Pour Out Your Heart

8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
– Psalm 62:8

Pour Out Your Heart
Have you ever heard the saying He wears his heart on his sleeve?  It is usually used to describe someone who is emotional and is quick to let his emotions take over.  Have you ever know anyone who hides their heart in a vault?  They never let on what they are feeling, and they tend to hold in all their emotions so as not to let on what they are feeling.  Not only is this unhealthy for the person, but it is unhealthy for everyone else around them when all the pressure of their pent-up emotions finally reach a boiling point!

When we go to God in prayer, He not only wants us to wear our hearts on our sleeves, but He wants us to fully expose it, and lay it completely open at His feet.  He wants us to trust Him and to be completely transparent about what we are feeling – even with the things we might feel are silly or insignificant.  He wants us to be completely vulnerable (naked if you will), so that nothing is hidden or held back, because we are totally exposed.  He already knows everything that's there anyway.  He just wants us to acknowledge Him as God – you know . . . the one who created every fiber of our being.  He wants to know, that we know, who He really is.

It's funny the things that we do sometimes.  There are times when I've been praying and found myself thinking, "I can't tell God that – it's too embarrassing!"  Isn't that just dumb?!  That would be like trying to hide an elephant behind my back!  Everyone would be able to see it no matter how hard I try to deny or hide it.  God knows ALL about us, even the things we try to hide or keep secret.  He knows our thoughts, He knows our dreams, He knows our hurts, and He knows our past, so we might as well give Him ALL that we are – the good, the bad, and the embarrassing!  But if we aren't willing to give Him our ALL, how can we expect HIm to show us ALL that He has for us?  I believe that God will use the degree of openness of our hearts to help us along the way, as our future turns into our present – the more we are open to Him, the more opportunities He will open up for us.

We need to understand that God is our refuge – our hiding place.  He is with us when we are all alone, and we are completely safe in His embrace.  But sometimes, (a lot of the times), we just totally ignore Him.  How that must hurt.  He opened up His arms wide, totally exposing himself to the world, and He overcame sin and death . . . for us, and we aren't even willing to share our hearts with Him.  

I know it's difficult for me to do, but I also know that if I want to realize my dreams, if I want to get where He wants me to go, if I want to experience All that He has planned for me, I need to expose all there is about me.  I need to let Him mold me, and take all of the disgusting, dirty, beautiful, awkward, excellent, demented, creative, embarrassing, and wonderful parts of me, and use them (because they are me), to expand His kingdom.  I have nothing to lose by having nothing to hide, and I have everything to gain by exposing everything to Him!

Prayer
Father, I want so badly to pour out my whole heart, everything I am to You but sometimes I am so ashamed.  Sometimes I forget that You know it all anyway, and I realize that my stubborn pride and shame is just blocking the blessings that You have in store for me.  Help me to be vulnerable.  Help me to trust and to let go of all my inhibitions.  Help me to come to You like a child, full of awe, and wonder, and pure delight.  Help me Lord to see, and know, and trust You as the God of ALL of me.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard