There are so many things every day that can get our minds and hearts off the Lord. We lead lives that are filled with responsibilities, problems, business. It's very easy to get our hearts fixed on something else.
These are some of the things which the dictionary said about the word "fixed".
"To make firm, to gaze at, steadiness, settled, not apt to change, permanent." These all describe the way our heart is to be...on GOD! So often our heart is gazing in a steady, permanent, firm way that's not apt to change, at everything else except God. This is when we get into trouble, our heart is not fixed on the Lord.
Psalms 1:1 & 2 "Blessed (happy) is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law (Word) of the LORD: and in His law (Word)doth he meditate day and night."
Here in these two verses we find the secret to keeping our hearts fixed on God. We have to walk in the way of righteousness and meditate on His Word. We can see the progression of a person who chooses to go the way of the world in these verses. First they walk with the ungodly, then they stand, or linger with them. Then finally we see they are sitting and partaking of their sinful ways, with God not even remotely in their thoughts. Verse 1 starts out by stating that we are blessed, or happy when we don't do these things. Our delight doesn't come from the world and what it has to offer, our delight is in the Lord. When we walk in the right way and think on the right things then our hearts will be fixed on God.
It's much easier when we start in the morning with the Lord, to keep our minds and hearts directed towards Him throughout the day. When we start a day without the Lord it's so much harder to directs our hearts and minds in the business that comes at us. I don't like to admit this but there are days that start in such a rush that it's mid-afternoon, when I'm emotionally drained and exhausted that I remember I forgot to start my day in fellowship and prayer with the Lord. Days out of fellowship with the Lord are days that just don't go well at all!
Psalms 5:3 "My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning. O LORD: in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up."
A day that is started in fellowship will unfold in peace. I've learned from experience that problems that arise during the day will affect you so much differently if your in that sweet fellowship with your Heavenly Father from the time you awake. With your mind fixed on Him, He will immediately bring you the calmness of spirit and the focus needed to deal with anything that happens during your day. It's having that sweet communion with the Lord, that you really can't explain, for it's something you have to experience to fully realize that you cannot live without it.
Moses speaks of this in Deuteronomy 11:18-20.
"Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house and upon thy gates:"
Moses is referring to the words that God had given to him. The Word of God was to be prominent in everything they did! From the time they got up to when they went to bed. And they were to teach the Word of God to their children. The Word was to be spoken of all day long, their lives were to revolve around the precious Word of GOD. Our hearts should be so fixed on God, that when situations arise His Word should immediately come to our minds.
Psalms 119:11 "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee."
Psalms 119:97 "O how love I Thy law (Word) it is my meditation all the day."
In Colossians 3:16 we are admonished to, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom..." With our eyes properly focused on the Lord, and His Word in our minds, our hearts WILL be fixed on GOD.
Is your heart fixed on God, or are you trying to make it through each day in your own strength? When we do things the way God has planned, we will make it victoriously though each day in the strength that comes from a close communion with Him and through His Word. Notice I didn't say there would be no problems, but we have a direct line to the problem solver who is right beside us, and we have the promise of His peace and help through any situation. Make sure your heart is fixed on GOD.
Psalms 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer."
Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
Make friends of God's children; help those who are weak;
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.
Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone:
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
The friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.
Take time to be holy, let Him be thy Guide,
And run not before Him, whatever betide:
In joy or in sorrow, still follow thy Lord,
And looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.
William D. Longstaff
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