What's inside our hearts always comes out, and this episode highlights the importance of guarding our hearts as the source of our actions and words. I explore how our responses to life's challenges, particularly those stemming from a lack of resources, can either lead us to negativity or inspire creativity. I share personal experiences that illustrate how trusting God can transform our circumstances into opportunities for growth and joy, even in the face of adversity. By consciously choosing to fill our hearts with positive and godly influences, we can overflow with life and goodness. Ultimately, the quality of our lives is a reflection of what we nurture within ourselves.

Takeaways:

• Our hearts influence our words and actions, reflecting what we truly believe inside.
• To cultivate a heart that overflows with positivity, we must fill our lives with God's Word.
• Life's challenges can either lead to negative responses or inspire creativity and growth within us.
• Trusting God during tough times requires a heart that is nurtured through regular communication with Him.
• Filling our minds with positive, God-centered content helps develop a heart that reflects His love and grace.
• Avoiding negative influences in our lives is crucial for maintaining a healthy and spiritually vibrant heart.

Links referenced in this episode:

• mybible805.com
• bible805.com

Welcome to the Hobo Soul Podcast of Road Advice from the Bible and from me, Yvon Prehn, someone who's a little further down the road of life. I'll talk to you every Tuesday and Thursday for about 10 minutes.

And if you'd like more in depth information on walking with Jesus, you can find that at my www.bible805.com website. For now, let's get started on our topic for today, which is

Episode number 66, What's inside always comes out

We have three verses actually for our talk today.

The first one is "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks" Matthew 12, 34 and 35

Then Psalm 119, 10 and 11 where it says, "With my whole heart I've sought thee. Oh, let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee."

And then Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

Out of the abundance of the heart, not only does the mouth speak, but our life is built.

The quality of our lives and what we produce in our actions and work never ultimately depends on circumstances outside ourselves.

It's easy to blame parents or family or friends, inadequate resources in any area of life, and the sometimes unappreciative people that we love, but who often disappoint us. But ultimately the quality and overflow of our lives reflects our hearts based on what's in our hearts. We always have choices within circumstances.

We can shape how our hearts respond. We we can choose.

And the choices that we make will set a groove in our lives that'll get deeper and deeper into our hearts if we respond the same way again and again. Now let's look at one need one area, one possible way to respond that if we do it enough, will become a heart response.

The situation I'm talking about is maybe we have a lack of resources in some area. This can cause complaining, a pity party, attacking God, all sorts of bad responses or a lack of resources can inspire creativity.

If we don't feel that we're creative, we can ask God to help us see things. People, resources, new places in entirely different ways. Now I learned this when a lack of resources first drove me to thrift stores.

Now some people are sort of into thrifting for whatever today, but it seems like thrifting as a hobby is cool. Thrifting because you really need to be thrifting. That's not so cool. But I needed to be thrifty.

So I started Going to thrift stores for various things. And people are amazed now when they see the results in my home and my wardrobe.

And the truly gratifying thing about it is that what started out just as a necessity, I decided to talk to the Lord about it. And it has really become a fun adventure.

I started talking to the Lord about it because he says in His Word very clearly that we're not to worry about anything, but to pray about everything. And so the Lord and I chat before I go shopping from overall, you know, big requests. Don't let me spend too much money.

Help me stay within my budget, help me be wise. And all that to it developed into really specific things of, Lord, I need to find this or that.

Now, I had a chance to put this into practice in a big way. And there are so many stories I could tell you. But when I was totally redoing the.

And part of that entailed furniture needs.

And in this instance, and I won't go into all the many, many, many different things that the Lord helped me find, but in this instance, I needed a new little desk. Now, the desk could only fit into this exact existing space. In my very tiny little office.

I'd started going to Habitat for Humanity, which is, if you're not familiar with it, it's a great store for redoing homes and all kinds of construction stuff and secondhand furniture and all that sort of started going there because I just really couldn't afford to get things anywhere else. Found a number of things there, and it really worked out well. But this story I'm going to tell you, it was way beyond a mere need.

