“It is time for thee, Lord, to act; for they have made void thy law” (Psalm 119:126) We have a generation of lazy Christians who want to accrue all the benefits of being a child of God yet incur none of the responsibilities. They pray to a God they fail to honor, and complain when He is not attentive to their cries. They sing praises to the One "worthy of all praise", yet return to the comforts of complacent disobedience. Have you forgotten, my fellow brethren, that the promises of God are reserved for those who walk righteously before Him? Did you think that you could regard iniquity in your heart, for the Lord to still hear you? (Psalm 66:18) Did you think that you can remain disobedient and inattentive to the laws of the God you claim to serve, and continue to live peaceably and successfully a life that is functionally indistinguishable from that of an unbeliever? God says, “those who honor me, I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30). I ask you: are you honoring God in your actions? More specifically, are you honoring God in your heart? For “those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart” (Matthew 15:16). Motive is defined as the intent behind an act, the reason for which a particular action is taken. It is difficult (if not impossible) to ascertain since it is concealed in the heart. Moreover, the “heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). But God says: “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind...to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:10). Oftentimes we fool ourselves into thinking that God will judge us by the external appearances of our deceitful intents. We praise ourselves for committing to the routine of religious activities, when we know fully well that our heart is not in it. We must remember that “to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). Your pride has blinded you into thinking that vain actions are sufficient. Open your eyes, re-examine your heart. You cannot fool God. We would do well to mimic the prayer of David, found in Psalm 139, which reads as follows: "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalms 139:23-24). What we need is a comprehensive examination of the heart. Our hearts have hardened as our faith has grown cold. The heart is the seat of life. It directs blood and nutrients to their appropriate destinations in the body. In medicine, heart failure refers to the state at which the heart fails to function effectively as a pump. When this occurs, it is not long before the evidence is manifest in other organ systems. Many of us are in a state of spiritual heart failure, and our disastrous lives are manifesting the result. Our weak hearts are barely effective in nourishing the mind, and our lives become more carnal in appearance as our testimonies lie discounted and disconnected. Can we profess a faith that lacks experiential evidence? Can we take out specks in disbelieving eyes when our own lives are in disarray (Matthew 7:4)? Do we even dare prophesy a Truth that we have failed to uphold? It does not take a medical doctorate to realize that the first step towards recovery is identifying the root cause. If the source of the infection is not addressed, the body will fail to heal. Likewise, if you fail to address the spiritual reality behind your present circumstance, you will “labor in vain” at all attempts to resolve it. “Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore, despise not the discipline of the Almighty. For He wounds, but He binds up; He shatters, but His hands heal” (Job 5:17-18). I leave you with these words: “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17). Let us humble ourselves before the Lord God our Father, and ask that He “create in [us] a clean heart...and renew a right spirit within [us]” (Psalm 51:10). This is the first step towards rejuvenation. After this, we must be willing to commit ourselves fully towards obeying His laws that we might truly honor the One to whom we profess love. May God bless you as you continue faithfully reading His Word! --Junève, Editor Highlights:
1. Re-examine your heart. Humble yourself before God and ask that He purifies your heart according to Psalm 51:10. 2. Commit yourself fully to the God you serve. Read His Word daily, and obey! 3. Marvel as the joys of being a child of God begin to unfold in your life! "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:10-11) |
Today's Verse
“Behold you are beautiful my love, behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves” Song of Solomon 1:15 ESV Quotations"A word spoken by you when your conscience is clear and your heart full of God's Spirit is worth ten thousand words spoken in unbelief and sin." Archives
January 2023
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