The earth’s wealthiest resources are universally accessible yet ubiquitously exclusive to all but the casual collector or curator. Its soil’s surface is but the first of many layers representing thick boundaries and barriers that obscure the secure treasures within, as with its sea surfaces, which though largely transparent, often appear translucent or opaque, correspondingly obfuscating the fine treasures buried in its depths. Earth’s priceless riches are thus extracted, excavated, or extricated from ocean depths through a series of intentional, systematic, and exacting processes. These are embarked upon by the relative few who set their sights, skills, and passions to do so as a professional or other equally persistent pursuits. Casual observers or persons with fleeting fancies will rarely enjoy the thrills of unearthing precious stones or other sources of wealth. It takes focused intentionality, determined fervor, a strong sense of purpose, and an ardent, unrelenting persistence to uncover the earth’s richest treasures.
Likewise, man’s greatest and most priceless treasures often lay incognito, dormant, untapped, and obscured in the mundanity of daily living and the depths of mindless details, activities, and minutiae of day-to-day existence.
Recent God-encounters tasked us with examining some fascinating questions God asked His people in certain climactic situations. He asked because He wanted to open their understanding to the great possibilities embedded in several dimensions of their lives and environs, not because He was clueless, ignorant, or directionless on what to do.
Join me in this adventurous quest to discover the priceless assets these ordinary folks unearthed in their attempts to answer these questions, and uncover with me the great treasures and invaluable merchandise we also have at our disposal, enabling life experiences, blessings, and performances at God’s highest and best!
Volume 1; Issue 3: What Is In Your Heart?
“As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the true man.”
(Proverbs 27:19)
The phrase “you are what you eat” is not just applicable to one’s physical body; it relates to every sphere of man’s existence. Our mindsets, paradigms, and frames of reference are the direct consequence of the ideologies, concepts, and environmental influences that we have imbibed, inscribed, or to which we have subscribed, which directly impact every aspect of our lives.
The term “heart” in the Bible refers to a person’s innermost being, the complex interplay of his sensory consumption, thoughts, desires, influences, tendencies, behavioral propellants (conscious and subconscious), etc. It is the feature of his multidimensional being which characterizes his person, persona, personality, passions, propensities, provocations, and possibilities. Excepting spiritual forces and laws, it is the chief driver of a person’s ultimate destiny outcome, impelling trademark decisions, practices, undertakings, experiences, relationships, and trajectories along life’s journey.
The heart is invisible to the human eye yet easily perceivable to the discerning spiritual eye. It bears the combined imprint of the soul (the mind, will, and emotions) and spirit (the essence of life; the force which gives biological and spiritual existence), promulgating, projecting, and etching its distinguishing characteristics onto everything within its perimeter in like manner to a unique scent, signature, or stamp. It is the core operating system of each person’s psyche, defining and refining life’s patterns and possibilities by attracting or repelling forces contingent on its configuration and orientation. Under the microscopic lens of this awareness, Solomon’s injunction to prioritize its well-being becomes more appreciable and pertinent; “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”1
In the previous issues of this series, we delved into God’s questions about available resources. The subjects all possessed powerful assets or tools, oblivious to their possibilities until God’s enlightening interventions unearthed the treasures within to propel the requisite transformation. In other situations, His protagonism exposed the nature of their thinking and invariably, their hearts. Gideon considered himself the “least of the very least”; Moses’ speech impediment left him feeling disqualified and ill-equipped for his task of emancipation; Sarah thought the idea that she and her husband would be parents in their old age laughable; Jeremiah and Timothy felt they were too young and inexperienced for their respective ministry assignments; Jonathan couldn’t tear himself away from a misguided deadly family allegiance so he could align himself with God’s determined choice for Israel; Judas’s proximal interaction with Jesus saw him unaffected and unchanged by the tangible, transforming God-in-flesh even after a span of three years (the result of an avaricious and fraudulent heart); Orpah’s milquetoast show of loyalty could not hold water against the threat of a husbandless, unguaranteed future in a distant foreign land; a sick man’s hopelessness fueled his perpetual inabilities and inertia, costing him thirty-eight years of his life at Bethesda’s pool; Ananias and Sapphira’s secret craving for notoriety and recognition became fully exposed to the ancient church world and led to their tragic and untimely deaths; etc.
