God's Foundational Heartbeats

“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. . . . Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. - Matthew 7:7-8, 24-25

Last week, in a wonderful answer to prayer, I had the privilege of preaching at the Sturgeon High School Baccalaureate. A baccalaureate is a special commissioning service for High School graduates during which we honor their accomplishments and pray a special blessing on their future life and work. This was the first baccalaureate service in many years in Sturgeon and I believe it brought much joy to God’s heart.

My sermon focused on selected verses from Matthew chapter 7 including those printed above. I shared a story about bringing my son home for the first time as a tiny baby. He was so small and I didn’t quite know what to do with him. I knew one day we would be playing catch and arm wrestling, but at that moment the only thing I could think to do was put my ear to his chest and listen to his heartbeat and then hold him to my chest and share my heartbeat with him.

In a similar way, our relationship with God can be challenging at first. God is spirit, beyond our comprehension in so many ways. But scripture implores us to make God the foundation of our life. Where do we start in building a solid connection with God? I believe it is in seeking God’s heart, listening for God’s heartbeat. God’s heartbeat is sending out a message to the world much like a lighthouse sends beams of light into the darkness to guide and protect us.

During the baccalaureate, I shared with the graduates my sense that God is sending out heartbeat messages that build upon each other, that are foundational to each other. The first heartbeat of God is simply: “I am!” (Exodus 3:14, John 14:6) “I am God. I am here. I am with you. I am real.” This is the beginning point of our relationship with God. If we do not actively seek God, we will not sense God’s heartbeat. But with a desire to know God, we can sense the great “I am” being sent out to all the world

The next foundational heartbeat of God is built upon the first one. It is shared over and over again by Jesus and by angels often before any other words are spoken: “Do not be afraid!” (Isaiah 44:1-8, Luke12:22-32) “Do not fear, do not worry, do not be anxious, everything will be okay.” Once we acknowledge the presence of God, the essential next step is to take a deep breath, to relax and trust the process.

When we know that God is present and that we do not need to be afraid, God’s next foundational heartbeat is the one thing that lasts forever: “I love you!” (1 Corinthians 13, John 3:16, 1 John 4:7) “I love you perfectly and completely exactly as you are. There is nothing you need to do or say or become for me to love you more.” God is the only being that knows us completely and loves us completely. Ultimately it is God’s love that saves us. It is God’s perfect love that casts out all fear.

When we know these three fully, the fourth foundational heartbeat is about the meaning of our life. (Jeremiah 1:4-5 and 29:11) “I have a plan and a purpose for your life and I have known that plan since before you were born.” God’s plan had been built into our DNA, into the families and communities that help raise us. Finally, after embracing the first four heartbeats, the fifth one is all about assurance. (Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:8-11) “I have everything you need to fulfill my plan. If you ever find that I am all you have know that I am all you need.” We are not in this life alone. We have a Good Shepherd watching over us, leading us and providing for our needs. We can try to make it on our own for a while, but we won’t get very far or do very well. Our true identity is in being a child of God, living out God’s purpose for our life. It is what it is all about and it doesn’t get any better than this.