Title: Heart toward God / Psalm 145:17-21
We live in an age where speed is important. Computers are also a race for speed. The word "quick service" comes out of our mouths easily because delivery is also delivered at a fast speed. It is easy to hear the saying that if you are slow you will not survive. These days, speed is important, so the word high-speed is not enough, so I use the word super-fast.
How important is speed, Bill Gates wrote a book called "Speed of Thought". It emphasizes the speed as fast as you think. The moment I think of America, I am in the United States. The moment you think of Germany, you are in Germany. In this way, you can succeed when you win the speed competition as much as the speed of thought.
But more important than the speed of thought is the direction of thought. Where you go is more important than how fast you are. If you are going to Seoul and you take the wrong train to Busan, the person will be more worried about the fast train to Busan. But if you take the wrong local train to Busan, it won't take that long to get back. If you go fast in the wrong direction, tragic things happen in the end. The tragedy of the Titanic was that it ran at an irreversible speed.
Humans tend to run faster in the wrong direction. "Humans are the only animals that run faster when lost," said Rollo May. The reason is inner anxiety.
More important than the speed of thought is the direction of thought. Where you are heading is the most important issue. An American missionary who was a nurse did missionary work in uncharted territory in Africa. I met a young man, who had a leg disease and could not walk. In the United States, it is a disease that can be cured any number of times, and if it is cured, it is possible to travel in good health, but there was no treatment. The nurse was so pitiful that she contacted a hospital in the United States to help him get treatment. In the end, he was treated well in the United States and returned to Africa. A few years later, the doctor who had been treating the patient came to visit Africa. A missionary, who was a doctor and a nurse, met together and started looking for the young man who had been cured. It took several days to find it, but the young man had committed a crime and was imprisoned. The doctor and missionary who confirmed this said, "It is our responsibility that we only made this young man walk, but did not give him directions on where to go."
In this era, people's abilities are valued as important. Speed is important. However, the direction of where are you headed? tends not to matter. But the direction of our life is clear. We must live with a direction toward God.
There is a zoo in San Diego. There are penguins from Alaska here, and it is said that they are always looking towards Alaska, even if they are far away. No matter where we are or whatever we do, we must have a heart for God.
Problems arise when you turn your back on God instead of turning toward God. God called Jonah. He clearly directed Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach the word. But Jonah did not obey God's direction and fled to Tarshish. When he went in a direction God didn't want him to go, he kept going downhill. He went down to Joppa to escape to Tarshish, and went down to the bottom of the boat. Eventually, he was thrown out of the boat and went down into the sea water. I was in a position to go down to the belly of a big fish. When we go in a direction that God does not want, the result is like this.
But look at Jacob's condition. Jacob became very rich and returned to his homeland. He was a man who could live without regret because of his wealth. God told Jacob to go up to Bethel. Bethel is the place where Jacob met God when he fled from his brother Esau. It will be a painful memory of the past. It was a day I never wanted to remember again. But God gave Jacob the direction to go up to Bethel. Jacob obeys. "Let's get up and go up to Bethel. Let's put away the foreign gods and purify ourselves and go up to Bethel." After going up to Bethel and worshiping God, his name was changed. "Your name is Jacob, but I will never call your name Jacob again, and Israel will be your name." His identity has changed. Because he came out holding his heel, the name of Jacob was changed to the name of winning a battle with God.
When we go where God wants us to go, our lives change like this. But look at Lot's wife. Sodom and Gomorrah sin against God and they will be destroyed. God sent the news of the destruction of Sodom through Lot. However, the son-in-law heard this and considered it a joke. When he flees from Sodom, he says, run for the mountains without looking back, and you will escape destruction. But on the way out, Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back. It makes a huge difference depending on where you are going.
look at the prodigal He took his portion and left his father. He turned his back on his father and went out into the world. It looked good at first, but eventually I lost everything. Had to go into the pigsty and worry about what to eat. It is at that moment that a change of direction takes place for the prodigal son. The heart towards the world turns towards the Father. return to hometown meet my father everything is restored The direction he left his father was gradually falling apart. But the direction towards the father is hopeful. there is joy
If we turn to God, the way to live will be opened, but if we do not turn to God, we will perish in this way. Dear saint! I hope the way to live will be open to you. I hope that you have a heart for God and that you will lead a blessed life.