Inappropriate responses to God’s prodding queries and sovereignly arranged circumstances would have resulted in unrelenting adversity and failure (as seen in those with unfavorable outcomes). Those who embraced and esteemed God’s enlightening propositions to the detriment of all others enjoyed propulsions into paradigm shifts in their thinking, which in turn, pivoted the swing of life’s pendulum in their favor. This shift, mixed with faith, produced the heart constitution necessary to transform their trajectories and effect great victories.2
Without this paradigm change, Gideon would have gone through life thinking of himself as the scum of the earth when God’s Angel came to challenge his inferiority complex. Abraham would have lived and died an unremarkable life as the childless husband to a barren wife if he had not embraced his changed name and designation as “the Father of Many Nations”3. Jabez and Jephthah would endure a curse-limiting lifetime of frustration, rejection and alienation had they not reconciled themselves to the limitless possibilities in God and implored heavily upon His mercies to alter their circumstances, creating beauty out of the ashes of their lives4-6. Rahab, Bathsheba, and Mary would have missed God’s illustrious plan for their lives as Jesus’s revered ancestresses had they wallowed in the mire of their negative and shameful circumstances, never able to look up high or long enough to catch a glimpse of the glories of His redemptive purposes for their lives. David, Sampson, and Peter could have allowed their mortifying mistakes to define the entirety of their existence, inserting exclamation marks at the end of their failures (as Judas did by his act of suicide), but instead utilized the comma of their errors to engage in self-reflection, repentance, and restoration. By so doing, they catapulted themselves back into heroic and distinguished life stories that concluding in greatness and glory. In each case, the concepts they consumed and embraced determined the composition of their hearts, which in turn dictated the cogitation of their thoughts, the resultant compilation of their life experiences, and ultimately, the constellation of victories they each experienced.
The destiny-determining disposition of the heart is glaring in the adventurous espionage activities undertaken by the Israelites in Joshua 2 and Numbers 13. In the first instance, the spies returned from their surveillance, stating to Joshua with great aplomb, “The Lord has given us the whole land,” …. “for all the people in the land are terrified of us.”7. In the second instance, another set of spies reported that the land was as impressive as God had promised, save a minor detail – it was co-inhabited by giants! By their report, “We saw the Nephilim … We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!”8 Unfortunately, this second expression of heart convictions – which focused on the greatness of the giants as opposed to the greatness of the God Who sent, preordained and guaranteed their victorious takeover – was the waterloo of this second set of spies; that entire generation was denied access into the very land for which they had been liberated, except for Joshua and Caleb whose mindsets and heart dispositions were different9-10.
In an almost comically paradoxical situation to that second instance of espionage, an obscure seventeen-year-old became incensed by the taunts and threats of a lone giant and proceeded to decimate him with one shot of his sling and a swing of the giant’s own sword. The difference? The former instance features a group of seasoned men who subscribed to their experiences and surroundings at the expense of imbibing and subscribing to all that God had done for and spoken to them; this eventually cost them their dignity, dreams, destinies, and distinction. The latter features a young lad whose paradigm was different because of what he had imbibed from God, even though he was the youngest, least significant, and almost forgotten member of a non-prominent family and had every reason to subscribe to his adverse circumstances and feelings. One group chose to dwell and feed on the negativities of life and past experiences, the other three individuals chose to dwell in God11 and feed on His faithfulness, promises, and possibilities12, all the while ascribing their abilities and victories to Him.7, 10, 13-14
I submit to you that the condition of your heart, determined by the content on which your mind and spirit feed, defines the course of your life. The configuration of your heart designs and designates the contents and capabilities of your house (atmosphere and surroundings) and hands (abilities and resources). Your heart is the control tower that determines your ability to take off on adventurous flights of conquest; it plays a huge role in preventing catastrophic crash-landings and colluding casualties.
Friend, what is in your heart? What ideaologies and concepts are you feeding your mind and spirit to ensure the careful construct of a healthy heart? Aside from God and other spiritual determinants, what impetus controls the propensities and possibilities of your life? Which electromagnetic forces have you programmed and cultivated to attract or repel the destiny outcomes you desire (or detest)?
WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART?
THE LATITUDE OF GRATITUDE
The average westerner thinks of a national holiday surrounded by food, family, friends and fun when they encounter the word “thanksgiving”. A typical African imagines an elaborate ceremony or service characterized by colorful apparel, spirited music, joyful dance, eloquently worded prayers of appreciation, and an aftermath of savory delights of every variety. A classic grammarian, educator, or instructor immediately considers linguistic accuracy, appropriate manners or mannerisms, or proper etiquette when confronted with the same. As is often the case, one word evokes different thought processes representative of various life lenses.
The Bible is replete with variously worded injunctions to give thanks, praise, honor, veneration, or the like to God, most notably in the Psalms but copiously splattered over the other sixty-five books as well. Where explicit instructions to that effect are unstated, the allusions are evident in the implicit narratives, illustrations, poetic verse, and simple historical accounts that comprise this divinely inspired compendium.
