1 Chronicles 28:9-10, 20, "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work. ...Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you..."
Young Solomon had to have had many fears and concerns about being chosen for such an enormous task. He had to take on a huge responsibility. A responsibility that would otherwise be the job of an older man, but because of his father's past, he was now responsible. Now it seemed that the weight of the world was upon his shoulders. But, in this dialogue we find the words of this warrior preparing his son for an enormous battle. "Be strong and do the work. ...Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you..."
How often we look out onto our own challenges and find that the task ahead of us seems impossible. We can look at others around us, and see them depending on us for financial security. We may wake in the morning and feel as though the weight of the world is upon our shoulders and that the task is too large for anyone. That is when we hear the words, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work." God is not calling us to sit back and do nothing while He does everything for us. He is calling us to do the work. Do the work that He has set in front of us and He will not forsake you, nor will He fail you. Do you know that when you have diligently sought after God and when you feel you are failing your family, it is not actually you that you feel has failed, but you feel it is God who is failing you.
Oswald Chambers, "There are times in our lives when our peace is based simply on our own ignorance. But when we are awakened to the realities of life, true inner peace is impossible unless it is received from Jesus. When our Lord speaks peace, He creates peace, because the words that He speaks are always 'spirit, and they are life' (John 6:63). Have I ever received what Jesus speaks? '...My peace I give to you...'— a peace that comes from looking into His face and fully understanding and receiving His quiet contentment.
Are you severely troubled right now? Are you afraid and confused by the waves and the turbulence God sovereignly allows to enter your life? Have you left no stone of your faith unturned, yet still not found any well of peace, joy, or comfort? Does your life seem completely barren to you? Then look up and receive the quiet contentment of the Lord Jesus. Reflecting His peace is proof that you are right with God, because you are exhibiting the freedom to turn your mind to Him. If you are not right with God, you can never turn your mind anywhere but on yourself. Allowing anything to hide the face of Jesus Christ from you either causes you to become troubled or gives you a false sense of security.
With regard to the problem that is pressing in on you right now, are you 'looking unto Jesus' (Hebrews 12:2) and receiving peace from Him? If so, He will be a gracious blessing of peace exhibited in and through you. But if you only try to worry your way out of the problem, you destroy His effectiveness in you, and you deserve whatever you get. We become troubled because we have not been taking Him into account. When a person confers with Jesus Christ, the confusion stops, because there is no confusion in Him. Lay everything out before Him, and when you are faced with difficulty, bereavement, and sorrow, listen to Him say, 'Let not your heart be troubled...' (John 14:27)."
Do not doubt God. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not blame Him for your failings, but worship Him and get out there and do the work He has set in front of you. While you are working, be sure and check your heart and your motives and keep them pure before Him. For, He knows our inner most thoughts. "If you seek Him, He will be found by you; ...Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you..."
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Prayer of Jabez
1 Chronicles 4:10, "Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request."
The power of prayer. Is there any power there? We have been in some very hard times, for some time now. Business is struggling, for who is able to buy right now. In the midst of such pain and suffering, we find Jabez. The prayer of Jabez, in a long list of family genealogy, this is where we find him. He was a man born in pain and suffering. Yet, in the midst of pain and suffering, this is where he cried out to God, and this is where we see his prayer answered. This is where we cry out to God:
"Our Father, our Lord,
Hear our prayer. See our cry. We need You Father. We need You to answer us, for there is nowhere else for us to turn. Oh, that You would bless us and secure our business! Let Your hand be with us, and keep us from harm so that we will be free from pain. We have been open and honest in our dealings. We have honored You with our lives. Be with us Father, for we need You. Please do not hold us accountable for what others have done. We have turned every stone. If there is a stone left unturned, please show us so that we can deal with it."
Oswald Chambers, "Matthew 7:9, 'Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?' The illustration of prayer that our Lord used here is one of a good child who is asking for something good. We talk about prayer as if God hears us regardless of what our relationship is to Him (see Matthew 5:45). Never say that it is not God’s will to give you what you ask. Don’t faint and give up, but find out the reason you have not received; increase the intensity of your search and examine the evidence. Is your relationship right with your spouse, your children, and your fellow students? Are you a 'good child' in those relationships? Do you have to say to the Lord, 'I have been irritable and cross, but I still want spiritual blessings'? You cannot receive and will have to do without them until you have the attitude of a 'good child.' ...I am a child of God only by being born again, and as His child I am good only as I 'walk in the light' (1 John 1:7). For most of us, prayer simply becomes some trivial religious expression, a matter of mystical and emotional fellowship with God. We are all good at producing spiritual fog that blinds our sight. But if we will search out and examine the evidence, we will see very clearly what is wrong— a friendship, an unpaid debt, or an improper attitude. There is no use praying unless we are living as children of God. Then Jesus says, regarding His children, 'Everyone who asks receives...' (Matthew 7:8)."
"We are not living blind, my Lord. We have done everything that we can do, please hear our cry. 'Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request.' Please Father, help us. 'Everyone who asks receives...'"
The power of prayer. Is there any power there? We have been in some very hard times, for some time now. Business is struggling, for who is able to buy right now. In the midst of such pain and suffering, we find Jabez. The prayer of Jabez, in a long list of family genealogy, this is where we find him. He was a man born in pain and suffering. Yet, in the midst of pain and suffering, this is where he cried out to God, and this is where we see his prayer answered. This is where we cry out to God:
"Our Father, our Lord,
Hear our prayer. See our cry. We need You Father. We need You to answer us, for there is nowhere else for us to turn. Oh, that You would bless us and secure our business! Let Your hand be with us, and keep us from harm so that we will be free from pain. We have been open and honest in our dealings. We have honored You with our lives. Be with us Father, for we need You. Please do not hold us accountable for what others have done. We have turned every stone. If there is a stone left unturned, please show us so that we can deal with it."
