Good Morning Everyone
Today is Tuesday December 13, 2011
The word of the day comes from
Psalm 51:10 NKJV
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Issue with Our H.E.A.R.T. (Having Enough and Refusing Temperance)
(part of a study I have been working on)
In this verse right here, a lot can be found to help us with this issue that we all deal with…the issue of the Heart or as the acronym the Lord dropped in my spirit: Having Enough and Refusing Temperance. There are a few key words that we want to define to get a better understanding prior to diving into the lesson tonight. In just the scripture today, 3 words jump out to me: heart, renew and steadfast. Going over the first word in the scripture, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines the heart as the emotional or moral as distinguished from the intellectual nature; one’s innermost character, feelings or inclinations. Inclination is defined as a tendency to a particular aspect, state, character or action. Basically, there is a direct correlation between what we feel in heart and what we move on; what we are directed to.
This is an important point. The things that we feel in our heart, the impulses that come to us if not properly channeled and controlled will be what we move on whether in spirit or in flesh. The Lord knows this and this is why He tells us the Proverb we all know so well, Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding but acknowledge Him in all your ways and He shall direct your path.
Why would the Lord want us to trust in Him with all of our heart? Why can’t we go off of our feelings and inclinations and our own understanding? Because Mark 7:20-23 (And He said, “What come out of man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man) tells us what is really in our heart. Not what someone else told us, gave us, force fed us, enticed us, coerced us, and bamboozled us into. It isn’t the devil. He didn’t make Eve eat the fruit; he simply made a way/an alternative/another option to the course we are on. That’s what he does, he presents opportunity.
James 1:14-15 reads: But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Let’s read that again. You know what jumps out to me. We are tempted not when the devil comes into the picture. Not when that girl who is just your type walks by looking all curvaceous and fit and her face is right. Not when that guy has that Colgate smile and is tall and muscular. Not when you are flipping through the channels late night or on the internet and come across an image, a picture, a screen shot you know you shouldn’t be looking at. All these things are merely accelerators to the fire, they aren’t the fire. The definition of accelerator is a substance that speeds a chemical reaction. Our desires are the fire. Our desires are what potentially have the ability complete burn through and disintegrate everything we love and hold dear. Have you ever seen a fire? It always starts off smile and in one particular spot but if unchecked, it will go on to begin to destroy other areas of a house until the house is a mere shell of its former self if less standing at all. That is what sin does. That is what desires do. Desire is defined as a conscious impulse toward something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction in its attainment. It is a longing, craving; sexual urge or appetite.
The Compact Bible Dictionary defines the heart as that which is central to a person. Nearly all references to the heart in the Bible refer to some aspect of human personality. The thinking processes are said to be carried out by the heart. Did you hear that (repeat sentence). This intellectual activity corresponds to what would be called “mind” in English.
See this is where the renewing of the mind that is found in Romans 12:1-2 has to become a reality, where we are not conforming to this world but allowing the Lord to transform us by the renewing of our mind. This is where I and you have to allow this Word to take root in us. Because if we are not careful, we can allow men and women and porn and other issues to come into our spirits, into our marriages, into our lives that God never intended. And similar to the example we used with the fire, once it gets going by an accelerant, it gets harder and harder to put out. But there is a funny thing also about fire that dropped in my spirit. Just as quickly as you can get a fire to spread and literally burn everything in its path, it also has the ability to be put out quickly by stomping on it or stand on it…
All we have to stand on is the Word of God. All we have to wait on is the promises of God. Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage…Galatians 5:1 NKJV. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it…1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him…Isaiah 59:19 NKJV. So we know we can stand on the desires that we have through the Word of God, if we choose to stand. Today, let us decide to stand on our desires and move in our spirit.
Have a wonderful, blessed, productive, stress free day!
Amen
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