Focus: Sweeten My Heart (Pt.1)

Text: Isa.43:24

"Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities."

Child of God, your God desires and demands that you sweeten His heart by the things you say, by the way you live, and by the things you do. By heeding His voice and being obedient to His words you sweeten the heart of the Lord.

Stop making your relationship with God one sided. Learn to love God back. Learn to return thanks to Him. Consecrate yourself to doing His behest. Follow in the footsteps of Christ. He has left you an example to follow in His steps. The Father says of Him, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am WELL PLEASED" (Mt.3:17). That is the declaration and testimony of the Father about His own Son. Jesus Christ Himself says of His Father, "I do always those things that please him" (Jh.8:29). Jesus Christ was always in the habit of doing what His Father wanted. He never did a single thing to displease His Father. He was indeed obedient to His Father even to the point of dying on the cross for the salvation of man. He had no moment of disagreement with His Father. He always sweetened His Father's heart by being obedient to His Father's will.

God is saying to you, 'My child, you have not brought me some sweet cane. I want you to bring me some sugar. Spend your money on me. Invest into my kingdom project. Let me have the fats of your sacrifices. Why weary me with your sins? Why should I put up for so long with your iniquities and condone your wrongdoings?'

Child of God, make your God proud. He wants to dine and wine with you. He says to you, "Serve the LORD with GLADNESS: come before his presence with singing" (Ps.100:2). 'By your hearty songs you sweeten My heart. As you serve Me with gladness, you bring sweet cane into My heart.' Do you remember the elder brother of the prodigal son? He served his father with little or no gladness in his heart. He rendered service to his father with much bitterness. He harbored in his heart so much ill-feelings.

This is what God said to Israel, and by extension, to you: "BECAUSE thou SERVEDST NOT the LORD thy God with JOYFULNESS, and with GLADNESS of heart, for the abundance of all things. Therefore shalt thou SERVE thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee" (Dt.28:47,48). Let me ask you, child of God, Is that what you want? Could it be that this is already happening to you? Examine your heart and make things right with your God. 

Bring to God the sweetness of your obedience and sacrifices. Move God on your behalf. Gladden His heart, and bless Him for blessing you. Love the Lord your God, for He loved you first. Let the Lord taste the sugar cane of your faith and obedience. He says to you now, 'My child, for your own good and wellbeing, sweeten My heart. Just please me and see!'

by Bishop Moses E. Peter