Oswald Chambers, "Matthew 7:9, 'Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?' The illustration of prayer that our Lord used here is one of a good child who is asking for something good. We talk about prayer as if God hears us regardless of what our relationship is to Him (see Matthew 5:45). Never say that it is not God’s will to give you what you ask. Don’t faint and give up, but find out the reason you have not received; increase the intensity of your search and examine the evidence. Is your relationship right with your spouse, your children, and your fellow students? Are you a 'good child' in those relationships? Do you have to say to the Lord, 'I have been irritable and cross, but I still want spiritual blessings'? You cannot receive and will have to do without them until you have the attitude of a 'good child.' ...I am a child of God only by being born again, and as His child I am good only as I 'walk in the light' (1 John 1:7). For most of us, prayer simply becomes some trivial religious expression, a matter of mystical and emotional fellowship with God. We are all good at producing spiritual fog that blinds our sight. But if we will search out and examine the evidence, we will see very clearly what is wrong— a friendship, an unpaid debt, or an improper attitude. There is no use praying unless we are living as children of God. Then Jesus says, regarding His children, 'Everyone who asks receives...' (Matthew 7:8)."
"We are not living blind, my Lord. We have done everything that we can do, please hear our cry. 'Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request.' Please Father, help us. 'Everyone who asks receives...'"
Friday, August 20, 2010
Youthful Wisdom
Of all the kings in the bible, the name Josiah has always rung sweet in my heart. I love how he instantly believed the words of the Lord. I love how even though he was not the cause of the idolatry, he immediately felt remorse and tore his clothes in despair. He was young, eight years old, when he became king. I love that in his youth, he had wisdom, for he instantly listened and believed the Lord's command. In his youth, he knew that immediate action had to take place for all the wrong to be righted. I love that in his youth, the older learned from him. I love that the people respected him and listened to him. I think I love Josiah so much, because in his youth, he was wise.
2 Kings 22:19, "'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace."
In his youth, he was a reformer. He did this in spite of his father and grandfather being so exceptionally wicked. The moment he heard the truth, he took action and started clearing up whatever he recognized as not belonging to the worship of the true God. His transformation did not take years of learning the hard way, on how to live. He heard the word and immediately took action against anything that was against God. He starting cleaning house. He cleared away anything that brought back the memories of old sin. Everything and anything was gone. For in transforming your life, you must get rid of everything that brings back the memories of your past. You cannot hold on to that one special treasure that makes you think, "Ah, I remember when..." For those are the memories that will come haunting again the first chance they get.
During this transformation, the people followed Josiah. They carefully took his advise and followed his rule. They had peace during this time. But, they did not transform their own hearts. They followed him, because he was a great leader, but they secretly longed for other things. This is something we all must stop and listen to. As long as Josiah was alive the people prospered under his reign. However, no matter how strong the one you are following is, there comes a time when you will stand alone and you must examine your own heart. This is the time of truth and this is the time for your own personal repentance.
Oswald Chambers, "Whenever anything begins to disintegrate your life with Jesus Christ, turn to Him at once, asking Him to re-establish your rest. Never allow anything to remain in your life that is causing the unrest. Think of every detail of your life that is causing the disintegration as something to fight against, not as something you should allow to remain. Ask the Lord to put awareness of Himself in you, and your self-awareness will disappear. Then He will be your all in all. Beware of allowing your self-awareness to continue, because slowly but surely it will awaken self-pity, and self-pity is satanic. Don’t allow yourself to say, “Well, they have just misunderstood me, and this is something over which they should be apologizing to me; I’m sure I must have this cleared up with them already.” Learn to leave others alone regarding this. Simply ask the Lord to give you Christ-awareness, and He will steady you until your completeness in Him is absolute. ...It is the sick person who really knows what health is..."
If we have been shown what we need to change in our life, then change it. Get rid of the old ways in which you used to live. Clear your cupboards! Whatever you have in your view, that is what will keep you from true restoration with God. No one can do it for you. You must humble yourself before the King and admit to Him what you have done wrong. Then you must take action. This is not a passive life awareness, but a life changing revival. When you see the Lord, you cannot turn a blind eye to your own sin. When you see the Lord, you must learn to follow Him. It may not even be your own sin, but the sin of your parents. This is the time to change the past in your own life. This is the time for you to live.
2 Kings 22:19, "'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace."
In his youth, he was a reformer. He did this in spite of his father and grandfather being so exceptionally wicked. The moment he heard the truth, he took action and started clearing up whatever he recognized as not belonging to the worship of the true God. His transformation did not take years of learning the hard way, on how to live. He heard the word and immediately took action against anything that was against God. He starting cleaning house. He cleared away anything that brought back the memories of old sin. Everything and anything was gone. For in transforming your life, you must get rid of everything that brings back the memories of your past. You cannot hold on to that one special treasure that makes you think, "Ah, I remember when..." For those are the memories that will come haunting again the first chance they get.
During this transformation, the people followed Josiah. They carefully took his advise and followed his rule. They had peace during this time. But, they did not transform their own hearts. They followed him, because he was a great leader, but they secretly longed for other things. This is something we all must stop and listen to. As long as Josiah was alive the people prospered under his reign. However, no matter how strong the one you are following is, there comes a time when you will stand alone and you must examine your own heart. This is the time of truth and this is the time for your own personal repentance.
