re-cap-ture 1 a : the act of retaking b : an instance of being retaken (Merriam – Webster, Internet, 2011).

School is closed and so this word pulls a toboggan out of the garage. Recapture wants to play. Excitement and wonder drives Recapture to a place called Frontal Lobe where words such as this like to gather on winter days. Upon arriving, it wastes no time. Recapture dives, with great courage, down a steep ridge named Cerebellum. (This hill has black diamond written all over it.) But that doesn’t scare Recapture. While shooting down its rough terrain, Recapture nearly loses control but somehow manages to stay upright.

Then Recapture drags the toboggan through a forest of synapses to a nearby slope called Temporal Lobe where it decides to stay awhile. Tired from a long day of laughter and with cold toes and watery eyes, Recapture goes home. All that’s left of its day off school is a chaotic crisscrossing pattern of sled tracks on the snowy lobes of my mind.

God is in the business of recapturing hearts. And He’s really good at it. Ezekiel 14:1-6 reads,

“Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. Then the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the LORD will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’ “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!’”

We are no different than the Israelites. We love to set up idols in our hearts and stumbling blocks before our path. Some common idols of our hearts include but are not limited to: lust, pride, money, status, food and drink, relationships, health, possessions, comfort, respect, appreciation, membership, and success. These are not bad things. (I should repeat that.) These are not bad things. What is bad is how we begin to worship something or someone rather than God. It’s our hearts that are bad.

The idols of our hearts blur our vision to the point where we can’t see or think clearly. When it happens we often can’t even tell that our hearts are no longer in love with God the Father. And so it requires someone apart from us to intervene. That’s where Dad comes in. He loves to take back the hearts of his people (vs. 5). His method of recapturing our hearts is interesting. To grab hold of us, He speaks directly to what has captured the attention of our hearts to begin with (vs. 4).

We sometimes whine and complain that we can’t hear God or we wonder where He is and why He doesn’t answer us. The truth is: He is answering. He is speaking. God speaks to us a lot. It’s just that He’s talking to us about the idols in our hearts and we don’t want to be reminded of those things.

You can find examples of God acting in this way throughout the Old and New Testaments. I’ll just pick the story of the rich man in Matthew 19:16-22. The rich man wants to know how to get eternal life. Jesus answers him in keeping with his idolatry. The rich man is a law abiding citizen by all outward appearances. He admits to not having committed murder or adultery or stealing, etc. I’ll put it in contemporary terms. The rich man never shot and killed his two kids for mouthing off, or cheated on his wife or taxes, and he never stole a car.

However, the rich man broke one law. It is a law of the heart…the first commandment: You shall have no other gods before me.

Jesus tells him, “sell everything and give it to the poor and follow me.” But the rich man walks away sad because wealth is his God. He never got a DUI but his heart was captivated by riches. The heart of men and women is a great equalizer. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, Egyptian or American, employed or unemployed, Christian or Muslim. The same heart resides in us all.

Is God speaking to you today in keeping with the idols of your heart? If so, are you walking away sad like the rich man?

Are you TIRED of walking away sad?

If you answered yes, then I have GREAT news for you!

• Step 1: OWN -Own it. Admit that your God is (insert your idol here) _________ and you love it so much. Be honest before God about what you love and what keeps tripping you up, disappointing you, and keeping you from winning at the game of life.
• Step 2: RECOGNIZE -Recognize that since you can’t be perfect in the game of life, you need to hit the bench, you need a substitute, and that substitute is Jesus.
• Step 3: DISOWN -Believe (and do not doubt) that God is fully capable of removing and destroying your idols. Trust that those idols have really been put to death because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. They’re kaput.
• Step 4: REST -While resting on the bench of life, ask God to give you a heart that’s banana’s for Him.
• Step 5: BELIEVE -Believe (and do not doubt) that he is fully capable of making your heart banana’s for Him.
• Step 6: PLAY –Don’t be afraid to get back in the game if God calls you off the bench. He wants you to work and create and grow. Just make sure you pass the ball to Jesus a lot.
• Step 7: REPEAT -Repeat all these steps as needed. Do so 3 to 4 times a day when you find your heart is trying to win the game on your own strength.

I want God to captivate my heart. Do you? And as He recaptures my heart, I want to see Him do the same for teens and volunteers and for you. You don’t have to keep walking away saddened by God’s voice. Ask Him to do in you, what He’s asking you to do.

One of my favorite songs is “Faithfully” by Journey. I’m goofy (as you may well know) and I like to replace the word girl in the song with Lord and pretend it’s my song to Him, because I so desperately want the joy of rediscovering Him…daily…and being reminded of His faithfulness to me when I’m unfaithful. I hope you enjoy my song to my Heavenly Father.

Highway run into the midnight sun
Wheels go round and round
You're on my mind

Restless hearts sleep alone tonight
Sending all my love along the wire
They say that the road ain't no place to start a family

Right down the line it's been you and me
And loving a sinful man ain't always what it's supposed to be 
Lord please stand by me

I'm forever yours
faithfully

Circus life under the big top world
We all need the clowns to make us laugh
Through space and time
Always another show

Wondering where I am lost without you
And being a part ain't easy on this love affair
Two strangers learn to fall in love again
I get the joy of rediscovering you

Oh Lord
you stand by me
I'm forever yours
faithfully
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
oh oh oh oh oh oh
faithfully
I'm still yours
I'm forever yours
Ever yours
faithfully