Daily Devotional for June 30, 2010
With my whole heart have I sought You:
O let me not wander from Thy commandments.
Thy Word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against Thee.
Psalm 119:10-11
O let me not wander from Thy commandments.
Thy Word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against Thee.
Psalm 119:10-11
“My Word concerning you today is that I want to give you more than what you are asking. I want to give you life everlasting which goes beyond anything you may have even thought you needed. Your expectations have been small but I want to enlarge your surroundings and cause you to see My goodness in your life. Everything that you’re involved with is nothing compared to the glory of having My presence in your life” says the Lord.
Yesterday we spoke about making room in your heart for God; today let us explore the sins of the heart. Right now some of you may be asking, “Can my heart sin?” Let us look to the Word of God and explore what it has to say about the way of the heart and how it relates to us. In the book of Jeremiah, the Lord says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” In other words, the heart cannot always be trusted.
Luke 6:45 says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Therefore, we see that the inception of that which is good or evil comes from the heart. That is why Jesus declared to those who followed Him, “I say unto you, that whosoever looks on a woman and lusts after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (cf. Matthew 5:28) You might ask how this can be. Well, the fact of the matter is that our flesh follows the instruction of our heart to carry out that which the heart tells it to do. Thus, the state of a man’s heart determines his actions. In other words, sin first enters into our heart before it manifests itself in our actions.
For example, murder and hatred are first kindled in the heart of a man or woman before that person commits the act. In such a case, a person is not counted as being guilty of sin only after the crime is committed , instead, the person is counted as having sinned and murdered from the time hatred and murder were conceived in the heart of that person. That is why God wants our heart. He knows that it can be deceitful and utterly wicked, harbouring unforgiveness, spite, envy, bitterness, pride, lust and all manner of evil. He desires for us to surrender our hearts to Him so that He can enter therein and remove the filth and pour in of Himself.
Today, take a moment to examine your heart. Say like the psalmist said, “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” (cf. Psalm 139:23-24). Examine your heart and those things that you meditate upon and place everything before God today.
Luke 6:45 says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Therefore, we see that the inception of that which is good or evil comes from the heart. That is why Jesus declared to those who followed Him, “I say unto you, that whosoever looks on a woman and lusts after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (cf. Matthew 5:28) You might ask how this can be. Well, the fact of the matter is that our flesh follows the instruction of our heart to carry out that which the heart tells it to do. Thus, the state of a man’s heart determines his actions. In other words, sin first enters into our heart before it manifests itself in our actions.
For example, murder and hatred are first kindled in the heart of a man or woman before that person commits the act. In such a case, a person is not counted as being guilty of sin only after the crime is committed , instead, the person is counted as having sinned and murdered from the time hatred and murder were conceived in the heart of that person. That is why God wants our heart. He knows that it can be deceitful and utterly wicked, harbouring unforgiveness, spite, envy, bitterness, pride, lust and all manner of evil. He desires for us to surrender our hearts to Him so that He can enter therein and remove the filth and pour in of Himself.
Today, take a moment to examine your heart. Say like the psalmist said, “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” (cf. Psalm 139:23-24). Examine your heart and those things that you meditate upon and place everything before God today.
He will change your heart if you allow Him to do so!!
Word For Today: Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? - Proverbs 20:9 - No man. But thousands can testify that the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed them from all unrighteousness.
[ 30 June, 2010 ] • [ icem ] • [ Leave comment - 1102 ]
Daily Devotional for June 29, 2010
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart,
and be no more stiffnecked.
Deuteronomy 10:16
and be no more stiffnecked.
Deuteronomy 10:16
“I know your fears and I understand your pain. I see your tears and I hear your cries. I simply ask that you trust Me so that I can carry you through these struggles. I desire to be everything that you need in life but you have to trust Me” says the Lord.
How much room do you have in your heart? This may seem like a strange question but the truth is that we often give place to so many different things in our heart that we leave no place for God. So often the heart is allowed to become filled with things, just a whole lot of things, while purpose and godliness are left out of the equation. The heart is the seat of our emotions or what is often referred to as our feelings. Thus, it is where such things as love, hate, desire, passion and even unforgiveness dwell. In some hearts, one or two of these things might have a prominent position, in others only one, and still there are some that are clustered with a little bit of everything in different proportions. Over the next few days we will be looking at the nature of the heart.
In order for a person to have a true relationship with God, it is necessary for them to surrender to Him their heart. Thus, they must willingly and actively give over their heart to the ownership of God. This handing over of the heart also means that they must accept Him or invite Him into their heart. Now the reason some people have delayed doing this is that they are so occupied with other things that there is no vacancy in their heart, no room to let Jesus in.