Oswald Chambers, "Whenever anything begins to disintegrate your life with Jesus Christ, turn to Him at once, asking Him to re-establish your rest. Never allow anything to remain in your life that is causing the unrest. Think of every detail of your life that is causing the disintegration as something to fight against, not as something you should allow to remain. Ask the Lord to put awareness of Himself in you, and your self-awareness will disappear. Then He will be your all in all. Beware of allowing your self-awareness to continue, because slowly but surely it will awaken self-pity, and self-pity is satanic. Don’t allow yourself to say, “Well, they have just misunderstood me, and this is something over which they should be apologizing to me; I’m sure I must have this cleared up with them already.” Learn to leave others alone regarding this. Simply ask the Lord to give you Christ-awareness, and He will steady you until your completeness in Him is absolute. ...It is the sick person who really knows what health is..."
If we have been shown what we need to change in our life, then change it. Get rid of the old ways in which you used to live. Clear your cupboards! Whatever you have in your view, that is what will keep you from true restoration with God. No one can do it for you. You must humble yourself before the King and admit to Him what you have done wrong. Then you must take action. This is not a passive life awareness, but a life changing revival. When you see the Lord, you cannot turn a blind eye to your own sin. When you see the Lord, you must learn to follow Him. It may not even be your own sin, but the sin of your parents. This is the time to change the past in your own life. This is the time for you to live.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Where is the Focus?
Oswald Chambers, "Never allow anything that divides or destroys the oneness of your life with Christ to remain in your life without facing it. Beware of allowing the influence of your friends or your circumstances to divide your life. This only serves to sap your strength and slow your spiritual growth. Beware of anything that can split your oneness with Him, causing you to see yourself as separate from Him. Nothing is as important as staying right spiritually. And the only solution is a very simple one— 'Come to Me...' The intellectual, moral, and spiritual depth of our reality as a person is tested and measured by these words. Yet in every detail of our lives where we are found not to be real, we would rather dispute the findings than come to Jesus."
It is amazing to me how much I need my friends. I need others in my life to calm me. It is amazing to me how I can get so bent out of shape and think that I must be the one to do something. This is when I realize that I am not relying on Christ, but that I put myself in such a high position that I actually think that He needs me to get something done. When in reality, instead of me needing to do the work for Him, He is actually trying to do a work in me.
2 Kings 18, Hezekiah- "He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow Him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. And the LORD was with him... In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them." Hezekiah became fearful and turned to the Lord. He wore sackcloth and begged the Lord for help. 2 Kings 19, "That night the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there." (You really need to read all of 18-20 for the full view of Hezekiah).
This was one of Hezekiah's greatest victories, and he did nothing, but turn to God for help with this daunting reality. Often, we see something and think that we are the ones that must deal with that issue. However, many times we are allowed to see that impossible task so that we will know that only God can conquer it. Hezekiah's first response was to turn to the Lord. Then when Isaiah told Him that the Lord would take care of the problem, he believed. Then, all he had to do was sit back and watch the mighty power of God revealed. Are we like this when life throws us something that seems daunting. Do we think that we have to solve the problem? Are taking our problems to God? Do we listen and trust God when He is speaking to us through others?
My focus needs to remain on Christ. I need to keep my heart and eyes upon Him. I need to remember that in this relationship that I am developing with Him, I will see more, but that does not mean that I see everything, or that I need to do anything. If I will keep my eyes upon Him, He will allow me to see things that I have never before seen. If I will keep my eyes upon Him, then I will learn to wait for Him. If I will keep my eyes upon Him, then I will learn to trust that He is strong enough for any army that is threatening to war against my heart. And in learning to trust Him through everything, then I will live in peace and not have to worry.
Matthew 6:25-34, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Keeping my eyes on God will allow me to live this day to its fullest. The rest is for Him to conquer. I need to learn to wait upon the Lord, so that I can see His mighty deeds.
It is amazing to me how much I need my friends. I need others in my life to calm me. It is amazing to me how I can get so bent out of shape and think that I must be the one to do something. This is when I realize that I am not relying on Christ, but that I put myself in such a high position that I actually think that He needs me to get something done. When in reality, instead of me needing to do the work for Him, He is actually trying to do a work in me.
2 Kings 18, Hezekiah- "He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow Him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. And the LORD was with him... In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them." Hezekiah became fearful and turned to the Lord. He wore sackcloth and begged the Lord for help. 2 Kings 19, "That night the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there." (You really need to read all of 18-20 for the full view of Hezekiah).
This was one of Hezekiah's greatest victories, and he did nothing, but turn to God for help with this daunting reality. Often, we see something and think that we are the ones that must deal with that issue. However, many times we are allowed to see that impossible task so that we will know that only God can conquer it. Hezekiah's first response was to turn to the Lord. Then when Isaiah told Him that the Lord would take care of the problem, he believed. Then, all he had to do was sit back and watch the mighty power of God revealed. Are we like this when life throws us something that seems daunting. Do we think that we have to solve the problem? Are taking our problems to God? Do we listen and trust God when He is speaking to us through others?
My focus needs to remain on Christ. I need to keep my heart and eyes upon Him. I need to remember that in this relationship that I am developing with Him, I will see more, but that does not mean that I see everything, or that I need to do anything. If I will keep my eyes upon Him, He will allow me to see things that I have never before seen. If I will keep my eyes upon Him, then I will learn to wait for Him. If I will keep my eyes upon Him, then I will learn to trust that He is strong enough for any army that is threatening to war against my heart. And in learning to trust Him through everything, then I will live in peace and not have to worry.
