Tag: heart

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1.2.25.The Heart of Man

Genesis 4-7 Despair amidst Blessings

God saw that all of men’s hearts were evil “continually.” He regretted he had made them but two me stood out above them all: Enoch and Noah. Why did Enoch and Noah stand out? They walked with God and communed with God. God graciously took Enoch to heaven, but Noah had to live among men who were evil as a testament to them to see how to gain favor in the eyes of the Lord. There is a lesson here for us: God may keep you here to do His work OR He may take you home to heaven. 

There is one lesson that stands out: if a man/woman walks with God they will be blessed and protected from the ways of the evil one who roams about seeking whom he can devour. Another lesson is this: the hearts of men are known by God and as Jeremiah reminded us, the heart of men is deceitful continually. Only one thing can change the heart of men and it is if one has chosen to walk with God and let HIM change that deceitful heart.  Which heart is yours? 

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The Heart of the Matter

Mark 11 Fruit or Fruitlessness

We read this story of the barren fig tree and Jesus banishing it, leaves us with a bitter taste in our mouths, but Jesus was teaching about what looks on the outside is not necessarily or on the inside.  What the disciples, and us, see is just a tree with leaves but to Jesus, He saw a picture of Israel which looked wonderful on the outside but was barren on the inside. When Jesus looks at each of us, what does He see? This reminds me of a lady at church that always is dressed in her finery but if you stop to talk to her, you can sense her judgmental spirit because she looks at you with disdain because you are not dressed as she. If asked why she dressed so, she would reply, I was taught and I do as my mother taught me years ago. It wasn’t the mode of dress, but her attitude that was revealed. Is that what Jesus sees in me? Do I look beautiful on the outside but dead on the inside? 

This story reveals what Jesus saw in the religious leaders and yes, even some of the people. They outwardly were doing the “right thing” but inside their hearts were hard and judgmental. This is a warning to me to check my heart as I enter the sanctuary. God told Samuel that God looks at the heart not the outward dress and that should be true for me as well. “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way people do. People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”[1Sam16:7]

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Are we prepared?

Ezekiel 40-41 For Such a Time as This

This phrase was given to Queen Esther when she hesitated to speak to her husband, the king, about Haman’s treachery. Mordecai told her that perhaps she had been put in her position ‘for such a time as this.’ She asked her maids to fast (and we imagine, pray) for wisdom to know what to say and when to say it. In this chapter in Ezekiel, we find something similar. “The man said to me (that is Ezekiel), “Son of man, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and give attention to all that I am going to show you, for you have been brought here in order to show it to you. Declare to the house of Israel all that you see.” [Ezek 40:4]

God desires three things of us: a heart that is prepared to see with our eyes hear with our ears, and have a heart to understand what the Sovereign Lord is saying. As we begin our reading each day and as we enter His presence to pray, do we ask God for these three things so we might give attention to His Word and be able to share what the Holy Spirit reveals to us?

The challenge for today: Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten our understanding so we might be able to impart the truth of the scriptures to others. 

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Preciseness and Sweetness

Num 28: God is precise in what He desires. The amount that was offered was staggering! Are the offerings we give to our church staggering and sacrificial? Why do we give? How much do we give? God loves a cheerful giver, and He blesses both the gift and the giver. [2Cor 9:7] God looks at the heart and desires that the heart matches the gift, yet He gave precise instructions for what was to be offered. It was to be the best of their flock, unblemished and given as prescribed. They were to select the best of their lambs and bulls because nothing is too good for God; it must be the best, for God has given His best and we must give our best.

May we have the right motivation, the right heart, and the best of our best for God this week.

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God Sees the Heart

Where is your heart?

2 Chronicles 8; 1 Kings 9 Solomon had the world’s riches at his beck and call, as well as all the wisdom that God gave him. Interesting beginning, but stay tuned. Here is a man that started right but didn’t follow his advice. How often are we like that? We know the truth, we know what is right, write about it, talk about it, and then turn right around and do the opposite.

God gave Solomon this instruction: “You must serve me with integrity and sincerity, just as your father David did. Do everything I commanded and obey my rules and regulations.” Note: you must not you might like to think about this, but it is a command. Not only that, but God warned him: “But if you or your sons ever turn away from me, fail to obey the regulations and rules I instructed you to keep, and decide to serve and worship other gods, then I will remove Israel from the land I have given them, I will abandon this temple I have consecrated with my presence,” End of story, it happened…but we aren’t there yet. Right now it is the ‘honeymoon” stage, and all is well.

Do you wish to remain in the honeymoon stage? Me too, but God has His way to test our hearts to see if what we say is what is in our heart. Where is your heart?

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Is Your Heart Soft or Hard?

Soft hearts can see God in creation

Exodus 7  to 9   Pride goeth before a fall, and Pharaoh will learn how true that is. God sent the brothers Aaron and Moses to speak to Pharaoh: “Let My people go.” In return, Pharaoh responded, “Do a miracle,” and so they did.  Unimpressed, Pharaoh has his magicians work their magic to turn rods into serpents, but surprise, surprise; the rod of Aaron ate up the magician’s serpents. Pharaoh’s response? He hardened his heart just as God said he would. It was not until the third miracle that even the magicians realized that God’s finger was in it, but Pharaoh hardened his heart.  God provides the evidence, but man must make the decision.

