Sing and Make Melody - Purer in Heart, O God, Help Me To Be

    For the final hymn in our "Sing and Make Melody in Your Heart" series I have selected a song that is a plea we all should be making to God, a plea for purity:

"Purer In Heart, O God"

(written by Fannie E C Davison, 1877)

Purer in heart, O God, help me to be;

May I devote my life wholly to Thee

Watch Thou my wayward feet;

Guide me with counsel sweet;

Purer in heart, help me to be.

Purer in heart, O God, help me to be;

Teach me to do Thy will most lovingly.

Be Thou my friend and guide;

Let me with Thee abide;

Purer in heart, help me to be.

Purer in heart, O God, help me to be;

That I Thy holy face one day may see.

Keep me from secret sin;

Reign Thou my soul within;

Purer in heart, help me to be.

    All I could find out about the writer of this song was her life span: 36 years (1851 - 1887). This song is known to have been written in 1877, when she was 26 years old.

    A sincere prayer, a plea for purity of heart.
    Seeking God and asking His help.
    Simply beautiful.

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." (1 John 3:1-3 NKJV)

    Do you have this hope? Are you a child of God? If so, purify yourself!

purify - it is a verb, an action - a daily action, sometimes a moment to moment action. It means to make/keep pure, to continually remove anything that pollutes or contaminates. A conscientious heart is needed to keep watch always.

    What can pollute our hearts? The all-encompassing answer - SIN. The more problem specific answer - anything that tempts you or turns your attention from God and godly behaviour. I'll list a few:

~ Lust/Pornography: It. Is. Everywhere. Let's keep it simple. If you are married, your husband is the only person you have the right to look at (or think about) in any state of undress. Period. Do not allow yourself to see (or think about) someone's nakedness in reality, in a book, OR on a screen. God has blessed you with the gift of marriage, don't disregard it or disrespect it, honour it!

If you are NOT married, there is NO ONE in this world whom you have a right to be viewing (or thinking about) in any state of undress, in reality, in a book, OR on a screen. It's just that simple. Sexual temptation is one of the strongest tools the devil has in his toolbox. Be diligent about your purity in this matter. Read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, Ephesians 5:1-7, and consider Matthew 5:27-30 (not a command only for men).

~ Filthy Language/Swearing: If it's in your heart, it will come out of your mouth. Don't let it in. Turn off the reel/streaming/TV. Stop the conversation. If it is in your heart already, begin purifying your heart, determine daily to remove it from your thoughts (Psalm 19:14). Please read Colossians 3:1-17 and Ephesians 4:29-32.

~ Complaining: Complaining is a way of life in North America. The world allows you to believe that it shows your acute awareness of your surroundings and your supposed rights. We complain about everything. Sarcastic humour is everywhere. Did you know that when you complain you bring yourself down, you bring others down, and you disobey God? Read Philippians 4:14-15. What can you do instead of complaining? "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

~ Anger: Anger/agitation can make us spew complaints. We are to be very careful of our anger. The only rightful anger is that of defending God and His word if it is being blasphemed, but that type of anger does not lose its rational thought, it does not lose control; it is under complete control and appropriate and allows our words/behaviour to be in check (1 Corinthians 16:13-14, Colossians 4:5-6). So if your anger does not fit that description, purify your heart of it. Stop and get it under control. Work daily at it. Some verse to study: Psalm 4:4-5, Ephesians 4:26-27, James 1:19-20, Colossians 3:1-17, also consider Proverbs 29:11.

~ Jealousy: Jealousy and coveting what others have/get is another problem area that spurs on complaints. Are your resentful of the work you have to do? You finish your “paying job” and you have another whole day’s worth of work waiting for you: tidying up the house/yard, making dinner, washing the dishes, doing the laundry… you see your husband and family lounging on the couch waiting for their evening meal and you start complaining how you’re the only one who does any work in the house, nobody appreciates you, etc. etc. If jealousy-based complaining is your weakness, pause in your complaining and consider ALL that you have: a functioning body and mind, a husband and/or family to love, food to serve them, amenities to make your life easier. Take the time to read and really think on James 3 and 4 this week. Read and re-read those two chapters and add in Psalm 73. Pray that God would help you overcome your compulsive complaining and develop a heart that is pure in its praise and appreciation of God's gifts and blessings!  

    Trust in God. He will give you the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13, Hebrews 2:18). Trusting in His goodness, His rightness, and His hope He has given you will help you to keep yourself pure in heart every day. 

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." (James 4:7-8,10 NKJV)

Purer in heart, O God, help me to be!

You can do it! So can I!!

Link to listen to hymn:

Fix It So You Can Flourish: Are You Repaying Evil or Regarding Good?

    I've been thinking a lot lately on Romans 12. It's a great chapter, jam-packed with great instructions and so much information to meditate on! This week in our "Fix It So You Can Flourish' series, I would like you to consider Romans 12:17-18:

"Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." (NKJV)

    Have you heard this before: "Don't sink to their level."  This phrase (which I heard often growing up) always brought an image to my mind of people standing in thick, slimy mud - the more upset they got, the more they struggled, the further they would sink into the mud.

    It's a simple statement that restates the biblical admonition we find in Romans 12:17 - "repay no one evil for evil." It's an instruction telling us to not 'follow suit.' Do not sling the mud back at the mud-slinger.

    God requires us to be different (Romans 12:2). He desires for us to choose His way - a path different from the common heavily traveled one we find in the world. How do we walk on this good pathway? By having regard for good things in the sight of all men!

    God does not want us wasting our mental energies on retaliation plans (Micah 2:1) or thinking up the perfect thing to say that 'would put them in their place.' God does not want us abusing our verbal skills by uttering hurtful/harmful/hateful words (Ephesians 4:29-32, Titus 3:2, James 3:9-10). Instead, God wants us to hone our skills in thinking on and speaking up with suggestions that provide good in all situations.

    Rather than adding to the negativity of any situation (our own or that of others), God wants us to offer a suggestion that will bring resolution and peace. God does not want us to be part of the problem, He wants us to be part of the solution!

"If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."

    Plain and simple - If it is possible live peaceably with all men. The important bit is the 'as much as depends on you.' All interaction is akin to a tennis match - a game of back and forth. When you have a negative, hurtful interaction and the 'ball' is in your court ("as much as depends on you" - your response is a big factor in how the game will play out!) you have the choice to either hit back with the same behaviour/words that are hurting you (repay evil for evil) OR provide good to the situation by responding with grace, mercy, and kindness -     

    Romans 12 finishes with a clear instruction in verse 21:

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

    So from this day onward, provide good. Build your skills in peacemaking and use your mental prowess to develop good suggestions that could make for peace. And as much as it depends on you, step skillfully and carefully out of the mud puddle and help your companion out of it too!

    Leave the rest up to God. Go to Him in prayer, ask for wisdom (James 1:5). He will help you if you desire to obey His instructions. God is AWESOME like that!! :)

    If you have been in the habit of repaying evil for evil - or simply dwelling on imaginary scenarios that revolve around such - please consider the instructions in Romans 12 and fix it so you can flourish! Read, study, and pray to better appreciate the grace and mercy God continues to extend to you each day, so that you can extend it, yourself, more willingly to others! Grace and mercy enables good solutions to flourish and good solutions bring glory to God (Matthew 5:16, Titus 3:8)! Are you ready to flourish in your regard for good?

You can do it! So can I!!