Matthew 6:25-34, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Keeping my eyes on God will allow me to live this day to its fullest. The rest is for Him to conquer. I need to learn to wait upon the Lord, so that I can see His mighty deeds.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Open My Eyes
2 Kings 6:15-17, "'Oh, my lord, what shall we do?' the servant asked. 'Don't be afraid,' the prophet answered. 'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, 'O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.' Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."
How limited is our view when we look at this life. We cannot see what is really going on. We only see what we think is going on. We see what is right in front of us. When someone says something to us, how often do we take offense, when no offense is needed. We cannot venture out of our own self, and what we feel, to stop and take a real look at the others around us and see life from their point of view. If we cannot stop and see this life from others people's perspective, how are we going to see through the eyes of God and the real truth of this life? How I pray that my eyes would be opened so that I can see through His eyes, even though many of the truths in my own life are hard to look at. But, how can I expect to see others and what they need, if I cannot even look at my own life, all of my life.
Oswald Chambers, "The rich young ruler went away from Jesus speechless with sorrow, having nothing to say in response to Jesus’ words. He had no doubt about what Jesus had said or what it meant, and it produced in him a sorrow with no words with which to respond. Have you ever been there? Has God’s Word ever come to you, pointing out an area of your life, requiring you to yield it to Him? Maybe He has pointed out certain personal qualities, desires, and interests, or possibly relationships of your heart and mind. If so, then you have often been speechless with sorrow. Luke 18:22, 'Sell all that you have...' In other words, rid yourself before God of everything that might be considered a possession until you are a mere conscious human being standing before Him, and then give God that. That is where the battle is truly fought— in the realm of your will before God. Are you more devoted to your idea of what Jesus wants than to Jesus Himself? If so, you are likely to hear one of His harsh and unyielding statements that will produce sorrow in you. What Jesus says is difficult— it is only easy when it is heard by those who have His nature in them. Beware of allowing anything to soften the hard words of Jesus Christ."
When we look back upon our life, there are choices that we have made that we want Christ to change. Many times when we see the hurt in others, we as believers, want Christ to change that hurt and take away the consequences for the one hurting. We pray that God come in and change what has happened and restore what was lost, but we cannot see through the eyes of God. Jesus' words were often hard for the recipient, but He did not soften the blow of His words to make that person feel better in the moment. Jesus was very firm, for in that moment of sorrow, that person has a chance to see the truth of where his hearts desires really are. We can see if our hearts are totally focused on ourself. We can see the pain that we have caused others. It is in the hard truth of Christ's words that we can see, and sometimes that truth brings sorrow. How often do we not see the whole truth in life all because we cannot see past the pain?
There have been things that happen to us and things that we have done that bring us great pain in life. We do not need to war against the pain, for in that pain there may be a mighty army of God fighting for us. We cannot take away the consequences of life choices, but we can learn to follow Christ through the hurt of those choices. His army is bigger than the war we see in front of us. His army is surrounding us and fighting for us in this battle we call life. Be careful to not get in the way of what God is really trying to accomplish in someone's life, just because you want to relieve them of the pain right now. If you block their vision, how are they supposed to see God's work in their life. If someone comes in and tries to sooth you from your own pain, be careful. That temporary relief you feel right now, may block your true restoration.
How limited is our view when we look at this life. We cannot see what is really going on. We only see what we think is going on. We see what is right in front of us. When someone says something to us, how often do we take offense, when no offense is needed. We cannot venture out of our own self, and what we feel, to stop and take a real look at the others around us and see life from their point of view. If we cannot stop and see this life from others people's perspective, how are we going to see through the eyes of God and the real truth of this life? How I pray that my eyes would be opened so that I can see through His eyes, even though many of the truths in my own life are hard to look at. But, how can I expect to see others and what they need, if I cannot even look at my own life, all of my life.
Oswald Chambers, "The rich young ruler went away from Jesus speechless with sorrow, having nothing to say in response to Jesus’ words. He had no doubt about what Jesus had said or what it meant, and it produced in him a sorrow with no words with which to respond. Have you ever been there? Has God’s Word ever come to you, pointing out an area of your life, requiring you to yield it to Him? Maybe He has pointed out certain personal qualities, desires, and interests, or possibly relationships of your heart and mind. If so, then you have often been speechless with sorrow. Luke 18:22, 'Sell all that you have...' In other words, rid yourself before God of everything that might be considered a possession until you are a mere conscious human being standing before Him, and then give God that. That is where the battle is truly fought— in the realm of your will before God. Are you more devoted to your idea of what Jesus wants than to Jesus Himself? If so, you are likely to hear one of His harsh and unyielding statements that will produce sorrow in you. What Jesus says is difficult— it is only easy when it is heard by those who have His nature in them. Beware of allowing anything to soften the hard words of Jesus Christ."
When we look back upon our life, there are choices that we have made that we want Christ to change. Many times when we see the hurt in others, we as believers, want Christ to change that hurt and take away the consequences for the one hurting. We pray that God come in and change what has happened and restore what was lost, but we cannot see through the eyes of God. Jesus' words were often hard for the recipient, but He did not soften the blow of His words to make that person feel better in the moment. Jesus was very firm, for in that moment of sorrow, that person has a chance to see the truth of where his hearts desires really are. We can see if our hearts are totally focused on ourself. We can see the pain that we have caused others. It is in the hard truth of Christ's words that we can see, and sometimes that truth brings sorrow. How often do we not see the whole truth in life all because we cannot see past the pain?
