Daily Devotionals

Heart Awareness

Posted in Fear/Anxiety

“Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

 

What stress do you have in your life?  I know I’ve got my fair share and more especially at work these days.  I recently went to see my cardiologist (doesn’t every lawyer see one?).  I’ve had these symptoms before, but they are back.  He confirmed it was due to stress.  My history is that, about two years ago, I began to feel and notice my heartbeat most notably at night while trying to go to sleep.  I went to my cardiologist then and he used the term “cardiac awareness.”  “I’m going to put you on medication to see if we can slow your heart down,” he said.  The medication worked, and I’m fine.  (Repeating “Be still, and know that I am God” while trying to go to sleep, per a devotional last year, was not making it go away.) 

 

Since my “cardiac awareness” is now occurring in February, I had the Lenten season on my mind.   I started thinking that during Lent, my “cardiac awareness” should become “heart awareness.”  We are to be aware of the sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins.  Many people give up something, sacrifice, during Lent as a reminder.  I will tell you that I don’t.  As Lynn Grandsire preached a few years ago, “He doesn’t want your sacrifices, He wants your heart.”

 

So, my challenge to myself during Lent is to have more “heart awareness” by spending more time talking and listening to God and spending more time in prayer.  Will you have more “heart awareness” in these 40 days?  Perhaps our stress level will go down as well.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to slow down and to have heart awareness during this Lenten season.  Amen.

 

Submitted by:  Bill McDow