Then, do I have a heart for God in my heart? What about those who have a heart for God? We would like to share our blessings with you.
Those who have a heart for God pray sincerely. As Jesus was passing Jericho, there was Bartimaeus, a beggar who could not see. I wanted to meet Jesus. There were many people, but they cried out, "Jesus, Son of David! Have mercy on me." It is noisy as the disciples pass by. told me to be quiet. But Bartimaeus shouted even more, "Jesus, Son of David! Have mercy on me," and he pleaded with Jesus with a sincere heart. Jesus stopped walking and called Bartimaeus. He healed his eyes.
Bartimaeus was a man to the Lord. Those who sincerely ask the Lord are those who turn to the Lord. How can a person who bows down to idols and makes sincere supplications turn toward the Lord? How can a person who does not need to sincerely ask the Lord because he is dependent on his material things to be toward the Lord?
Jesus meets a Canaanite woman. His daughter is possessed by a demon and is begging to be healed. Jesus said to the woman, if there was bread, would you give it to the children first, then to the dog? It is not right to give a child's bread to a dog. Lord, you are right. But even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table. Jesus said that your faith in her is great. It will be as you wish. At that time the daughter was healed.
A person who turns to God is a person who prays with a sincere heart. How do you deal with difficult situations when you face them? How do you deal with frustrating situations? Let's not wander. A person who turns to God is a person who asks God with a sincere heart.
Look at the text of the text. He promised that those who pray with a sincere heart will be near to God. Look at Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a person who was bullied by many people. However, he had a deep desire to meet Jesus. He was a man who sincerely wanted to meet Jesus. Jesus said he would go to Zacchaeus' house. Everyone wanted to stay away, but Zacchaeus had a heart of sincere supplication. Jesus drew near to Zacchaeus. Those who turn to God are those who sincerely pray. God draws near to us. In times like these, God is always close to us.
I asked an old man. I have several grandchildren, and when I asked who was the prettiest among them, he said that the grandson who asked his grandfather for something was so pretty. Naturally, the grandfather feels more close to his grandchildren.
Let us also sincerely pray to God. This will be our expression to God, and God draws near to us.
Also, the heart toward God must be expressed as an expression of love for the Lord. God loved Abraham very much. But he wanted to make sure that Abraham was facing his son Isaac, whom he had at the age of 100. Take your son Isaac and go up to Mount Moriah. offer it as a sacrifice He wanted to confirm his heart toward God.
He wanted to check whether Peter's heart was toward Jesus. Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? You asked for sure three times. If our hearts are turned, it must be shown as an expression of love.
Mary had a heart for Jesus. That is why Maria had an expression of love that broke a huge alabaster jar. But Judas Iscariot had a heart for material things. Why waste so much? make a fuss excuse the poor
We pay tithing. A substance that has many meanings, but we have worked hard for it. It's really precious. But the reason I give one out of ten of my income is because my heart is toward the Lord. Because it is toward the Lord, it is dedicated as an expression of love for the Lord. Worship is held on Sundays. It is an expression of our heart toward the Lord. It is an expression of our love for the Lord.
There is "Pepero Day". November 11th, when four of the thinnest numbers of "1" are lined up next to each other, is "Pepero Day." It is an orthodox theory that it started around 1994 when middle school girls in Busan and Gyeongnam region wished to become slimmer and exchanged a thin and elongated snack called ?쏱epero?? Recently, it has been extended to the 20s regardless of gender, and it is held as a nationwide "anniversary" for the N generation. It is the custom of a new generation to deliver Pepero to loved ones. I gave the children Pepero. I feel good. A loving heart is expressed as an expression of love.
A heart toward God must be expressed as an expression of love. We should always give Pepero to the Lord. Our time should be an expression of love for the Lord. There must be an expression of love for the Lord with material things. There must be an expression of love for God through our talents.
Dear saint! May our hearts always be directed toward God. Let us pray with a sincere heart. And let's live while expressing our love for the Lord.