Just as we need trucks to pick up the garbage that accumulates in our homes, we need to let Jesus remove the "trash" that inevitably accumulates in our hearts. When we forget to take out the trash, it's not a pretty picture. Jesus wants us to dump it regularly at the foot of the cross. In fact, He has promised to remove it and forget it.
Taking out the trash begins with confession, and then counting on Jesus to get rid of it. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)
Prayer: Lord, help me not to cover sin, Those secret wrongs that lurk within;
I now confess them all to You; Transparent I would always be.
Confession is the key that opens the door to forgiveness. (DB)
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
EL ROI
Many locator devices are on market today that promise to help us keep track of elderly parents, children, pets, wallets even kidnapping victims.
As useful as these gadgets are, they would have done Hagar no good. No one seemed to care enough about Hagar and her unborn child to monitor their well-being in the desert. No one but El Roi - Hebrew for "You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees" (Genesis 16:13)
Hagar served Sarai, Abram's wife. Sarai felt like a weak link in the chain of God's promise to bless Abram with many descendants. She was barren, so she told Abram to sleep with her maidservant and build a family through her. This ill-advised suggestion - born amid intense cultural pressures to provide an heir - led to nothing but trouble. When Hagar became pregnant, she despised Sarai for her inability to have children. Then Sarai treated Hagar so badly that she ran away. There in the desert, feeling the misery of her past and the uncertainly of her future, Hagar met God, who saw her and took care of her.
El Roi sees your past misery, your present pain, your uncertain future. HE is so watchful that HE knows when the smallest sparrow perishes (Matthew 10:29-31) And HE is the GOD who sees and cares for you today. (DB'07)
Keep your eyes on the Lord; He never takes His eyes off you!
As useful as these gadgets are, they would have done Hagar no good. No one seemed to care enough about Hagar and her unborn child to monitor their well-being in the desert. No one but El Roi - Hebrew for "You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees" (Genesis 16:13)
Hagar served Sarai, Abram's wife. Sarai felt like a weak link in the chain of God's promise to bless Abram with many descendants. She was barren, so she told Abram to sleep with her maidservant and build a family through her. This ill-advised suggestion - born amid intense cultural pressures to provide an heir - led to nothing but trouble. When Hagar became pregnant, she despised Sarai for her inability to have children. Then Sarai treated Hagar so badly that she ran away. There in the desert, feeling the misery of her past and the uncertainly of her future, Hagar met God, who saw her and took care of her.
El Roi sees your past misery, your present pain, your uncertain future. HE is so watchful that HE knows when the smallest sparrow perishes (Matthew 10:29-31) And HE is the GOD who sees and cares for you today. (DB'07)
Keep your eyes on the Lord; He never takes His eyes off you!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
A Matter of the Heart
The Lord tells us in His Word that when we seek Him, we will find Him (1 Chronicles 28:9; Jeremiah 29:13). But have you ever thought about what is actually involved in seeking God? It is not a matter of just attending church or following a certain religious tradition.
Seeking God is a matter of the heart. This one activity leads you to a cross over being a "churchgoer" to becoming a follower of "the way of Christ." You seek Him, not in a mysterious mythical sense, but through intimate devotion. In your seeking, you thirst after God much like the psalmist who wrote:"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God" (Ps.42:1) A longing to your seeking ushers you into the presence of God where you experience the fullness of His love and undivided care for your soul.
God desires your love and devotion. By itself, memorizing amounts of Scripture will not draw you closer to Him. What grabs God's heart is the humble, abiding love of someone who seeks Him above everything else. (In Touch Devotional)
Prayer: Give me a heart to seek You above all else, Lord. I want to experience Your presence on an intimate level.
Seeking God is a matter of the heart. This one activity leads you to a cross over being a "churchgoer" to becoming a follower of "the way of Christ." You seek Him, not in a mysterious mythical sense, but through intimate devotion. In your seeking, you thirst after God much like the psalmist who wrote:"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God" (Ps.42:1) A longing to your seeking ushers you into the presence of God where you experience the fullness of His love and undivided care for your soul.
God desires your love and devotion. By itself, memorizing amounts of Scripture will not draw you closer to Him. What grabs God's heart is the humble, abiding love of someone who seeks Him above everything else. (In Touch Devotional)
Prayer: Give me a heart to seek You above all else, Lord. I want to experience Your presence on an intimate level.
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