The Gospels demonstrate Jesus’s exemplification of this concept as a lifestyle when they unveil glimpses of His public and private prayer life. The epistles propose the same from the vantage of personal encounters and references to interpretive Old Testament text. The average follower of Jesus is taught to embody the same, the practice’s limitless virtues and benefits extolled as incentivizing means to a glorified and profitable end. Warnings abound regarding the perils of a thankless and ungrateful attitude, and the means to avoid and avert these odious pitfalls. Little is said about the practical tools/insights necessary to identify, confront and overcome the nuanced challenges these followers face in trying to execute and incorporate this command as a daily way of life.
Malware of every kind may attack a device’s operating system. Without the necessary preprogrammed precautions, they may remain undetected for some time while wreaking great havoc. Such attacks typically obstruct normal technological functions and communication pathways, hindering healthy processes and ultimately, effecting great damage to the operating system or its parent organization.
Similarly, major spiritual, psychological, and other impediments may unobtrusively attack the believer, maliciously damaging major functions, yet undetected under the guise of outward religious practices bereft of inward preemptive dealings. When the benefits of a vibrant and thankful spiritual life are notably limited or lacking, such individuals may languish in flagrant frustration, either bravely forging on in a façade of a happy, flourishing life while their faith, joy, and conviction inwardly wither, or worse, may grow cynical, callous, embittered, and cold towards God and their identification with the Christian faith.
This missive is intended to underscore some merits of the attitude and practice of thanksgiving. It also hopes to highlight the superior technological abilities God’s Word exerts. It has practical application in identifying, destroying and preventing stealth attacks which serve as life-depleting barriers to experiencing the full and flourishing advantages of the God-kind of life. But first, we define biblical thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is the ongoing practice of the conveyance of deep gratitude, admiration and every similar assertion of honor, value, and indebtedness. It takes on various forms of expression, from simple verbalizations of gratitude to heartwarming spiritual platitudes, to flamboyant acknowledgements of divine solicitude … and is always reflective of a beholden heart attitude … or should be. It distinct yet inseparable from the practices of praise, worship, adulation, etc. which are usually articulated through verse, song, dance, or other creative means of communication. Its communication transcends mere vocalizations though – it originates from a humble and grateful heart directly connected to God’s Spirit.
Given the depth of God’s love and benevolence, thanksgiving and its associated activities and expressions should come easily to everyone, but this is often not the case. There is the small matter of life and the things it throws at a person …
Gratitude’s Latitude
Beyond computing, geography and photography, latitude is defined as the scope, berth, or breadth to behave, choose, possess, express, have an opinionin or think the way one desires; it is thefreedom from narrow restrictions. Think of wide-open meadows containing large expanses of land where persons are free to run, jump, play, dance, party, meet, build, plant, harvest, store, etc. to their heart’s content. This is the intent and one of the primary benefits of the practice of thanksgiving – it opens a person up to new experiences, heights, doors, opportunities, etc., of enrichment and enlargement, i.e., propels and position into wide open spaces!
Gratitude begets latitude i.e., the freedom of expansion and opportunities for wide open spaces … (Isaiah 33:5, 21, Psalms 18:17-21; Psalms 31:7-8; 118:5; 119;45; 2 Samuel 22:20; Luke 17:12-19; Psalms 50:14-15; 23; 65:11; 66:12)!
Latitude’s Computing Hacks
The opportunity for latitide (as defined above) is everythig in computing. It allows for limitless possibilities and experiences. The freedom of expression and ability to create multifactorial functions and processes greatly enhances productivity. Explore with me a few hacks experts tell us make for an optimized user experience ….
Firewall Install
Most individuals and organizations invest a considerable amount of money to protect their intellectual property, data, and systems. In computing, firewalls are used to accomplish this. A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. A firewall typically establishes a barrier between a trusted network and an untrusted network, such as the Internet1.
In the usual course of life, we may encounter many undesirable traffic situations that are best avoided, if possible, to ensure one is not indefinitely stuck or worse still, involved in a tragic accident. Disappointment, despair, depression, disbelief (an evil heart of unbelief) and disrepute (shame) are but a few of the undesirable traffic elements that every believer must successfully deal with to protect their valuable life assets. Jesus’ promise of abundant life2 does not suggest a challenge-free existence, but strongly assures of the victory in each battle and conquest over every foe3.