Apart from feelings, what are some of the things that fill people’s heart? People refuse to give Jesus room because their heart is occupied by other people; in other words, their heart is filled by the person they love romantically, whether they are married or unmarried. A person’s heart can also be occupied by their ambition, where they want to go in life and the plan they have drafted as to how to get there. A person’s heart can also be filled with greed for worldly pleasures and gain to the point where they become fully consumed by finding the treasures they seek. That is why the Bible says, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (cf. Matthew 6:20-21)
There is a saying which says, ‘God is a gentleman’, which simply means that God will never force Himself on anyone, He will not enter in unless you invite Him in. However, be aware, for when you invite Him in, you must make proper accommodation for Him to dwell. Examine yourself…
In order for a person to have a true relationship with God, it is necessary for them to surrender to Him their heart. Thus, they must willingly and actively give over their heart to the ownership of God. This handing over of the heart also means that they must accept Him or invite Him into their heart. Now the reason some people have delayed doing this is that they are so occupied with other things that there is no vacancy in their heart, no room to let Jesus in.
Apart from feelings, what are some of the things that fill people’s heart? People refuse to give Jesus room because their heart is occupied by other people; in other words, their heart is filled by the person they love romantically, whether they are married or unmarried. A person’s heart can also be occupied by their ambition, where they want to go in life and the plan they have drafted as to how to get there. A person’s heart can also be filled with greed for worldly pleasures and gain to the point where they become fully consumed by finding the treasures they seek. That is why the Bible says, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (cf. Matthew 6:20-21)
There is a saying which says, ‘God is a gentleman’, which simply means that God will never force Himself on anyone, He will not enter in unless you invite Him in. However, be aware, for when you invite Him in, you must make proper accommodation for Him to dwell. Examine yourself…
Is there room for the Master in your heart?
Word For Today: Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. - Psalm 119:2 - They are doubly blessed whose outward life is supported by an inward zeal for God’s glory.
[ 29 June, 2010 ] • [ icem ] • [ Leave comment - 384 ]
Daily Devotional for June 28, 2010
Be not deceived:
evil communications corrupt good manners
1st Corinthians 15:33
evil communications corrupt good manners
1st Corinthians 15:33
Hear the word of the Lord concerning thee O Israel: “For I shall burn with fire those who devise mischief against you and shall wipe them out from being a nation” says the Lord. Violence in every street and a cry is going up as the young of the land are slain. Be watchful O Jerusalem. Weep and pray; travail before the Lord your God. I hear the voice of the Lord saying that there is great confusion coming into the land of the Philippines for there is violence lurking. Be vigilant and pray; gather the intercessors and cry out.
The famous author William Shakespeare wrote in one of his plays a very interesting statement alluding to the conduct of one of his characters as ‘a rude despiser of good manners.’ In others words, one whose manners are devoid of consideration for that which is considered as ethically good or morally reasonable conduct. Thinking about this statement caused me to reflect upon 1st Corinthians 15:33 which states: “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” Both the writing of William Shakespeare and the Bible concurs that one’s manners has the potential of destroying or distorting everything decent around them and can be attributed to the code of ethic which is practiced. “Evil communications corrupt good manners - There are many sayings like this among the Greek poets; but this of the apostle, and which according to the best manuscripts makes an Iambic verse, is generally supposed to have been taken from Menander’s lost comedy of Thais. ‘Bad company good morals doth corrupt.’ There is a proverb much like this among the rabbins: ‘There were two dry logs of wood, and one green log; but the dry logs burnt up the green log’. There is no difficulty in this saying; he who frequents the company of bad or corrupt men will soon be as they are. He may be sound in the faith, and have the life and power of godliness, and at first frequent their company only for the sake of their pleasing conversation, or their literary accomplishments: and he may think his faith proof against their infidelity; but he will soon find, by means of their glozing speeches, his faith weakened; and when once he gets under the empire of doubt, unbelief will soon prevail; his bad company will corrupt his morals; and the two dry logs will soon burn up the green one.” (cf. Adam Clarke’s Commentary)
In some cases one might argue that ethics and morals have no bearing in the rationale of this person who has the habit of introducing corruption to that which is good. My grandmother had a saying: “it only takes one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch.” The Apostle Paul says it like this: “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” We as Christians are called to exhibit behaviors which demonstrate the nature and character of our Father; conduct which will enhance those around us and cause them to draw closer to Him as they see His reflection through our behavior. Matthew 7:16a clearly tell us: “Ye shall know them by their fruits...” The Saviour gives the proper test of their character. People do not judge a tree by its leaves, or bark, or flowers, but by the fruit which it bears. The flowers may be beautiful and fragrant, the foliage thick and green; but these are merely ornamental. It is the “fruit” that is of chief service to man; and he forms his opinion of the nature and value of the tree by that fruit. The profession may be fair; but the “conduct” - the fruit - is to determine the nature of the principles.
