Renewing Your Heart

Renewing Your Heart

“They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the scriptures to us” Luke 24:32 (NIV)

One of the things I love doing when I’m hosting afternoon tea is to use a beautiful napkin fold. For Valentines Day this week I’m folding a bright burgundy linen napkin into a heart shape. Join me for tea today as I set the table with these Royal Albert Old Country Roses dishes. We will have a few macarons with our Lady Grey tea.

No matter where you go, hearts are everywhere during Valentines week. It’s hard not to give thought to the state of our hearts at this time of year. The bible has much to say about the state of our hearts, and if we are honest with ourselves, most of us will admit that sometimes our hearts need a tune-up. There are times our hearts are full of joy, and there are times they can be hurting, but one of the most difficult states our hearts can be in is numb.

Even as disciples of Jesus, each of us can experience times when our spiritual hearts seem to be numb. Usually it is when we have experienced something that has stretched us to the max and we have found ourselves in a kind of “survival mode” just trying to hang on. You know the feeling. Many of us have been there, especially with all that has been going on in the world in the past few years. Sometimes it’s just easier to numb ourselves to everything around us. But if we’re not careful, that survival mode numbness can spill over into our spiritual lives. When that happens we tell ourselves that our faith is still strong, but we are aware that the spiritual fire we once felt is fizzling to a low ember.

We are not alone in this feeling. The twelve disciples that walked with Jesus were no different. In our scripture for today in Luke, they had just come through a week of trauma having watched the arrest and crucifixion of the Lord. Talk about survival mode! Even though they had been told that He was alive, they were still focusing on the trauma of witnessing that experience. Then Jesus came on the scene! He spoke the word of life to them . He knew their hearts needed renewing so He opened the scriptures to them so that their souls were flooded once again with His light! They recognized that it was the light of His Word that renewed their hearts and set them on fire at the moment. That’s why they exclaimed “were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us…”

He will do the same for us, but we have to let him walk on the road of life with us, and slow down enough to spend time in His Word. If we do that, we will find our own hearts being renewed, and once again burning for Him!

Prayer– Heavenly Father, You know that sometimes I feel consumed by what I experience or see around me. Forgive me for allowing circumstances, and sometimes even my blessings, to steal my time and take my focus off of your word. Lord, thank you that you love me, live within me, and walk alongside of me on this road of life. I purpose to take in your scriptures and trust you to open my mind and heart, breathe the word of Life into my soul, and renew my heart, so that the fire of your love burns within me so brightly that together we can ignite the world with your love!

It is always a privilege to have you join me for tea. Until next time, I am always Proclaiming God’s Faithfulness, Sherri House