REMINDERS

Are you keeping a journal? Would you believe I keep four? My daily journal is handy for checking on my last haircut, snow amounts, visitors, and other mundane but important events. I keep a separate notebook to record observations about nature. Since I’m a speaker as well as writer, I keep a log and idea notebook that includes most details about my writing life.

It’s my spiritual journal that’s most important to me. I write it as a love letter to God, just as He writes His love letter, the Word, on my heart. It’s my way of saying thanks and asking Him for clarity and revelation. It’s my response to His great love for me. Writing to God keeps me focused on Him, something I need every day.

Are you keeping a journal?

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES by Sally Bair

The Tablet of Our Heart
If you’re like me, you have to write everything down or you’ll forget. I keep an updated grocery list, birthday list, and to-do list. It’s entirely different keeping track of things written on our heart—our emotional and spiritual list. We don’t have to be reminded to love our children and spouses, for instance. Our love and care cause us to keep our heart’s tablet filled with good things.

Unfortunately, sometimes we allow our heart to remember past offenses, too. In the process, we harbor anger and hatred and unforgiveness to such a degree that it hardens our heart. Eventually, such keeping track erases the good things we’ve written—joy and peace, feelings of contentment and accomplishment, kindnesses received.

God’s Word has much to say about the condition of our heart and keeping His Law. When He wrote the Law, He meant it to be used in love, not in obedience for its own sake. Proverbs 3:1-8 offers us good guidance in this matter. It’s worthy of meditative thought.

“My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.”

Writing God’s commands on the tablet of our heart brings incredible rewards, according to this proverb. Peace. Favor and high esteem with God and man. God’s direction. Good health. Strength. All these are the results that often follow a total commitment to God.

It takes a lifetime to write such a book on our heart—a lifetime of trust and dependence on God that comes only from daily interaction with Him.

Lord, we don’t want to remember past offenses, but Your love and mercy. Just as we don’t have to make a list to remind us to love our family and friends, we don’t need reminders to love and honor You, either. Thank You for writing Your love on our hearts. In Jesus’ name, amen.