I
retreated to my prayer closet (literally) and proceeded to spend some quiet
time with God. I sat there amongst my Bible and journal seeking to
connect with God when my eyes were drawn to an abandoned pill box
organizer.
Awhile back God
led me to type up scriptures and place them in a daily pill box
organizer. Each day I would take my “Daily Dose” and allow whichever
scripture I pulled to serve as the basis for my reading for the day. I didn't adhere to reading for any prescribed length of time. I read until
I was “full.”
So, I pulled down
the abandoned pill box organizer and removed the scripture for that day.
As I drifted back into this familiar regimen God afforded me insight into a
scripture I had been mulling over for the past few weeks.
“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.”—Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)
Some individuals
are diagnosed with a heart condition that warrants a heart transplant.
When a donor heart becomes available the doctor will extract their diseased
heart and replace it with a viable, healthy, and responsive heart.
However, this new heart is foreign. The body will continually attack this
organ unless the patient commits to taking the prescribed medication.
Immunosuppressants.
Immunosuppressants
are designed to suppress the immune system so that the likelihood of the body
rejecting the transplanted organ will decrease. These drugs must be taken
every single day. One missed dose will increase the likelihood of a
rejection.
God has diagnosed
many of us with a heart condition that warrants a heart transplant. When
we give our life to Christ God extracts our diseased heart and replaces it with
a viable, healthy, and responsive heart. However, this heart is
foreign. We are pre-disposed to behavior and thoughts that coincide with
our sinful disposition. Our natural instinct will be to reject our new
heart. We must commit to taking care of ourselves through our prescribed
medication if we expect to experience the vitality of our new heart.
So, today
recognize your fragility in that you can’t afford to skip your “Daily
Dose.” You are a heart transplant recipient. You have a new heart
and a new spirit. In order, to ensure your body does not reject your new
heart you must commit to taking the prescribed “immunosuppressants” found in
His Word. Your body will continue to fight against your new heart.
Your body is predisposed to sin and will seek to gratify its own selfish
desires unless you intervene and take care of yourself. Do not
underestimate the value of spending time God. The long-term success of
your new heart is dependent on your commitment to maintain your relationship
with God through His Word. Take your “Daily Dose.”
Ashley Ivery is a single mother of two
brilliant children, Aiden and Devyn, with an overwhelming desire to empower
women and help them to realize the importance of a relationship with God.
Through her writing she hopes to encourage women to claim their
strength and value in Christ. Ashley serves as the Residential
Listing Partner for Team Harris Real Estate. She graduated from 
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