April 14: Is Your Heart A Sanctuary?
Genesis 6:5 (KJV) states,” And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Let’s take a look at how we can keep our minds wholesome. You may not be able to stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop it from building a nest on your head. All you need to do is to shoo it off, and cover your head with something that does not attract or make it comfortable near you. You may not be able to stop the devil from bringing evil suggestions to you, but you can resist the devil by locking those suggestions out. A new mind in a day creates a new life. Righteousness in your mind brings out beauty in your character.
The heart of man is a wonderful thing. It is so wonderful that it needs us to understand it, otherwise, our lives can be in a serious bind and we may not understand but try to blame it on others. The heart is deep. It is by default wicked, it is deceitful, it can fail us, it can be proud, it can be like wax melting and solidifying. The heart can be at war with itself, it can imagine mischief, it can be perverse, it can be without hope. The heart can be lustful, slow, blind. It can be wounded, it can backslide, it can be hypocritical, desolate. It can be foolish, stony, troubled and can also be strange etc.
Jesus showed us the power of the heart when He let us know that the heart is at the centre of our speaking and doing all things always. “Luke 6:45 (KJV), “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” This means, your heart determines your character and your character determines your behavior, attitudes and the fruits you bear.
It grieves God when your heart is so dark that it pushes God away from you and you from God. When that happens, your life is making a mockery of the love of God that made Him to sacrifice His only begotten Son so that we should not perish (see John 3:16 KJV). When your heart is at variance with God, it grieves Jesus as well and makes the Holy Ghost a stranger in your life. That will be a very sad situation regarding your relationship with your Father, God, through Jesus Christ. Note: Your heart is a place of encounter with God. You must set a watch over your heart. Make your heart a sanctuary, pure and holy, for the Holy Spirit to indwell you.
Let’s pray: Again, today, I invite you to pray with me on these points: *Goliath that stopped my parents, hear the Word of the Lord, my life is not your candidate, I reject you, in Jesus’ name. *Power to rise above my enemies, fall upon me now, in the name of Jesus. * Every opposition to my full-scale laughter, scatter, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Today’s reading: 1 Samuel 25-26; Luke 12: 32-59
Blessed are the Pure in Heart