Yesterday morning on Bellshill Salvation Army Band’s Facebook page I shared the devotions I shared at our band practice on Wednesday night. I’d like to share those devotions with you tonight.
Do you like watching real-life documentaries? I’m not usually a huge fan, however I was made aware a few weeks ago that there was a 4 part documentary called ‘The Hospital: Life on the Line’, all about the heart services at the Golden Jubilee Hospital. What was particularly of interest to me was that I knew some of the doctors and nurses who would feature on the programme.
Don’t worry I’m not going to talk about surgeries or anything like that, or any details of what’s been covered in the programme so far (episode 3 of 4 will air on C5 next Monday). What I do want to share is something one of the consultants said in the programme on Monday this week.
Consultant Cardiologist Niki Walker said:
The heart is an incredible organ. It’s what you feel. So if you feel excited, you feel your heart race, because that’s a physiological response to excitement. If you feel sad, often you’ll feel that. That’s why we attribute it to things like love, to things like emotion.”
We rarely get engaged or enthusiastic about something if our heart is in it, do we? When my heart is really in something, I give it my full attention and effort.
In Ephesians 3:17 we read, “May Christ dwell in your hearts richly.” In other words, our heart must be full of Him. We can’t truly draw close to Christ, unless he has our heart. Christ also shouldn’t just be a casual visitor to our hearts at times that suit us – He must live, abide, and dwell in our hearts 24/7.
Here’s a short story I came across recently.
Tom was known in his small town for being a bit absent-minded, but he had a heart full of faith and loved sharing stories about Jesus. One Sunday morning, Tom was getting ready for church when he realized he had misplaced his house keys. He searched high and low, checked every pocket, and even looked in the fridge (just in case).
Frustrated and running late, Tom decided to pray. “Dear Lord, I know you’re with me always. Please help me find my keys so I can get to church on time.”
Just then, his neighbour, Mrs. Graham, walked by and saw Tom looking distressed. “What’s the matter, Tom?” she asked.
“I can’t find my keys, Mrs. Graham. I’ve looked everywhere!”
Mrs. Graham chuckled and said, “Tom, have you tried checking your heart? After all, isn’t that where you say Jesus lives?”
Tom laughed, appreciating her joke, but then he had an idea. He placed his hand over his heart and said, “Lord, if you’re really in here, could you give me a hint?”
At that moment, Tom felt something in his shirt pocket. He reached in and pulled out his keys! He stared at them in disbelief and then burst out laughing. “Well, I guess Jesus really does help us find what we need!”
Mrs. Graham laughed too. “See, Tom? With Christ in your heart, you’ll never lose your way—or your keys!”
Tom made it to church just in time, and when he told the story during the service, the entire congregation laughed and clapped. They all left with a joyful reminder that with Christ in their hearts, they could face any mishap or problem, with faith and a smile.
We must always keep Christ in our heart, because when we do, He will always be with us to help and guide us through whatever situations we find ourselves in.
The Distinct Dot 