It was truly a wonderful gift. One day I was checking things out there, and the Lord knew that I needed a little desk. And I found one. It seemed perfect. It was so pretty.

It had a leather inset top and little metal locks inside the drawers. And it was really nice wood. And it seemed like it was really good construction. So I dashed home, I measured, and it would fit exactly.

I mean, there is not. I'm looking at it right now. There isn't Even. I can't even put a finger in between where, where it exactly fits into, into my office here.

So I, I just, I debated because it was $150, which now it was solid wood and it was so pretty. And I just thought, oh, should I, should I? And I thought, no, I'm gonna do it. The fit is so exact. It is exactly what I need.

So I dashed down there and I thought, well, you know, it's so cute too. You know, this store gets a lot of traffic. It could certainly be gone. But it wasn't. It was there. And I got it, got it home.

And one similar to mine and really not as nice as mine. Mine has some really neat carved work on the drawers. Sell for between five to $10,000 and more online.

Now, it isn't the online value that was important to me. What was important to me is that the Lord gave it to me. He found it for me, he protected it.

And I know there are, because I've heard them talking, that there are people who scout habitat for antiques and snatch them up and resell them. But the Lord found it and gave it to me. And he gave me such an encouraging and really useful gift.

I'm sitting at it now, I do, every day, and I love working at it. The lesson that I want to share here isn't, trust God and He'll give you goodies.

No, I think it's when we trust the Lord, when our hearts are set on him, when we rely on him, he'll sometimes surprise us in heart touching ways. Life will always have challenges.

And amid these challenges, it is in our hearts that we decide ahead of time whether we believe, as Romans 8:28 tells us, that God works for the good of those who love him, who've been called according to his purpose. If what's inside our hearts is a key, how can we make them overflow with what's pleasing to the Lord?

Well, overflow obviously comes from an abundance of what's already inside you. Don't just come into a hard time and then expect to trust God and see how he works.

If you've been a stranger to him, or if you only occasionally talk to him or think about him, he's always there. But you won't rest in trusting him first. If that isn't in your heart.

For God to fill your heart with overflowing, you've got to fill your life with Him. Of course it starts and is always foundational that you spend time in His Word. Read your Bible daily journal about it.

Listen to Christian podcasts and online meditations like the Lectio365 app. Listen to Christian music if you have downtime, watch a short Christian video or listen to a Christian podcast.

Be with other Christians in church and conversation. Think about God's promises and challenges. Write his encouragements and promises on cards to post near your computer.

If you consciously work to fill your mind with things of God, if His Word and will are your priorities, your heart and work will naturally and joyfully reflect it. This isn't an odd spiritual process. The health of our physical hearts depends in large measure on what we put inside our bodies.

Our spiritual lives are no different, but we need to be conscious not only of the good things that we're putting in, but we need to avoid junk food spiritually that can harm our hearts. Porn's obviously evil and to be avoided, but too much negativity online and political trash talking can harm our hearts and minds.

Also, being snarky, complaining, making fun of people or situations that might seem mild in comparison, but it doesn't build a godly heart. It isn't complicated.

If you want good and godly actions to come out of your heart, if you want to walk step by step with God in ways that are both joyful and surprising, put good stuff in your heart. And like that last verse talked about, it will be a wellspring of life. Think about it. Some people today just gush negativity and nastiness.

In the midst of that world, you have the opportunity to overflow with life from what's filled your heart, the very love and life of Jesus.

That's all for this podcast, for transcripts, links to related material, and much more to help you learn to know, trust, apply and teach the Bible, go to www.bible805.com for now, let me end with this benediction and prayer.

May you walk each day surrounded by the gracious love of the Father, guided by the gentle wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and conscious of the astoundingly real presence of Jesus, who will walk with you until you're no more a hobo soul, no more a transient wandering heart, but at home in the kingdom prepared for you with your God forever. Amen.