Watch Over Your Heart!

Watch Over Your Heart!

Who rules your heart?

Our enemy is pretty good in selling lies to us. Unfortunately, we buy them. We are especially weak when the lie informs us that ‘we rule’. We want to believe it. We buy the lie because it makes us feel good, confident and powerful.

I was reading this morning the last words of David in 1 Kings 2. David is instructing his successor Solomon. He is first giving very sage advice. Just like you’re expecting him to do. But then he starts advising his son how to settle some old scores on his behalf. That he had promised not to kill them but his son should finish what he could not do. It feels like someone would have whispered ‘you rule’ to David in the middle of his speech and made him shift gears. Suddenly David talks about his own personal agenda, not about God’s. I was shocked. David, who had a very special relationship with God, wanted to rule on his own. David, whose love for God was strong and powerful, still kept a corner of his heart for himself. What about me? What about you?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your being, and all your strength. (Deut. 6:5, CEB, emphasis added)

We are told to love God with every corner of our heart.
We are to wholeheartedly obey God.
We are to surrender everything to God.

Do we? 100%? Or do we keep some part of ourselves from God? Do we still keep our own agenda on the side? Does our self-interests rule over obedience? Do we serve God halfheartedly?

Do I listen to the lies of the enemy insisting that ‘I rule’? Because none of us do rule. Only God does. We might think so. But it isn’t so. And we can’t serve two masters. We can’t choose when we follow Christ and when we don’t. We can’t nurse hidden agendas. We need to be consistent in our beliefs and actions.

There’s no such a thing as halfhearted obedience. It dishonors God.
There’s no such thing as halfhearted love for God. It keeps even us miserable.
But it doesn’t have to be so! God has better plans for us!

Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
   that’s where life starts.
Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth;
   avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
   ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
   and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
   leave evil in the dust.
(Proverbs 4:23-27, MSG)

 

Dear God,
Examine our hearts!
Expose our hidden agendas!
Establish your rule in every corner of our hearts!
Enable us to keep vigilant watch over our hearts!
Fill our hearts completely with your Spirit!
Empower us to serve you wholeheartedly!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U:  Do you keep some part of your heart from God? Do you have hidden agendas?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you serve God with everything you’ve got!

Giving thanks today for
#341 the word of God that reads us
#342 self-examination
#343 God calling us to repent
#344 wholehearted faith
#345 consistence in faith
#346 walking the talk
#347 saints gone before us
#348 the living God searching us
#349 God wants every part of us
#350 blessed obedience
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Do you want to win a copy of the Common English Bible softcover edition? Just leave a comment and mention that you’d like to win. The winners will be announced on Wednesdays! All these CEB giveaways are possible because I am participating in the Common English Bible Blog tour from Ash Wednesday all the way to Pentecost. This means that I will mostly be using the Common English Bible (CEB) on my blog posts. Let’s check out this fresh new Bible translation!
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Image courtesy of Marian Trinidad. Linking up today with Sharing His Beauty & Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday &

4 thoughts on “Watch Over Your Heart!

  1. “We need to be consistent in our beliefs and actions. ”
    This is so important because the world is watching for our inconsistencies to help them justify their disbelief in God.
    We are not perfect, so there will be inconsistencies, however that should be the exception and not the norm for our daily living.

    Great post!

    1. Thanks, TC, for chiming in! Yes, we are not perfect and we can’t be holy on our own. But blessedly that’s not the end of the story: God has provided us the Holy Spirit to work in/through us! Blessings to you on your faith journey!

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