We are living the pandemic life, and the world is searching for answers, and like Pharaoh, the hearts of the world remain hardened. As Paul noted in Romans 1:20; they see the invisible attributes of God in the sunsets and sunrises, the path of the sun and moon, and still, they say: “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice? …I do not know the LORD.”[Ex 5:2] It is because of these prideful statements that we must carry the gospel message to them, EVEN IF they respond like Pharaoh. We must do this because “God is not willing any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” [2Pet 3:9] Moses and Aaron were God’s servants. Are we?  

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“God’s Storms and Men’s Hearts”

God uses storms

Acts 28 John Jacob Astor believed that the Titanic was unsinkable, yet he and his wealth are at the bottom of the ocean because of his stubborn pride and lack of foresight—the Titanic only carried enough lifeboats for half of the passengers—Astor was not saved. We hear the words of Paul “men, you should have listened to me.” [Acts 27:21]

On the Adriatic Sea God sent another storm tossing the ship Paul was on. Just like the Titanic, the ship’s captain did not heed the words of Paul to stay on the island of Crete. Yet, God can overrule men’s decisions so that they may come face to face with the God of the storms. In this case, He chose to preserve Roman soldiers, centurions, rowers, the captain and prisoners so they might hear Paul teach and preach the resurrection of Christ.  Did they respond because of the storm? Only in eternity will we know. Yet this is true:  “Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ.” [Rom 10:17]

God does the same for us today; He uses ordinary people like you and me to carry out His divine appointed plans. We never know when we may experience a storm so men may hear the story of the resurrected Christ.

What storm are you facing?

Will you let God use you to share the resurrected Christ to others?

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 “The Word of God is Powerful”

bible-prayers2aBible history is fascinating and teaches us many practical as well as spiritual lessons. The prophet Nahum was sent to encourage the kingdom of Judah as they were being assaulted by the Assyrians. In particular it was the king of Nineveh who was brutal. If you think ISIS is brutal, you “ain’t seen nothing yet.” In a contest for the title of “most brutal”  Assyria would win hands down.

While Judah waits for Nahum’s prophecy to happen, God in His mercy places a righteous king, Josiah on the throne in Judah. Why did Josiah earn the reputation of a righteous king? He was transformed by the renewing of his mind through the power of the Word of God and that happens when the Holy Spirit steps in and convicts us of our sin. [Rom 12/John 16]

God’s Word pierced his heart. He “heard the words of the law scroll, and he tore his clothes,” [2Kings 22]. And like Jeremiah reminded us in ch 6, he knew he stood at a crossroads. He considered the path before him, sought wise counsel and followed through on it. The point of his story is not the discovery of the Law but that it led to a complete reformation personally and nationally. Josiah allowed God to reform his thinking and his actions and it will do the same for you. Take another example, Martin Luther. He too was transformed by the renewing of his mind when he read ““The righteous by faith will live.” He too stood at a crossroads and on Oct 31st he nailed his 95 theses on the castle door and sparked the reformation that led to where we are today.

Both Josiah and Luther were reformed by the Word of God and it will do the same for you. But, be forewarned, when the Holy Spirit takes charge powerful things happen. King Josiah cleansed the temple, removed the idols, and deposed false teachers. Martin Luther caused the church to wake up and bring the gospel message to the people.

Are you ready for God to work in your life?

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Are You Good?

mark 10 you are good enough2We all love the warm and fuzzy’s but in Mark 10 Jesus strips away those to reveal who we really are. We either have  hard hearts,  receptive hearts or blind hearts and it all begins with one question: Are we good? The rich young ruler called Jesus “Good Teacher.”  Jesus asks him pointedly, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good.” If you believe me to be good and only God is good, then I am God. Are you really wanting me as God to show who you really are?

Our measure of “goodness” is faulty for the Law was given to reveal to us who God is and who we are. The rich young man felt he had “done” all good things but knew he was lacking in one area. He was truly asking, what am I missing but when the scales are removed from his eyes, he sees but is unwilling to give up that one thing—his riches. He was blind to his breaking of the first and last commandment: have no other gods before me and do not covet. When that was revealed he was unwilling to surrender those and follow God.

God wants us to see that to have eternal life we must see ourselves as God sees us. We have missed the mark of God’s standard.  “we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” But, the promise for eternal life is there when we are willing to surrender our “wages of sin” and receive the “gift of eternal life.” [Rom 6:23]

Are you good?

Are you willing to surrender all to Jesus?

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“Talking to Yourself…”

 

psalm 34 assurance2How many times today have you caught yourself talking to yourself? Are you rehearsing the words of the accuser of the brethren? He says “you cannot be assured of your salvation.” You are not alone my friend. Before David was crowned king he faced many difficult and challenging circumstances and often if truth be known, they came about because he was blameshifting, not taking ownership of his own sin of unbelief in God. We too often go this route and fail to see God’s graciousness in spite of ourselves. It is important when God reveals this to us that we stop and testify to who God is and who we are.

Jesus reminded us “the mouth speaks what fills the heart.” [Matt 12] Therefore, we must fill our hearts with the inspired Word of God that we might resist the devil and tell him to “Go away.”  His desire is to make you doubt but God’s word is true: NO ONE or NOTHING can snatch us from the Father’s hands where our names are engraved upon his palms. Speak the words of Jesus and Satan will flee from us and in that moment, the Illuminating Holy Spirit will come and refresh our spirits.

If you want assurance, hold fast to your confession. Confidently approach the throne of grace. Cling to that which is good. “STAY, PRAY and WATCH.”  It is then that you will see the truth of John 3:36 “The one who believes in the Son “HAS,” eternal life.

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