There have been things that happen to us and things that we have done that bring us great pain in life. We do not need to war against the pain, for in that pain there may be a mighty army of God fighting for us. We cannot take away the consequences of life choices, but we can learn to follow Christ through the hurt of those choices. His army is bigger than the war we see in front of us. His army is surrounding us and fighting for us in this battle we call life. Be careful to not get in the way of what God is really trying to accomplish in someone's life, just because you want to relieve them of the pain right now. If you block their vision, how are they supposed to see God's work in their life. If someone comes in and tries to sooth you from your own pain, be careful. That temporary relief you feel right now, may block your true restoration.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Mentors
The mighty men of old, how they can teach us. If we will only open our eyes and our ears for what they have to say to us, we can learn from them in ways that we could never imagine. David, the man after God's own heart. Have you ever noticed that he had Nathan? Nathan was the one who told David the truth about what he saw in David's life. David the king of kings, had a counselor. Everyone needs someone who will tell them the truth, even if that truth hurts. Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. Have you noticed that he had no one who would give him counsel? No one ever told him his faults, nor pointed out his sin. He was the wisest man, yet his heart turned from God. He surrounded himself with unbelievers, and the wisest man became a fool with his own life. Elijah, he was God's personal messenger, and yet right after he had one of his biggest triumphs with God, he prayed he would die. He felt like he was the only one left who stood with the Lord. He had no one to walk with him on his journey, and this aloneness became one of his greatest struggles. Counselors, friends, we all need someone who will walk with us in truth and love.
2 John 4-6, "How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded. I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning." Through this journey of life, we all have people surrounding us. In one situation we find that we are the mentor for others. In another place, we find that we are the ones needing the mentoring. No one is immune to this. We all need others with us on this journey. If you think that you do not need to listen to others and that you are fine without their counsel, beware, this is how Solomon felt. David was king and yet he humbled himself enough to listen to Nathan's counsel. Elijah had a most wonderful relationship with God, but his greatest defeat came right after one of his greatest victories; for he was all alone. We need others to walk with us in truth and love, and we need to walk with others with truth and love ourselves.
As I look at my life and the people that influenced me the most, I have to look at the truth in myself and how I have influenced others. I have been been the fool, but I did not have wise counsel and when I was given warnings, I did not listen. I thought that I could do it myself. It was in this, that I found out how far from God I could stray. I spent several years alone with God. This time was good, for I learned how much He loved me, but I needed a friend to walk with me. God has given me friends to walk with me on this journey. They are all different ages. Some are my mentors. They have raised their families and learned to love their husbands. Others are my peers. They are my mighty women. These women walk beside me, going through life at the same stage, learning with me. Yet, others are the sweet young women who are just starting out on their journey of finding who they are. I may be one of their mentors, sharing my joys, pain, and love with them as they learn who God is.
Have you stepped back from your busy life to see the others around you? Do you know who is influencing you the most? Do you know who and how you are influencing others? Oh, don't be deceived. You are influencing others. The question is.... is it for good or is it for bad? Everyone needs someone who can counsel them. Everyone, no matter how strong their relationship with Christ is, needs someone to walk with them and experience and learn life with them. Everyone has someone watching and learning from them. If you have someone willing to love you in truth, you may be blessed as David was blessed. His heart stayed for God, all because his counselor was willing to tell him the hard truth. If you think you need no one's advise, you may be in danger of turning your heart from God like Solomon did. If you are walking high with God, yet you are alone and have no one walking beside you, you are in danger of becoming defeated right after your greatest victory as Elijah did. Do we know that we are someones mentor? Do we know that we need a mentor?
Oswald Chambers, "There are times when there is no storm or crisis in our lives, and we do all that is humanly possible. But it is when a crisis arises that we instantly reveal upon whom we rely. If we have been learning to worship God and to place our trust in Him, the crisis will reveal that we can go to the point of breaking, yet without breaking our confidence in Him." The time will come in our life when we need someone to remind us of our victory through the storm. Another time will come when we will need to walk with them through theirs. It is all about love in truth. We must have relationships to build us in love. We must be that for others.
2 John 4-6, "How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded. I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning." Through this journey of life, we all have people surrounding us. In one situation we find that we are the mentor for others. In another place, we find that we are the ones needing the mentoring. No one is immune to this. We all need others with us on this journey. If you think that you do not need to listen to others and that you are fine without their counsel, beware, this is how Solomon felt. David was king and yet he humbled himself enough to listen to Nathan's counsel. Elijah had a most wonderful relationship with God, but his greatest defeat came right after one of his greatest victories; for he was all alone. We need others to walk with us in truth and love, and we need to walk with others with truth and love ourselves.
As I look at my life and the people that influenced me the most, I have to look at the truth in myself and how I have influenced others. I have been been the fool, but I did not have wise counsel and when I was given warnings, I did not listen. I thought that I could do it myself. It was in this, that I found out how far from God I could stray. I spent several years alone with God. This time was good, for I learned how much He loved me, but I needed a friend to walk with me. God has given me friends to walk with me on this journey. They are all different ages. Some are my mentors. They have raised their families and learned to love their husbands. Others are my peers. They are my mighty women. These women walk beside me, going through life at the same stage, learning with me. Yet, others are the sweet young women who are just starting out on their journey of finding who they are. I may be one of their mentors, sharing my joys, pain, and love with them as they learn who God is.
Have you stepped back from your busy life to see the others around you? Do you know who is influencing you the most? Do you know who and how you are influencing others? Oh, don't be deceived. You are influencing others. The question is.... is it for good or is it for bad? Everyone needs someone who can counsel them. Everyone, no matter how strong their relationship with Christ is, needs someone to walk with them and experience and learn life with them. Everyone has someone watching and learning from them. If you have someone willing to love you in truth, you may be blessed as David was blessed. His heart stayed for God, all because his counselor was willing to tell him the hard truth. If you think you need no one's advise, you may be in danger of turning your heart from God like Solomon did. If you are walking high with God, yet you are alone and have no one walking beside you, you are in danger of becoming defeated right after your greatest victory as Elijah did. Do we know that we are someones mentor? Do we know that we need a mentor?
