Tag: Good

Secret Places in Your Heart

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

“For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

Psalms 51:6  Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Psalms 5:9    For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction;

Psalms 125:4   Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts!

2 Kings 20:3   “Now, O LORD, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.”

1 Chronicles 29:17   I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you.

2 Chronicles 31:20  Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God.  And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.

Proverbs 2:21   For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it,

Jeremiah 5:3   O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent.

1 Peter 3:4   but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

What is knowing the “intent of our heart” based upon?  In our culture, some leaders and teachers would say: 1. if it makes you feel good and does not have intent on harming others then the intent is good.  2. if it is socially accepted it is good.  3. if it benefits you it is good.  We must be careful on how we look at that secret place in our heart and what is used to judge it.  If we use the culture around us as the guide to understand our heart intent, we are on a path leading away from God.  How can using a cultural norm ever replace God’s word.  Many times in scripture we are reminded of those who looked intently into God’s word, meditated on it, and desired to be lead by God through His word on a life path that honored and glorified God.  It is only through His word and with a desire to be lead by God will we ever understand the intent of our heart.  Lack of knowing His word is not an excuse.  I am convinced we will have to give account for the neglect we give toward this.  God’s word will search out and expose the secret places in your heart inline with that which humbly serves, honors, follows, obeys and glorifies God. David said it this way: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

Far From Me

“He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.”

“And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.“

“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls”

Psalms 45:7  you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

Psalms 101:3  I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.  A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil.

Psalms 101:8     Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.

Revelation 21:27    But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life

Proverbs 23:31  Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.  In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.  Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.

Jeremiah 22:17    But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.”

Hosea 7:6  For with hearts like an oven they approach their intrigue; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.

Micah 2:2   They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.

James 1:13  Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Romans 12:9    Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Psalms 97:10   O you who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

It is our choice what we focus our eyes and heart upon.  For sure there is plenty in this world that so easily takes our focus and attention away from humbly serving, obeying, honoring and glorifying God. Why are we so easily distracted?  What can we do to lessen or remove these distractions?  Knowing and understanding God’s word and His purpose for our lives will change our focus, wants, and desires.  Staying in his word will result in changing our heart.  Day after day we are refreshed by it.  Morning by morning it is made new and revives our soul.  The warnings are clear for those who hang on to this world and what it has to offer, and as well to those who want to stand on the fence of this world and the one to come.  These people will encounter death, destruction, and will have no part in heaven.  Their lives will forever be in hell.  Choose to keep your eyes, heart, mind, and soul focused on God, through His word each day.  Commit to humbly serving, obeying, honoring, and glorifying Him.

Strengthened Himself

“Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.”

“But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.“

Psalms 42:5  Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Psalms 27:13-14    I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!  Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

Psalms 43:5   Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Psalms 55:4  My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me.  Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.

Psalms 61:2    from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,

Psalms 142:2  I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him.  When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.

Psalms 56:3    When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

Psalms 56:11   in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Isaiah 50:10    Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.

Lamentations 3:24  “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”  The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.  It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Romans 4:20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

Psalms 91:15  When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

There times we all hit a wall of despair, worry, and our heart is troubled.  Life this side of eternity will throw this at us when we least expect it.  We have God’s promise that when we call to Him He will answer. When we are in trouble He is with us.  He will rescue us.  Do not allow unbelief to sink in.  Hold firm, trust God, and wait for His steadfast love to lift you up.  Not everyone is going to be able to strengthen themselves.  We each have opportunity to be used by God to help lift up those who are in times of trials.  Keep your ears open to His leading and be willing to listen and obey. Being used by God to encourage others in times of trial is what our walk with God should include.  Knowing His word and rightly applying it helps us to encourage and support others with His honor and glory in focus.

Worship and Praise

Psalms 35:27  Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!” Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.

Jeremiah 32:40  I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.  I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.

Zephaniah 3:17   The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Psalms 149:4   For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.

Romans 12:15   Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

John 16:22   So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

Psalms 70:4   May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”

Psalms 68:3  But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy!

1 Peter 3:4  but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

Proverbs 11:20   Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight.

Psalms 117:2   For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!

Psalms 90:17    Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

We get to make a choice on being joyful, glad, humble, praising and delighting in God.  I read this comment on what seems to be a reality in may lives: “instead of praise and worship there is constant murmuring and complaining which are prevalent among God’s children!”  We have a choice to worship and praise no matter what circumstance we find ourself in.  No matter what trial or burden our God is the same.  He is our heavenly Father who has the perfect purpose and plan for each of our lives.  We can rejoice in this no matter what comes our way.  We can praise Him knowing that He is our comfort, rock, strength and place of rest.  I have no idea why some seem to be be given great burdens to carry for extended periods of time.  Likewise I don’t understand why others are blessed without.  It is our place to know God is sovereign and in control, worthy of praise and worship forever.  Turn complaints to praise and worries to joy.  I am sure you will see the hand of God much clearer and His presence much closer.

The heart of man

” Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”

Isaiah 6:5  And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

Judges 13:22  And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.”