The moral to this devotional is simply found in this: Shun the very appearance of evil; practice Psalm 1 everyday and forsake the companionship and counsel of the ungodly; seek to do good at all times; make sure that your conversation is seasoned with salt; always minister grace to the hearers; give no place to the devil and place no stone of stumbling before others by practicing bad attitudes. Remember…
In some cases one might argue that ethics and morals have no bearing in the rationale of this person who has the habit of introducing corruption to that which is good. My grandmother had a saying: “it only takes one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch.” The Apostle Paul says it like this: “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” We as Christians are called to exhibit behaviors which demonstrate the nature and character of our Father; conduct which will enhance those around us and cause them to draw closer to Him as they see His reflection through our behavior. Matthew 7:16a clearly tell us: “Ye shall know them by their fruits...” The Saviour gives the proper test of their character. People do not judge a tree by its leaves, or bark, or flowers, but by the fruit which it bears. The flowers may be beautiful and fragrant, the foliage thick and green; but these are merely ornamental. It is the “fruit” that is of chief service to man; and he forms his opinion of the nature and value of the tree by that fruit. The profession may be fair; but the “conduct” - the fruit - is to determine the nature of the principles.
The moral to this devotional is simply found in this: Shun the very appearance of evil; practice Psalm 1 everyday and forsake the companionship and counsel of the ungodly; seek to do good at all times; make sure that your conversation is seasoned with salt; always minister grace to the hearers; give no place to the devil and place no stone of stumbling before others by practicing bad attitudes. Remember…
Do not corrupt good manners or entertain others who do!
Word For Today: A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompense of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him - Proverbs 12:14 – It’s not what you say, it’s what you do
[ 27 June, 2010 ] • [ icem ] • [ Leave comment - 428 ]
Daily Devotional for June 23, 2010
Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that
as a man chasteneth his son
so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee
Deuteronomy 8:5
as a man chasteneth his son
so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee
Deuteronomy 8:5
I hear the Spirit of the Lord saying, “Your change has come.” “This is the time that many prodigals shall return home, for I shall bring your sons and daughters from afar” says God. I see many families reuniting as the Lord moves miraculously to restore families. “Rejoice” says the Lord, “for restoration is decreed for your family.”
There are seasons in our lives when we go through dark days, turmoil and tribulations, even to the point that we find ourselves asking the question, “God have you forsaken me?” “Where are You?” It is in these seasons that we must examine our walk with Christ; this is the time when we need to do some checks and balances to evaluate our obedience level. I have experienced times in my life when the Lord has given me a specific instruction and for some reason I did not move immediately. I may have even failed to remember the instruction, but at a later time it suddenly comes to mind and I exclaim, “Oh no, I forgot!” Perhaps your excuse was that you were not sure it was God or it was just too hard to do, but whatever the reason, it is disobedience and it carries a weight in the Spirit that puts us in violation of God’s instructions. As a result we eventually experience the chastening of the Lord.
Now I know that it’s customary for us to see every negative situation that we experience as demonic in origin and so our approach is to bind and loose rather than to check for God’s purpose in the matter. Yet, in our devotional scripture we see clear evidence that there are times when God will chasten – reprimand; punish; discipline; correct; castigate; censure us, so that we are brought back into right perspective. Proverbs 19:18 says, “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.” We often loose so much valuable time focusing on the demonic realm as the source of the problem, when in reality our heavenly Father will often allow negative situations to affect or afflict us in order to correct us, discipline us or as an instrument of reprimand. Because He loves us He will allow bad experiences to bring us into His good and expected end for us.
Hebrews 12:5-13 says it like this: “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” Now, that’s what I call…
Now I know that it’s customary for us to see every negative situation that we experience as demonic in origin and so our approach is to bind and loose rather than to check for God’s purpose in the matter. Yet, in our devotional scripture we see clear evidence that there are times when God will chasten – reprimand; punish; discipline; correct; castigate; censure us, so that we are brought back into right perspective. Proverbs 19:18 says, “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.” We often loose so much valuable time focusing on the demonic realm as the source of the problem, when in reality our heavenly Father will often allow negative situations to affect or afflict us in order to correct us, discipline us or as an instrument of reprimand. Because He loves us He will allow bad experiences to bring us into His good and expected end for us.