Install the firewall of God’s Word as a spoken standard over your life4, as well as the weapons of praise, worship, song, and dance to tackle, divert and keep unwanted traffic out of your terrain.
Gripe Swipe
A computer mouse is a hardware input device that controls the cursor and thus allows for pointing, moving, and selecting text, icons, files, folders, etc. Recent technological advances have replaced the cumbersome handheld mouse with a simple swiping function on tablets, smartphones, and some laptops. This, along with tapping replaces mouse movements, enables greater speed and agility on the device while minimizing hand movements.
Griping is one of the most destructive vices a person can engage in, stemming from a heart of ingratitude and criticism, always finding fault with someone or something. People with this mindset usually see the proverbial glass as half-empty rather than half full and often harbor a simmering, just-below-the-surface “Bah! Humbug!” attitude very reminiscent to that of the famed Scrooge5.
This attitude is the direct antithesis to one of gratitude and is the very thing that cost the first generation of liberated Israelites access to their promised land6. Their posture/frame of mind was so repugnant to God that He rescinded His original plans and literally swore that they would not set foot into the place He had prepared for them7.
It goes without saying that replacing the repulsiveness of ingratitude and complaining with the more advantageous technology of thanksgiving and appreciation is most favorable for anyone. Replacing negative mindsets with the life-eluting perspective of the Word swipes the gripe. It opens portals of abundant possibilities and blessings while shutting the destructive and destiny-eluding vices that boorishness promulgates!
Upload Mode
The attitude of appreciation is not a gift; it does not arrive pre-programmed into the human psyche. Like other positive character traits, it is an asset that must be intentionally cultivated and assimilated into one’s subconscious and lifestyle i.e., it must be programmed and uploaded onto a person’s hard drive. Anything less becomes obvious in the responses (or lack thereof) to the happenings around the individual.
The frequency with which flagrant demonstrations of ingratitude are encountered is alarming. This may be represented by minor oversights in expressing appreciation for the simple and mundane, casual responses to heartfelt gestures, habitual disregard of acts of kindness, frank disdain or overt denigration of favors shown, etc. Whichever way it manifests, ingratitude at any level is deplorable and highly inadvisable.
Jesus was appalled when only one leper returned to give thanks after ten had been healed,8 yet His graciousness and benevolence are par to none. I would daresay God marvels similarly when His people take His graces for granted or worse still, demonstrate a sense of entitlement that disparages or diminishes the benevolences He has already bestowed.
It is advisable to upload and maintain a continuous mode of appreciation, constantly reminding oneself of the plethora of things to thank and laud God for; always celebrating His unending mercies and ever-refreshing faithfulness. Every single morning, your life’s page is refreshed with His goodness and steadfast love9, furnishing new opportunities for unparalleled celebration, current challenges and unfulfilled expectations notwithstanding!
Code Download
Due to daily encumbrances and the vicissitudes of life, it becomes easy to lose sight of all one already has, all God has already done, and all the negative things that could have occurred but did not. It is easy to focus on all one does not have, all that has gone wrong, and all that has not yet happened. This focus naturally engenders negativity, discouragement, self-pity and a host of other negative feelings and attitudes that can be damaging and counterproductive. One of the best ways to circumvent this downward spiral is to actively remember all that God has already done in and for you. This is a major access code to effusive joy, effervescent gratitude and an abundant, prayer-answered life!
Psalms 103 and a host of other scriptures10 enjoin the believer to bless the Lord and NOT forget all the wonderful things He has done! Remembrance is the key to maintaining a grateful heart. It is the code that unlocks a spirit of genuine thanksgiving and praise in the heart of the believer. It activates a heartfelt sense of appreciation for all that has occurred and instills a strong sense of hope for the things yet to be experienced. Jewish celebrations till this day utilize songs, verse, and dance to recount God’s mighty acts and retell the stories of His amazing goodness. This ensures the perpetuity of national and individual awareness and depths of appreciation that traverse generations.
Make it your aim to habitually download the unfailing code of the remembrance of God’s goodness. If engaged for a sufficient duration, it never ceases to evoke a sense of joyful gratitude that spurs anticipation and expectation for the things that have not yet manifested but are guaranteed to come – sure Words of prophecy certain to happen in their set appointed time!
Java Optimization
Java is one of the most popular programming technologies in the world, utilized across multiple servers, applications, and platforms, and is purported to be relatively easy to learn and use. It has a software application of the same name created by the same developer and supposedly derives its name from the java coffee bean. This is of particular interest to me, living in a city dually known as the coffee capital of the U.S. as well as one of its leading technological hubs.