Oswald Chambers, "There are times when there is no storm or crisis in our lives, and we do all that is humanly possible. But it is when a crisis arises that we instantly reveal upon whom we rely. If we have been learning to worship God and to place our trust in Him, the crisis will reveal that we can go to the point of breaking, yet without breaking our confidence in Him." The time will come in our life when we need someone to remind us of our victory through the storm. Another time will come when we will need to walk with them through theirs. It is all about love in truth. We must have relationships to build us in love. We must be that for others.
Friday, August 6, 2010
So Long Insecurity
Insecurity, who hasn't struggled with this one. The question is, "How do you deal with insecurity, and what are we insecure about?" I have struggled with insecurity. I want to say, more than most, but I know this is probably not true. It is probably more true to say we all struggle with it the same, it just manifests itself differently. My level of insecurity makes me feel like I have been the most insecure woman on earth. That in and of itself proves how insecure I have been. I would like to say that I no longer struggle with such an issue, but that is not true either. I can say that my insecurity has gotten lots better. Some may think I am exaggerating about my insecurity. They may think, "What do you have to be insecure about? Your husband loves you. You have a nice house. You have to be the most secure woman in the room." Insecurity, it is one of my biggest down falls. Those who are around me much at all know how insecure I am, for I am very vocal. But, if I were not so open about so much in my life and if I did not come right out and say what I was thinking, when I was thinking it, I think, I could put on a pretty good front and fool many into believing that I never struggle with much at all. This is what I think most of us do. However, the truth behind most of it, is that we do struggle with insecurity. We struggle with it so much that we become insecure about being insecure.
1 Samuel 22:1-2, "So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men." David's mightiest men were men who were on the bottom of life. They were rejected, outcasts who had everything to be insecure about. David, himself, had every reason to be insecure, but his love of God brought him strength and allowed him to see the truth. That truth is- when we have God on our side, we have no reason to be insecure. David inspired these men to achieve beyond their goals and to meet their true potential. David was their inspiration, God was his. So many times these men were outnumbered and from the looks of others, they should have been defeated. 2 Samuel 23, David's mightiest men were found in three and thirty. He had men that were closest to him, who were the greatest warriors in his army. They fought and won great victories. David inspired them to great feats, but the ruler of this great army of men was led by the only One who could give true victory. When David was the most victorious, was when he kept his eyes upon God.
While I still struggle with insecurity, I have found that in this time period in my life, I am the most secure. There was time spent just a few short years ago, that I was so alone. I had no one. Yes, I was married, but I did not love and lean on my husband. I was in a desolate place. It was in this place that I found my strength. I began turning to Christ and allowing Him to give me strength for the first time. Then, as I began growing and allowing Him to give me life, He started to surround me with my mighty men. Only they were my mighty women. My friends are women who have been on the down and outs of life. Women who have been into drugs, adultery, lived life feeling rejected and second best. These women are my mighty women, like David had his mighty men. These women are strong and courageous. They go into battle everyday, but the cool thing is, they know how to arm themselves with shields and weapons that bring them a victory, even when defeat seems to be inevitable. I am not their leader, and they are not mine, but we battle together against the insecurities of this world. Here is the key, we have each had to go through our struggles and places of desolation. We had to go through that time alone, so that we could learn who our true leader was. Our freedom from insecurity is not in our husband, our looks, the money in our hand; It is in Christ our Lord.
If you are in a time of desolation and feeling like you are alone, the only one who... be patient. This time, is a time to overcome. This time is the time to learn Who your true leader is, and Whose you are. Alone time is not always bad. Those feelings of insecurity, the mightiest men have felt them. It is learning how to lean on the right One and how to fight for Him, that is how we become mighty ourselves. A husband will not bring you security, maybe for a moment, but that moment will pass. A child will not bring you security, neither will that friend, or that check. All things on this earth are a temporary security. They will all let you down at some point, and insecurity will start creeping in. It is in keeping our eyes upon our true leader that we can find no insecurity. His eyes will never wander as we get older and our beauty fades. His finances will always be enough to give us bread for this day. His security is the only place that we can never feel insecure. Do we know how to turn to Him as our leader? Are we His mighty men? Are we surrounded by His warriors? Whose mighty men are we as we start each day? Where is your insecurity today? You can overcome this. You just have to learn to follow the right Leader...
1 Samuel 22:1-2, "So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men." David's mightiest men were men who were on the bottom of life. They were rejected, outcasts who had everything to be insecure about. David, himself, had every reason to be insecure, but his love of God brought him strength and allowed him to see the truth. That truth is- when we have God on our side, we have no reason to be insecure. David inspired these men to achieve beyond their goals and to meet their true potential. David was their inspiration, God was his. So many times these men were outnumbered and from the looks of others, they should have been defeated. 2 Samuel 23, David's mightiest men were found in three and thirty. He had men that were closest to him, who were the greatest warriors in his army. They fought and won great victories. David inspired them to great feats, but the ruler of this great army of men was led by the only One who could give true victory. When David was the most victorious, was when he kept his eyes upon God.