Hebrews 12:5-13 says it like this: “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” Now, that’s what I call…
Food for thought!
Word For Today: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent - Revelation 3:19 - It is a proof of love on God’s part, if we go astray, to recall us by warning and by trials.
[ 22 June, 2010 ] • [ icem ] • [ Leave comment - 414 ]
Daily Devotional for June 2, 2010
I love them that love Me;
and those that seek Me early shall find Me.
Proverbs 8:17
and those that seek Me early shall find Me.
Proverbs 8:17
I hear the Spirit of the Lord saying that this is the season of return, for many that have forsaken you shall return. Many that lost their first love shall return and many that lost their way shall find it once again. It is a new day child of God, begin to walk in it and declare the heart of your God and the power of His might for He has delivered you from your enemies.
There are many of God’s people that are seeking His face in this season because of varying degrees of trouble. There are issues with the family where children or marriage is concerned; financial issues and ever inter personal relationships issues; issues which drive us to seek the face of God for solutions and solace. But not many understand that the desire of the Lord is for us to seek Him, just to adore and worship Him for who He is. How often do we find the time to get into God’s presence without asking petitions or making supplications? How often do we get into His presence just to tell Him, “I love you Lord; You are awesome; wonderful; You are altogether lovely; magnificent and marvelous”?
It is important for us to understand that our solutions are found when we worship Him and set our love for Him as our number one priority. Oh how wonderful it is to bask in the presence of the Lord as we pour our love to Him and feel the glow of His appreciation. We come away knowing His heart and feeling the passion of His love for us. The light of His countenance shines in our eyes and upon our faces as a reflection of His glory and approval of the time we spent together. In an atmosphere of pure unadulterated love we are empowered to face every trial or trouble that comes our way.
We need to come to the place of understanding that the joy of the Lord is our strength, but it is only in His presence that we find that quality of joy. The Psalmist says it like this, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (cf. Psalm 16:11) In His presence, loving Him just for who He is will bring you fullness of joy and pleasure that you cannot even begin to fathom, because it extends into the borders of releasing gifts into your bosom that you didn’t even ask Him for.
Our Heavenly Father delights in us when we show Him affection. Remember we are told that He is love and so it stands to reason that if we pour out our love upon Him it will result in Him responding in kind. We are dealt with intimately, He begins to pour out His heart and share secret things with us that will give us strategies for our warfare. He will tell us things before they happen and even things like what’s going on in the stock market. Think about it, there are numerous things that He will reveal. Psalm 40:16 says, “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.” Beloved, the Lord wants to share His heart with you, but He needs you to change your focus, from your needs to spending quality time with Him, loving on Him.
It is important for us to understand that our solutions are found when we worship Him and set our love for Him as our number one priority. Oh how wonderful it is to bask in the presence of the Lord as we pour our love to Him and feel the glow of His appreciation. We come away knowing His heart and feeling the passion of His love for us. The light of His countenance shines in our eyes and upon our faces as a reflection of His glory and approval of the time we spent together. In an atmosphere of pure unadulterated love we are empowered to face every trial or trouble that comes our way.
We need to come to the place of understanding that the joy of the Lord is our strength, but it is only in His presence that we find that quality of joy. The Psalmist says it like this, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (cf. Psalm 16:11) In His presence, loving Him just for who He is will bring you fullness of joy and pleasure that you cannot even begin to fathom, because it extends into the borders of releasing gifts into your bosom that you didn’t even ask Him for.
Our Heavenly Father delights in us when we show Him affection. Remember we are told that He is love and so it stands to reason that if we pour out our love upon Him it will result in Him responding in kind. We are dealt with intimately, He begins to pour out His heart and share secret things with us that will give us strategies for our warfare. He will tell us things before they happen and even things like what’s going on in the stock market. Think about it, there are numerous things that He will reveal. Psalm 40:16 says, “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.” Beloved, the Lord wants to share His heart with you, but He needs you to change your focus, from your needs to spending quality time with Him, loving on Him.
Come with me and let’s love on our Father; He is worth it!
Word For Today: That I may cause those that love Me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures - Proverbs 8:21- He desires to give us His best, we need to let Him.
[ 01 June, 2010 ] • [ icem ] • [ Leave comment - 416 ]