Deceitful Hearts

A couple of my recent posts received spam that shocked me. I even thought, "What am I doing adding another avenue for the enemy to enter into my life?" Yet, I so enjoy the encouraging comments of some of you and like to process my thoughts through this writing format when I have the time. Then Sherry and Carol Ann gave me the steps to clean up my blog. I took those steps and feel better. Thanks, Sherry and Carol Ann! The unwanted comments have been removed permanently.
This process reminded me of James 3 where James talks about the use of our tongues and how our tongues reveal the deceitfulness of our hearts. I bless the Lord with my tongue and awhile later use it to run down someone else or to gossip, etc. This should be as shocking to me as seeing those filthy comments on my blog. Sadly, I sometimes don't even notice that the same spring in my heart gave forth both fresh and bitter water. That should not be!!! I'm asking the Lord to sensitize me to what comes out of my heart and mouth, so I can run to Him with each problem area and ask Him to remove it permanently. Hopefully those around me will greatly benefit by this.
A dear friend of mine, Janie, was recently diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. I've spent hours with her, listening to her confusion and hurt. Her life has been full of many health & emotional challenges...this is the worst. I've tried not to be a comforter like those Job had. I want to just be there and walk through this trial with her. Like Jeremiah in Jeremiah 15:18, Janie was asking God why He seemed to be so deceptive? This verse from the Complete Jewish Bible (translated by Stern) : "Why is my pain unending, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be for me like a deceptive wadi, which is only sometimes filled with water?" To understand this verse, you need to understand that a "wadi" is a narrow canyon or valley in Israel. Often these are full of vegetation, but dry places that could tempt you to camp there overnight or longer. That is very risky! If the rains come, these wadis are susceptible to flash flooding that could carry you away and perhaps take your life. Janie feels like Jeremiah did - that life was proceeding at its normal pace, when she all at once was hit by one of those flash floods which swept her into a chaotic, life-threatening flood stream. Her faith is being severely tested. A lot of folks in New Orleans and Mississippi are being challenged similarly these days after Katrina's devastation affected their lives. No matter what the storm & its affects in our lives, it sure adds hope to know God will walk through it all with us. He even sends others of His own to be at our sides and show that they too care.