Keeping Your Heart Series

He chooses to believe that what God says is true and that his troubles are light and momentary compared to the reward that is coming his way

- this takes FAITH- as his troubles are REAL. Faith, not denial

- faith to see that the glass is more than half full- though it tastes bitter at times

Illustr: I can only illustrate this with my own life. Though it is an utter joy pastoring you lot- there have been times of great ups and downs. It’s like that for us all. But I believe this is NOT all there is and I will receive a reward from God in eternity. I make a choice of faith…attitude. Based on God (not my own fancies)

It all depends on where you have got your eyes, focus (and that’ll be my last point… and that’s a CHOICE. Faith is a choice)

Spirit of God

The other thing that renews him inwardly is his relationship with God through the Spirit. He plugs into the Spiritual power of the person of God.

- daily! "we are being renewed day by day"

Are you able to say that you are being renewed day by day?

Well- are you doing the things that will bring it?

- It’s in here , and it’s about the glory, and Spirit of God. 3:17ff. this is what renews Paul’s inner heart

- "now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty… and we with unveiled faces gaze upon, contemplate and reflect this glory"

You need to! You need to go into your room, close the door (as Jesus said) and connect with God. You need to renew your heart by gazing upon him- to the point where you reflect his glory

- 3:17 is a play on words: reflect/contemplate His glory

- because it’s true: as you contemplate…gaze… you reflect

PS 27:4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

Cf Mary at the feet of Jesus. Jesus with His father

You need to guard your heart… grow your soul… get closer to God…

- … be renewed ’day by day’

Now I want to say more about one thing that renews Paul’s heart

WEIGHT OF GLORY

It’s another play on words missed by us gentiles- unless know Hebrew

It says v17 "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all"

- can read that and it wash over us. "Oh, yeah"

- but to a Hebrew would hit like a brick wall and give them heart! Help them see their troubles as ’light and momentary’ in the light of what they achieve for us

We use two words for "weight" and "glory"

- Gk of new testament does as well. Baros = weight (cf Barometer), doxa = glory (doxology)

- But Hebrew, Jews (ie OT) only uses one. Same one

o Kobode = weight and glory. Weight of glory

So -in 1 Sam 4:21, when the glory of God is seen as departed from Israel because the Ark is captured, and the priests disgraced, the High Priest’s daughter in law names her son Ichabod (no-glory)

And when the glory of the Lord fills the temple- something happens:

-Ex 40: 35 Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.