This is the second part of season five on outward wants. We already looked at two helps from Flavel that can help us keep our hearts even when we lack basic needs for our bodies. This is a time when many are tempted to doubt God’s providence, and when our hearts are laid bare. It is also a time when we can experience great growth and confidence in the Lord.

Season five is the season of outward wants. This season refers to times when you feel lack in areas of general providence, such as food, water, clothing, health, shelter, and what is generally categorized as a need of the body. These are not times when God is neglecting us, but they are times that God uses for our growth in godliness and trust in Him. They are also times of testing: when the loves of our heart are truly manifested.

There are four more helps for the season of danger and public distraction (times of temptation to fear evil rather than God). (If you would like a recap of what we covered so far, then you should see the last devotional). Here is Flavel on help number eleven:

We have looked at six helps so far for times of danger and public distraction (times which tempt with a wicked fear that takes our hearts off of God). These are the following: (1) God is in perfect control of all His creatures, (2) the one in control is your loving heavenly Father, (3) Christ warns against fearing evil and we ought to be in awe of those warnings, (4) remember how much your vain fears have brought upon you in the past, (5) there is more evil in your fearing evil than in the feared suffering itself, and (6) God has recorded and given many promises to those who love Him in Christ (all the saved).

In the last devotional, we were looking at season four on danger and public distraction. We saw how fearing the Lord is also how we love God and keep our hearts. We also saw how fearing evil (rather than hating it) is disloyalty to God, showing that we serve another master. Yet, God is greater and nothing else can compare with Him. And it is this God who is also our tender and loving Father!

This is season four of John Flavel’s book, Keeping the Heart. The prior seasons were prosperity, adversity, and Zion’s troubles. Season four is on times of danger and public distraction (this season refers to any fear that takes our hearts off of God).

If the successes of the church were based upon our own efforts, then we would have reason to despair. Why is it that so many Christians live as though that were the case? Is it really Christ that they serve, or have they made the church simply about their own interests?

Last time we started season three on Zion’s trouble (being concerned about the church under persecution). We saw that, regardless of what the church is going through, God is in control. Because of this, hope and victory are on our side.

We are at season three of John Flavel’s book, Keeping the Heart. We have just finished the seasons of prosperity and adversity, looking at some great biblical helps for those times. Season three is called Zion’s Troubles, and it refers to when the church goes through hardship and persecution.

So often, if we were to design the course of our lives, we would want to do things quite differently than what the Father has laid out for us. Yet, if we were endowed with perfect knowledge, if we were perfectly just and good, if we were steadfast in love, unchangingly perfect and immovable in nature, we too would see the great wisdom and forbearance of God. With unwavering patience He carries out His designs.