Singleness of Heart and Action

I am weird. No really I am. I like Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings. I enjoy basketball, football, and reading. I love Jane Austen books and have read some of them 3 times or more. I appreciate the movies based on the books. I am a kindred spirit of Anne of Green Gables, but I also dig the Matrix. The human body awes and amazes me. I feel God’s smile when I sing, speak, and write all about God. I hunger and thirst after God’s word. The things I enjoy do not seem like they should fit into one person. I can’t help myself. Diversity is good right? However diversity in the things I enjoy can result in me being a scatter-brained mess. I struggle pinpointing my Spiritual gifts or my personality. What does God want to do with a crazy, Trekie who loves Jayhawk Basketball, enjoys a great Jane Austen novel, and studying her Bible? How do you figure that out?

Well, I cam across something AMAZING last night in my Bible reading. Judah is under siege by the Babylonians. Most of Judah has already been taken into captivity and the final hold outs are still in Jerusalem, still refusing to obey God by surrendering to the Babylonians. However, God in His amazing patience tells them what is going to happen after He banishes them. Jeremiah 32:37-39 says, “I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in My furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them.” So God, dealing with these crazy sin-loving Israelites – these people he likens to prostitutes – relents. He doesn’t punish beyond measure or out of the ordinary. No, God calls them His people, but even more He gives them Singleness of Heart and Action. Oh that I would allow God’s Holy Spirit to give me singleness of Heart and Action. This singleness doesn’t mean that I have to only like football and stop reading Jane Austen. I don’t have to give up singing to speak or speaking to write. No! It means that God is going to make my purpose and direction into something that brings me more in love and in awe of God. Then I can make an impact on the next generation. God doesn’t only want me to draw near to Him for my sake, but for the sake of those coming after me. He also says this fear will also result in good for both me and those who are coming after me.

God’s singleness of heart and action results in my fearing, loving, being in right relationship with Him AND it results is good for me. It also affects those around me. O Father God, I pray that I would have the kind of singleness of heart and action that draws me closer to You and draws others closer as well. Father I desire, through all the crazy things I enjoy, to honor and fear You. May my relationship with You draw others to fear You and find Your goodness. Thank You Father God that You use a sinner, football loving, Jayhawk cheering, girl like me. Amen.

If God can use a crazy woman like me, I bet He can use you too. What is it He is calling you to do to draw others nearer to Him? I’d love to know so I can pray for you!