While I still struggle with insecurity, I have found that in this time period in my life, I am the most secure. There was time spent just a few short years ago, that I was so alone. I had no one. Yes, I was married, but I did not love and lean on my husband. I was in a desolate place. It was in this place that I found my strength. I began turning to Christ and allowing Him to give me strength for the first time. Then, as I began growing and allowing Him to give me life, He started to surround me with my mighty men. Only they were my mighty women. My friends are women who have been on the down and outs of life. Women who have been into drugs, adultery, lived life feeling rejected and second best. These women are my mighty women, like David had his mighty men. These women are strong and courageous. They go into battle everyday, but the cool thing is, they know how to arm themselves with shields and weapons that bring them a victory, even when defeat seems to be inevitable. I am not their leader, and they are not mine, but we battle together against the insecurities of this world. Here is the key, we have each had to go through our struggles and places of desolation. We had to go through that time alone, so that we could learn who our true leader was. Our freedom from insecurity is not in our husband, our looks, the money in our hand; It is in Christ our Lord.
If you are in a time of desolation and feeling like you are alone, the only one who... be patient. This time, is a time to overcome. This time is the time to learn Who your true leader is, and Whose you are. Alone time is not always bad. Those feelings of insecurity, the mightiest men have felt them. It is learning how to lean on the right One and how to fight for Him, that is how we become mighty ourselves. A husband will not bring you security, maybe for a moment, but that moment will pass. A child will not bring you security, neither will that friend, or that check. All things on this earth are a temporary security. They will all let you down at some point, and insecurity will start creeping in. It is in keeping our eyes upon our true leader that we can find no insecurity. His eyes will never wander as we get older and our beauty fades. His finances will always be enough to give us bread for this day. His security is the only place that we can never feel insecure. Do we know how to turn to Him as our leader? Are we His mighty men? Are we surrounded by His warriors? Whose mighty men are we as we start each day? Where is your insecurity today? You can overcome this. You just have to learn to follow the right Leader...
Monday, August 2, 2010
Goes Around, Comes Around
It can be amazing how our past sins can come and slap us in the face. Ahithophel was the counselor that Absalom used to help him while he was taking over his father's (David's) kingdom. 2 Samuel 16:15-23, "Absalom said to Ahithophel, 'Give us your advice. What should we do?' Ahithophel answered, 'Lie with your father's concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench in your father's nostrils, and the hands of everyone with you will be strengthened.' So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he lay with his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel."
Ahithophel was the grandfather of Bathsheba. He knew how to get to David. He used the same exact location to get to David, that David was in when he had first seen Bathsheba. David's sin with Bathsheba had now come in full circle. Now his son was going to sleep with his concubines where everyone could see. He was going to feel the sting of his own sin, in its original place of birth. This is the hardest consequences of sin, sometimes the consequences still come even after you have changed your ways. And, sometimes those consequences are felt threw your children.
Though this is how David's sin played out, I don't think that it had to come to this. While David himself had been confronted and this is how his eyes were opened, he had failed to do the same for his children. He missed the opportunity he had to be his children's counselor. Absalom's rebellion started when his brother's sin was not punished by David. This is when Absalom's heart grew hard against his father. Amnon had raped his sister Tamar, and even though David was very angry about it he never brought punishment to Amnon. 2 Samuel 13:22, "When King David heard all this, he was furious. Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar." This hatred turned into revenge and he killed Amnon two years later. It was after this when Absalom decided to take his father's kingdom. If David had punished Amnon when he should have, this may never have happened.
It was David's original guilt about his own sin that I think stopped him from punishing his children when they sinned. How often as parents do we tend to say, "well, I did it." Then we do not hold our children to the accountability standard that they need. What we must realize is that all too often our sins affect them by our not dealing with their sins, all because of our own personal guilt. Or, we see their sins and do not hold them accountable for their sins, all because we did it too. "We survived and so will they." At what cost do we sacrifice our children, all because we did it too. We are to be here as their counselors. Just like David had Nathan as his counselor, and Nathan did not turn a blind eye, we are to be our children's counselors. We are to hold them to the standards that God has given us, not the standards that we lived by. We are to love them unconditionally, but we are to love them in truth and love. There is a difference. If we do not love them in truth, then we cannot really love them. Sometimes the truth hurts. But, love always wrapped in truth is never blind. We cannot turn a blind eye, especially on our children, just because we are afraid of them saying, "You did it too. Who are you to judge me!" As we become older, we cannot hide behind the guilt and fear of our youth. We must learn to stand with our youth as an example and hold our children accountable to God's righteousness, not our mistakes. If you are not your child's counselor, who is?
Ahithophel was the grandfather of Bathsheba. He knew how to get to David. He used the same exact location to get to David, that David was in when he had first seen Bathsheba. David's sin with Bathsheba had now come in full circle. Now his son was going to sleep with his concubines where everyone could see. He was going to feel the sting of his own sin, in its original place of birth. This is the hardest consequences of sin, sometimes the consequences still come even after you have changed your ways. And, sometimes those consequences are felt threw your children.
Though this is how David's sin played out, I don't think that it had to come to this. While David himself had been confronted and this is how his eyes were opened, he had failed to do the same for his children. He missed the opportunity he had to be his children's counselor. Absalom's rebellion started when his brother's sin was not punished by David. This is when Absalom's heart grew hard against his father. Amnon had raped his sister Tamar, and even though David was very angry about it he never brought punishment to Amnon. 2 Samuel 13:22, "When King David heard all this, he was furious. Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar." This hatred turned into revenge and he killed Amnon two years later. It was after this when Absalom decided to take his father's kingdom. If David had punished Amnon when he should have, this may never have happened.
