KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Monday, May 08, 2017
Chapters: I Chronicles 17, Psalms 25,29,33
Message: God’s Heart
Hello My Friend,
Since we are made in the image of God it is fitting that we would have the same emotions that He does. Of course, since God sees things a lot differently than we do, we often clash with Him. We all feel with our heart, even God does, think about it, why would He send Himself in the form of His Son to be redemption for every soul that receives Him? His love for His creation. God does not want to see one soul destroyed, His heart longs for everyone of them, but sadly that will not happen because not everyone’s heart seeks God. While salvation is granted solely upon grace through our faith in Jesus Christ today, it has always come down to the heart, even God’s heart. “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” – I John 3:20.
“God is greater than our heart,” Our heart, even when we are trying to live a pretty decent and moral life, our heart can actually hinder us, while not every decision we make alone with our heart is sinful, it may not be what God wants, even if we are doing it for His glory. We learn this through David, as he sits in his beautiful house he is sadden by the thought of the Ark of God sitting in a tent, he decides that he wants to build a house for God.
“Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains. Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee. And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in: For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?” – I Chronicles 17:1-6.
“Do all that is in thine heart;” You see, while God was indeed with David, it was not His desire for him to build a house for Him. Why? That is God’s decision. Sometimes our heart does things for the wrong reasons, and while David was truly trying to do something good for God, God had another purpose for him, and that was to use his seed to bring His Son into the world. If we take the time to listen to God, He will tell us His heart, and exactly what He wants us to do for Him and in our own lives.
“Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” – Psalm 25:8-14.
“therefore will he teach sinners in the way.” We are all just sinners saved by the grace of God, through our faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. When we allow Him to guide and teach us we will find His mercy, grace, truths, and His desire for our lives. Sometimes I wake up and wonder if it is God who put me where I am right now, or was it something I did from my heart, trying to say it was God. God chooses our path, and yes, we are going to take detours along the way at times, but once He decides that He has something specific for us to do, He will get us back on the path one way or another. Look at Jonah, Moses, David, Job, even Ruth and Esther, when we give God our heart, He reveals His. “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” – I John 3:21-22.
Our heart has a way of pride, it does not want to ask for help, it thinks it can make all the decisions on its own, and that God does not want to deal with our petty problems. The truth is, God wants is to ask Him for all things, to be in every decision we make, and, no problem is petty to Him. Let me tell you, there is nothing more powerful that the voice of God, when He wants to get your attention, He will get it.
“A Psalm of David. Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory. The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever. The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.” – Psalm 29:1-4,9-11.
“The LORD will give strength unto his people;” God will never take us down a path that He cannot give us the strength to handle and endure. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” – I Corinthians 10:13.
“that ye may be able to bear it.” You know, God may allow us to follow our heart sometimes, and go down a path that we desire, but He does put up roadblocks. Keep in mind that God is our strength, nothing on the earth is strong enough to keep us on track, I know we get this idea that we have to find our own way out when we get lost, but we simply cannot get back on track without God.
“Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.” – Psalm 33:8-11,17-22.
“neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.” This is a metaphor, nothing on earth is strong enough to handle the things that God places before us or that we bring ourselves into, only God can give us the strength to endure. Our heart wants to do it all by ourselves, and rather suffer aimlessly rather than seek help from the Almighty, but seeking God’s heart will not only give us the help we need, it will end the suffering, at least until the next challenge. An Evangelist once said, “If you aren’t being afflicted than you aren’t a Christian.”, I disagree with that statement, affliction comes to all, but it is Christ who gives us the strength to ensure it. “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” – Philippians 4:12-13.
Jesus Christ Magnified: Today Jesus is revealed through the sitting King (Ps 29:10). Jesus is King, He sits on His throne to the right hand of God, watching His people from afar, one day upon His Fathers command He will return to reign the entire earth. “Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.” – I Peter 3:22.
Today’s Prayer: God, You heart is so big that You sent Your only begotten Son so that all who believes in Him receives everlasting life. As much as we would like to believe that our heart makes all the right decisions, it often hinders You or even causes us to do things that hurt rather than help. Lord, teach us Your ways, lead us and guide us to Your truths, open our hearts to take all of You in us, open our eyes to see everything You have to show us, open our ears to hear You still small, but powerful voice. You are our strength, our hope, our peace, our salvation, our loving God, and Father, our help, and our shield from every path we take. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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