Job 42:5-6   I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;  therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Luke 5:8-9   But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

Matthew 12:34-37    You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.  I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,  for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Isaiah 29:13  And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

Jeremiah 9:3-8  They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 33:31   And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.

James 3:6-10  And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.  For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,  but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

I read this comment today: “When men refuse God’s offered grace, every refusal hardens.” Having the right understanding and reverence of and for God has an affect.  We see those who say; “woe to me”, “we shall surely die”, “I despise myself”, “I am lost and a man of unclean lips” and “depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord”.  We also see the opposite affect on people who choose not to humbly serve, honor and glorify God. “they hear what you say but will not do it”, “their heart is set on their gain”, “they do not know me”, “they honor me with their lips”, “their hearts are far from me”, “how can you speak good when you are evil”, and “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”.  There is no middle ground, no grey area.  It is either either seeking, following, and obeying God or rejecting Him.  A great love was shown mankind and a great price was paid to redeem them.  The choice of every heart will be judged.  Believing it is not so does not mean it is not.  Nor does believing there will not be judgement mean it will not happen.  No one leaves this world alive.  All will die and all will enter eternity and all will be judged.  Those who choose to seek, follow and obey God will be welcomed into heaven and those who do not will be cast into hell. Repent, believe in the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ, and live a life that reveres, seeks, follows and obeys God.  Eternity, Judgement and either heaven or hell awaits everyone.

Eye’s Open

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

“So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Psalms 27:3  Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.

Psalms 52:2  Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day. Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah  The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, “See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!”

2 Kings 6:15-17   When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”  He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”  Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

2 Chronicles 20:15   And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.

Isaiah 41:11-12   Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish.  You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all.

Isaiah 54:16-17  Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager to destroy;  no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.”

Awesome words of encouragement for us today.  Time after time God has seen to it that these words are recorded to give us hope in times of our trials.  The battles we face are His.  Yet do we believe this or do we try to go it alone and in our own strength?  Look at the warning also given to those who trust in themselves and give no thought to or about God. “See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!”  We have a place of refuge in God.  We have a place of strength in God.  We have a place of hope in God.  Why is it we always seem to try it on and in our own strength.  How many times do we need to fail in these attempts before we choose God to be the first place we run to?  From my own experience I am not sure I have learned this fully.  There are times my first response is to hit it head on alone.  Oh that we would first run to the one who is able – God!

Choose Wisely

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them

Joshua 7:19
Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath

Isaiah 65:11
But you who forsake the Lord,
who forget my holy mountain,
who set a table for Fortune
and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,
I will destine you to the sword,
and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter,
because, when I called, you did not answer;
when I spoke, you did not listen,
but you did what was evil in my eyes
and chose what I did not delight in
“Behold, my servants shall eat,
but you shall be hungry;
behold, my servants shall drink,
but you shall be thirsty;
behold, my servants shall rejoice,
but you shall be put to shame;
behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart,
but you shall cry out for pain of heart
and shall wail for breaking of spirit

Ephesians 5:6
For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous ( that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

Achan coveted and took what he was not to have taken.  In Isaiah it speaks of those who sit at the table of Fortune and covet it over listening to God. And in Ephesians it gives warning to being disobedient and telling us we should walk as children of the light – doing, thinking, and discerning what is good, right,  and true.  Yesterday God impressed on me the importance of being able to battle temptations and how nearly impossible it is to do this without staying close to God through staying in His word filling our heart with desire to honor and glorify Him through worship, praise, prayer and obedience.  It is hard to discern what is good, right, and true if the only thing we use as a guide is the thoughts and tendencies of the culture we live in.  Just because the culture and laws say it s right and ok does not mean in anyway that it is right before God.  We are encouraged to discern what is pleasing to God, what it means to be children of light, what it means to have fruit of this light.  Choose to desire daily time with God in His word, let it speak to your heart.  Choose to listen. Choose to meditate/think one His holiness, mercy, grace, and love. Choose to obey.  Choose to live to honor and glorify Him.  Life will try to fill your time and convince you that there is no time for this.  Choose wisely.

Innocent as a Dove

Being blameless, innocent, and wise seems to be a huge task if we are at all conscious of ourselves.  To what standard are we to use to compare our actions, intent, and thought?  Do we look at the corrupt world and culture with a longing to be or have part of it?  Do we walk close to it and at times step into the same thoughts and actions?  How are we to keep our heart pure?  Scripture states that out of the abundance of our heart the mouth speaks.  What is feeding our heart, what we think about, what we find purpose in, will determine the course of our heart, actions, and thoughts.  Having a desire to honor and glorify God along with understanding what His word says and then obeying what He says to your heart – I understand new each day I have only begun to scratch the surface in living for Him.

Matthew 10:16
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves

Romans 16:19
For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil

Philippians 2:15
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life

Jeremiah 4:22
“For my people are foolish;
they know me not;
they are stupid children;
they have no understanding.
They are ‘wise’—in doing evil!
But how to do good they know not