Heart Stance.

What stance do you take in your heart about your need for the reviving of God?

This is not a question that I ponder a lot. It is intriguing to step back from the normal flow of living an ordinary Wednesday to think about the stance of my heart about things. Things in general. Things specific. The normal flow is that I just live my Wednesday, not think about my heart stance on the things that will make up this Wednesday. I am finding though, that as Papa is conforming me to the image of Jesus, I am a bit more aware of my heart stance on the parts of my Wednesday. The undeserved gift of a godly wife. A text from one of my sons. Early morning time with a really special friend. A hard conversation that was unexpected. Excitement about some new beginnings. The soaker music that is playing while these words flow. Laughter in the halls of my work place. Anticipating time with family over the coming weekend. Looking at the face of our granddaughter. And twenty more things that could fit right here in this next sentence.

I don't have to be aware of my heart stance on any of these things. It doesn't negate that I am living them out on this Wednesday, but I am wondering what I'm missing by not giving time to consider my heart stance on them in the midst of the living. This was what my thought was this past week as I spent time in the Bible book of Psalm, chapter 119, verses 145 to 149. Yeah, it's that really long chapter in the Bible.

This is what I noticed. I looked at the first half of each of these verses and then I looked at the second half of each of the verses. I was aware that what I was seeing was a group of "stances of heart" and then the following "responses of hope" that flowed from each stance. And I slowed to take in what the stance of the Psalmist was. The Psalmist that was a human being just like you and I. Perhaps he penned these words on an ordinary Wednesday. I'll list them the way I was looking at them.

The stances of His heart.

I cried to You with all my heart.

I cried to You, save me!

I set aside time with You.

I anticipate times with You.

Hear me according to Your loving kindness.

The responses of hope.

I will observe Your statutes.

I will keep Your testimonies.

I will wait for Your words.

I will meditate on Your word.

Revive me according to Your word.

So, can I take each of those two lists and assign one word to each line? I did:)

First, the list of stances.

Longing.

Longing.

Longing.

Longing.

Longing.

Next, the list of hope responses.

Word.

Word.

Word.

Word.

Word.

The Psalmist, this ordinary human that God was at work in, had this heart stance. Longing for God's Word. Doesn't say it had always been that way. Doesn't say it will always be that way. But in the moment of his ordinary Wednesday possibly, his heart stance was longing for the Word of God.

Dear ordinary human that God is at work in.....

There's more.