#Wordfortheweek 2019 Week 21 It’s a #Heart thing (3)

…the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

 Right from creation, the heart disconnected man from God or brought him close to Him. Adam and Eve disobeyed God because of their heart – the desire to become like God. The early world was full of evil, in fact the bible recorded that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5 KJV). However, Noah was different; he was just and perfect and walked with God.

Jesus taught His disciples that the content of the heart is where sin starts not just the act of sin itself. Whoever is angry with his brother without cause is in danger of the judgement, same as someone who commits murder. Anger resides in the heart.  Adultery starts with lust in the heart. Lack of forgiveness in the heart will make your offering unacceptable. Only the pure in heart shall see God.

Kind David was a man that understood the importance of the state of his heart towards His God. He said if he regards iniquity in his heart God will not hear him (Psalm 66:18 NKJV). He prayed for Elohim to search his heart, for any iniquity and to cleanse it. He knew he needed the help of God who sees into the furthest, deepest recess of the heart. The One who has the ability to give it a divine spring-cleaning. David was not only a man of prayer but also one who lived by the word of God.

David was not perfect all the time, but God Himself testified that he was a man after His heart, who will do all His will. Moreover, from David’s seed God raised up our Savior Jesus (Acts 13:22, 23 NKJV).

We have much to learn from David, how he kept his heart diligently for Elohim. This week be mindful of the state of your heart towards Him.

To be continued…

#prayerfortheweek

Almighty Father, thank You for the gift of my life and the grace of salvation. Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Amen

I pray this inspires you to be more and do more for Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Jesus Christ). Spend this week to meditate on the passage and take relevant step to live out your faith.

#AdeolaAkintoye ©

#ajourneytospiritualmaturity

#Wordfortheweek 2019 Week 20 It’s a #Heart thing (2)

…the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

I have noticed in my life journey and especially as a born again Christian, how important to one’s salvation the heart is. However zealous you might be in good works, you can still be rejected by God because your heart is not right with Him.

Elohim God told Isaiah the prophet “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men” (Isaiah 29:13 NKJV). We can tick all the right boxes of religious activities; even acts of mercy, compassion and love but our heart could still be far from God.

How is it possible that you can do all the ‘right’ things but your heart is still far from God? It is the intent. Do you do things from the heart to glorify God or to glorify yourself? We do good things not because we love God with all our heart and the fear of Him propels us but to justify ourselves and for the honour of man.

How about what we think in our heart? That recess where no one sees except God. I want to think good and pure thoughts but sometimes I find not-so good and not-so pure thoughts rearing its ugly head unconsciously. The thoughts that are selfish, self-centred and of self-interest are always there in the background, tempting and testing.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV). It is easy to blame the state of one’s heart to the sinful nature. A born again Christian is no longer under the dominion of sin, nevertheless we are encouraged above all else, to guard our heart, for it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23). We have to be mindful of the state and content of our heart at all times.

When was the last time you actually paid attention to your heart?

To be continued…

#prayerfortheweek

Almighty Father, thank You for the gift of my life and the grace of salvation. Oh, LORD my God keep my heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. In Jesus name. Amen

I pray this inspires you to be more and do more for Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Jesus Christ). Spend this week to meditate on the passage and take relevant step to live out your faith.

#AdeolaAkintoye ©

#ajourneytospiritualmaturity

#Wordfortheweek 2019 Week 19 It’s a #Heart thing (1)

  …the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

  

The heart has been on my mind. One of the common themes in the bible about Elohim God’s relationship with humankind is that He looks at the heart. Cain and Abel gave the first recorded offering in the bible, the former was rejected and the latter accepted. The reason being the state of their heart. Going through the bible, the stories of those held as righteous was not because of the works of their hand but their heart condition towards God.

Humankind sees the heart through man’s actions. Unfortunately, actions does not necessarily reveal the heart. It is easy to present an outward persona that is completely opposite what is going on in the heart.

The world relate to each other from the five senses - hearing, seeing, touching, smelling and feeling. We honour and glorify the physical things. Someone is somebody because of position, wealth, titles, educational qualifications, charisma and the like. People will reckon with you because you are famous by whatever means. Even in the Christendom, we exalt ‘great’ men and women of God (I wonder what ‘great’ means) because of the gift given and manifested through them by Elohim. All these are seen outwardly, but the heart remains a secret to humankind.

Human being are very adept in hiding the content of their heart from each other. Someone may smile at you but is cursing you in their heart. Love, hatred, envy, bitterness, offence, jealousy, unforgiveness, pride, humility, meekness, all has its root in the heart. Jesus taught that out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies (Matthew 15:19 NKJV). The heart can also contain goodness, kindness, mercy, holiness and the like.

Elohim searches the heart and test the mind. The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. What is clear is that only those that are pure in heart will see God. Your entrance to eternity depends on the state of your heart. How is your heart?

To be continued…

#prayerfortheweek

Almighty Father, thank You for the gift of my life and the grace of salvation. Oh, LORD my God circumcise my heart and the heart of my descendants, to love You with all your heart and with all your soul that I may live. In Jesus name. Amen

I pray this inspires you to be more and do more for Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Jesus Christ). Spend this week to meditate on the passage and take relevant step to live out your faith.

#AdeolaAkintoye ©

#ajourneytospiritualmaturity