:18 says “.... be filled with the Spirit. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God for everything...”
It is good to keep strong through the “Word” and to know the “truth that sets us free”, but if there is no emotion and no living vitality, we can come over as hard and legalistic, rather than warm and full of faith.
by Charles Sibthorpe