It was David's original guilt about his own sin that I think stopped him from punishing his children when they sinned. How often as parents do we tend to say, "well, I did it." Then we do not hold our children to the accountability standard that they need. What we must realize is that all too often our sins affect them by our not dealing with their sins, all because of our own personal guilt. Or, we see their sins and do not hold them accountable for their sins, all because we did it too. "We survived and so will they." At what cost do we sacrifice our children, all because we did it too. We are to be here as their counselors. Just like David had Nathan as his counselor, and Nathan did not turn a blind eye, we are to be our children's counselors. We are to hold them to the standards that God has given us, not the standards that we lived by. We are to love them unconditionally, but we are to love them in truth and love. There is a difference. If we do not love them in truth, then we cannot really love them. Sometimes the truth hurts. But, love always wrapped in truth is never blind. We cannot turn a blind eye, especially on our children, just because we are afraid of them saying, "You did it too. Who are you to judge me!" As we become older, we cannot hide behind the guilt and fear of our youth. We must learn to stand with our youth as an example and hold our children accountable to God's righteousness, not our mistakes. If you are not your child's counselor, who is?
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Smallest Price
“When you fall into sin, the smallest price you pay is only the wounding you bring to yourself-- You grieve the heart of God and embarrass the community of Christ,” (RZ).
2 Samuel 12, "The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, 'There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.' David burned with anger against the man... Then Nathan said to David, 'You are the man!...' Then David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the LORD.' Nathan replied, 'The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt...'"
There are so many lessons in the life of David. It is when his sin gets called to his attention that we can see his true heart, and this is when we can learn our own lessons with our own sin. Just like us, David was blind to his sin when he was doing it. Oh yes, he knew it was wrong, but in his effort to get what he wanted, God's ways became blind to him and all he could do was focus on his own desires. It is in the revealing of his sin that we see his heart. His heart is not necessarily revealed because he sinned, but what he did with the realization of his sin after his eyes were opened. He hit his knees, begged for forgiveness, and did not go down that road again. This is why in Acts 13:22, God said that David was a "man after my own heart." It was not that David would never sin, but that when he did sin, he truly repented. He didn't just say, "Well I am sorry I got caught," but his heart was broken. However, the true effect of his sin was upon God, and His reputation.
When we as Christians sin, we are not just affecting ourselves, but we are affecting how others view God. This is what should grieve us the most! Because of Christ, our sin is forgiven, but the damage we have done in others eyes is enormous. The question that we must constantly be asking our own heart is, "Do we grieve because we are caught in sin, or because we have damaged the view of Christ others see in us?" This is actually an easier test than one may imagine. When you are caught doing something, do you still find ways to get a portion of what you were caught doing, no matter how small that portion is? If you are still trying to steal little portions, your heart is tattling on you. “The seat of sin is in the heart and will, not only in the action,” (RZ).
Definition of sin-- “Whatever weakens your reasoning, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away your relish for spiritual things. In short, if anything increases the authority and power of the flesh over the spirit, then that to you becomes sin, however good it is in itself.” (Susana Wesley, RZ)
We all sin. No one is perfect. But, our hearts desire is revealed in what we do after that sin is revealed to us, either by the Holy Spirit (our conscience), or by someone else. David still had to suffer the consequences of his sin, and so must we. The true test of our heat is what we do with our sin after we have discovered it. Are we still trying to live the lie and steal little pieces of our desire wherever we can get it, or has our heart been turned away from that desire and toward God. Christ's blood has forgiven and washed us clean, but what are we really showing to others when we live a life in hypocrisy?
2 Samuel 12, "The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, 'There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.' David burned with anger against the man... Then Nathan said to David, 'You are the man!...' Then David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the LORD.' Nathan replied, 'The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt...'"
There are so many lessons in the life of David. It is when his sin gets called to his attention that we can see his true heart, and this is when we can learn our own lessons with our own sin. Just like us, David was blind to his sin when he was doing it. Oh yes, he knew it was wrong, but in his effort to get what he wanted, God's ways became blind to him and all he could do was focus on his own desires. It is in the revealing of his sin that we see his heart. His heart is not necessarily revealed because he sinned, but what he did with the realization of his sin after his eyes were opened. He hit his knees, begged for forgiveness, and did not go down that road again. This is why in Acts 13:22, God said that David was a "man after my own heart." It was not that David would never sin, but that when he did sin, he truly repented. He didn't just say, "Well I am sorry I got caught," but his heart was broken. However, the true effect of his sin was upon God, and His reputation.
When we as Christians sin, we are not just affecting ourselves, but we are affecting how others view God. This is what should grieve us the most! Because of Christ, our sin is forgiven, but the damage we have done in others eyes is enormous. The question that we must constantly be asking our own heart is, "Do we grieve because we are caught in sin, or because we have damaged the view of Christ others see in us?" This is actually an easier test than one may imagine. When you are caught doing something, do you still find ways to get a portion of what you were caught doing, no matter how small that portion is? If you are still trying to steal little portions, your heart is tattling on you. “The seat of sin is in the heart and will, not only in the action,” (RZ).
Definition of sin-- “Whatever weakens your reasoning, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away your relish for spiritual things. In short, if anything increases the authority and power of the flesh over the spirit, then that to you becomes sin, however good it is in itself.” (Susana Wesley, RZ)
We all sin. No one is perfect. But, our hearts desire is revealed in what we do after that sin is revealed to us, either by the Holy Spirit (our conscience), or by someone else. David still had to suffer the consequences of his sin, and so must we. The true test of our heat is what we do with our sin after we have discovered it. Are we still trying to live the lie and steal little pieces of our desire wherever we can get it, or has our heart been turned away from that desire and toward God. Christ's blood has forgiven and washed us clean, but what are we really showing to others when we live a life in hypocrisy?
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