Search My Heart

TODAY’S VERSE
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Psalms 139:23-24 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
The Bible says that David “was a man after God’s heart.” What a tribute. Contrary to what we might think, this was not because David was perfect. He knew how easy he could fall into sin. He remembered how God had to wake him up from an immoral stupor through the rebuke of Nathan the Prophet. If anyone could have created the slogan “No perfect people allowed,” it was David. David had to give up the “perception of perfection” in order to renew a close relationship with God. When God convicted David of wrongdoing, David repented, asking God to have mercy on him. In order to stay in a close relationship with God, David decided to allow God to speak to him about his behavior. He prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” How about you? Do you feel far from God? Who moved? What is stopping you from coming back? Is it pride? Is it anger? Is it the false notion that you don’t need to? Let us join David in becoming a person after God’s heart, not through the false ambition of perfection, but through the daily, honest and open relationship with God that allows Him to search us, point out what we are doing wrong and then lead us along the path of following Him.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I come to you today and pray what David prayed so long ago, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
AMEN

Peace,Love And Grace

TODAY’S VERSE
Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 6:23-24 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Paul knew how to end a letter. I can imagine him thinking, “What three things would my dear brothers and sisters in Christ need the most in the world? What would help them with any situation? What would give them the strength to carry on? What would be worth dying for? What would make life worth living?” This was more than the granting of three wishes. Paul prayed with the full knowledge that what he prayed could be our reality. He prayed that God would give you peace. He prayed that the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ would give you love. And finally, that God’s own grace would be on you for all eternity. Peace, love, and grace. What could you do with that today? How much would you keep for yourself? How much would you give away? So what do you do when someone offers you a gift? Today, might you take and be conscious of all the peace, love and grace God has for you.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for Your peace, love, and grace that You have for me. I pray that today I might really begin to experience the effects of Your peace, love, and grace in all that I do. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

ATTEND TO THE WORD

Proverbs 4:20-23 (NKJV) 20 My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

For the next few days, we are going to look into these great verses.  There is so much here, so let us get started.

Verse 20: “My son, give attention to my words.”  God is telling us to give His Word first place in our heart.  In the military, when an officer says “Attention!” the soldiers snap to it.  That is how God want us to be with His Word.

The word attention means concentration, dedication, attentiveness, diligence, mindfulness, affection, and studiousness.  It is a verb meaning to listen carefully, to pay attention, to give heed, and to obey.  That is pretty good stuff!

Our Father is telling us to give His Word our full attention, to dedicate ourselves to it, and to study it.  Why is that?  Well, as we will see later on in these verses, it brings health to our being.

In Hebrews 4:12 it says that the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

God’s Word is alive!  It has power within it!  Just as a seed will produce after its own kind, so God’s Word will produce after our Father’s kind.

So what do you need today? Do you need patience, or joy, or any other promise from the Word?  Then get the promise from the Bible, attend to it, and watch the harvest come!

Confession: Today, I attend to the Word of God.  It will produce an abundant harvest in my life!

Today’s Bible Reading

Jeremiah 31:27 – 32:44

1 Timothy 3

Psalms 88

Proverbs 25:20-22

Bible in a Year: 365-Day Reading Plan : English | King James Version (KJV)

GET RID OF STRESS

Pastor Diane 

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The world we live in is full of anxiety, stress, and pressure.  God has the answer for us.  He tells us what we can do to have peace in the midst of the storm, to rest while others are anxious, and to be calm while others are stressed.  This is something we are going to have to make a decision to do.  We need to make a decision not to be anxious.

Another translation puts it like this: “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything…” How can we do that?  The rest of the verse tells us how: “…but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

I am so glad we have a God that not only hears our prayers, but is also faithful to answer them!

For the next way to stay at peace, we need to be thankful.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

When we decide not to be anxious, to let our requests be known to God, and to be thankful, then we get verse 7: God’s peace, which is beyond human understanding, will guard our hearts and minds.

The Amplified translation puts it this way: “And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Confession:  Today, I make a decision to do the Word.  I will not be anxious about anything, but I will let my requests be made known to God.  I will be thankful.  And I am expecting His peace to mount guard over my heart and mind today!

Today’s Bible Reading

Jeremiah 30 – 31:26

1 Timothy 2

Psalms 87

Proverbs 25:18-19

Bible in a Year: 365-Day Reading Plan : English | King James Version (KJV)