His Highway In My Heart
Psalm 84:5 (NASB)
How blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
In whose heart are the highways to Zion!
It seems like everything in this busy life down here on earth is in competition to construct highways through our heart – so many distractions of all kinds. Some good. Some bad. Soon we are left with junctions, interchanges, and maybe even a few roundabouts!
The Psalmist David struggled with the same problem, but he would acknowledge his dilemma and carry it to the Lord like this:
Psalm 27:4 ONE THING I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.
David purposed to only have ONE HIGHWAY running through his heart. All other roads were blockaded by a detour sign.
Jesus said it like this to His disciples:
Matthew 6:32-34 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. BUT SEEK FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Paul was also determined to only allow one highway to run through his heart:
Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but THIS ONE THING I DO, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Martha’s serving was definitely a good thing – a very good thing for she was serving up something delicious for Jesus! However, her mistake was simple: she allowed that serving to construct an additional highway through her heart which resulted in stress and even criticism toward her sister and even some frustration with Jesus. Can you imagine speaking to Jesus the way Martha did?
Luke 10:40-42 (NASB) But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; BUT ONLY ONE THING IS NECESSARY, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Let’s give full permission to Jesus to deconstruct all other roads and clear the way in our heart:
Luke 3:4-6 Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
And let’s grant the Holy Spirit all the necessary construction permits to build the “highway to Zion” in our hearts. Then this blessing will be ours also:
Psalms 84:5,7 (NASB)
How blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
In whose heart are the highways to Zion!
They go from strength to strength,
Every one of them appears before God in Zion.
Amen!
