Give it Your All

 "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you." Jeremiah 29: 12-14

    In Sunday School, as a child, I used to sing, "Jesus knocks, knocks, knocks at the door of my heart...Open and let Him in." What does it look like to invite Jesus into your heart? In doing a bit of delving, I found 40 Bible verses that emphasize the words, "all your heart." 

    Here's what I discovered within those verses: We are called to love, seek, serve, observe his decrees, obey, trust in the Lord, take hold of God's word, praise, extol the Lord, turn back to Him, work at it, keep his precepts, call on Him, be glad and rejoice with all our hearts. 

    The greatest commandment, according to the words of Jesus, is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength first, so that we can love our neighbors as ourselves. Loving Him is a prerequisite to all other relationships in this life. 

    While in prayer the other day, I asked that ALL of me be an acceptable vessel for Him. Lengthen to my feet, so that they may follow Him. Extend to my hands, so that they may diligently serve with both gentleness and strength. Permit my ears to hear notes of beauty and truth. Focus my eyes to see with clarity the needs of others and may my tongue utter His words in kindness and respect.

    High achievers, like inventors or professional athletes, give it their all. In like manner, I gladly give to the One who laid down His life for me. I'm a professional Christian!

"I will give him a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart." Jeremiah 24:7