Every coffee lover knows that the best coffee is ill ingested solitarily. To fully enjoy the wonders of its flavors, coffee must be paired with a sumptuous snack (or two!) – the way a glove enjoys the most relevance when paired with its corresponding hand. This segways into the associated concept of the world of sweet treats, which we will define here by the term “Truly Scrumptious!”
Truly Scrumptious (my fondness for the name rivaled only by that of her co-character’s – Caractacus Potts, his being real-life given names!), culled from the timeless children’s musical – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! – is one of my favorite fictional names (as is her character’s eponymous song). My impish side finds quite fascinating the hilarity of the alluring mental images it conjures of an abundance of savory confectioneries and their captivating, scintillizing flavors. Psalms 34:8; 119:103; 1 Peter 2:3; Psalms 63:5; SOS 2:3; Jeremiah 31:14 are all reflective of the delectable delights that are offered in God once we accept the invitation to banquet at His table of profound pleasures!
Optimize your operating system with the tasty trifles of God’s goodness – make it your aim to experience for yourself the “Truly Scrumptious” nature of His goodness!
Deploy Joy
In its IT context, deployment encompasses the processes involved in getting new software or hardware up and running properly in its environment, including installation, configuration, running, testing, and making necessary changes. The word “implementation” is sometimes used to convey the same meaning11.
For the believer in Christ, joyfulness it not optional; it is a commanded fruit of the Spirit12-13. Joy must be deployed for any believer to operate smoothly, and the most natural means for its deployment is the deliberate meditation on God and His Word12, 14, 15. His Word infuses His perspective, which in turn infuses joy and gratitude into a person’s heart and mind. I’m yet to meet a genuinely joyful person who is not a truly grateful individual, and vice versa.
Cyber Subjugation
Most computer systems utilize antivirus software to scan, detect, prevent, and delete viruses from the operating system. Most antivirus software run automatically in the background to provide real-time protection against virus attacks. Technologists tell us that comprehensive virus protection programs help protect files and hardware from all sorts of malware.
In a believer’s life, malware appears in many forms – anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, jealously, strife, gossip, variance, lust, greed – the list is long. These vices do not merely infect aspects of the believer’s operating system; they eventually erode other areas as well. The destructive and deceitful nature of sin should never be underestimated. It must be swiftly and effectively identified and resolved for a believer to operate optimally. Anything less portends sub-par functioning that will eventually cause a systems crash; it is just a matter of time.
One of the most formidable aspects of the security systems pre-programmed into a believer’s life is the subjugating blood of Jesus, sufficiently efficacious in destroying sin, sickness, and every other threat with which the forces of darkness may attempt to infect your operating system.
Activate this indefatigable piece of arsenal daily and as often as needed to scan, detect, prevent, delete, and destroy demonic viruses and other cyber-attacks using the habitual practice of prayer, repentance, and adequate time in God’s Word and presence.
Data Integration
In computer “speaks”, data integration is the process of combining data from different sources into a single, unified view. So what do gratitude, latitude, a laptop, and geographic coordinates have in common? Not a lot, other than the author’s propensity for and roguish delight in utilizing alliterative, reiterative and (hopefully) cogitative phrases and parallels to emphasize the thoughts communicated!
Please enjoy with me the following songs with which to extend our latitude by heartfelt shows of gratitude ….
You Have Done It Again:
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=4rDZCvX4Df8&feature=share
A Thousand Hallelujahs:
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ga057VTHdP0&feature=share
You’re Worthy Of It All:
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=x1UT7vmoeFc&feature=share
The Goodness of God:
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=9sE5kEnitqE&feature=share
The Doxology:
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=XEA0F7c1sGQ&feature=share
Bibliography
1. Wikipedia {https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewall_(computing)}
2. John 10:10
3. Romans 8:31-37
4. Isaiah 59:19; Psalms 107:2; Isaiah 13:2; 62:10
5. Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol (1843)
6. Exodus 14:10-12; 16: 2-3; Numbers 11:4-6; 14:22-23; 27-35; Psalms 78:40-42; 1 Cor 10:5; 8-11; Philippians 2:14-16; Hebrews 4:2;
7. Hebrews 3:10-12; 16-19.
8. Luke 17:12-19
9. Lamentations 3:22-23
10. Psalms 103:2; Isaiah 63:7; Psalms 105:5; 106:7, 21; Deut 6:12; 8:2-4; 32:18; 2 Chronicles 32:25; Psalms 111:2-4; Psalms 78:5-7; 102:18
11. Techtarget.com
12. Philippians 4:4
13. Galatians 5:16
14. Psalms 19:7-8
15. Jeremiah 15:16