harm – Praying Pint

43.f. “Wilderness” – 7.m. Sinai – “You shall not covet”

Exodus 20:17  “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

1 Samuel 15:19    Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD?

Ecclesiastes 5:10-11   He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.

Isaiah 57:17   Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry, I struck him; I hid my face and was angry, but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart.

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.

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.

Habakkuk 2:9   “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm!

1 Corinthians 6:10     nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Philippians 3:19  Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

Colossians 3:5   Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

1 Timothy 6:6-10    But godliness with contentment is great gain,  for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Hebrews 13:5    Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Covetousness works like this: the eyes look upon an object, the mind admires it, the will goes over to it, and the body moves in to possess it. Just because you have not taken the final step does not mean you are not in the process of coveting right now. Covetousness can be expressed towards all sorts of things; it is the itch to have and to possess what someone else has. It speaks of a dissatisfaction with what we have, and a jealously towards those who have something better. Jesus gave a special warning about covetousness, which explained the core philosophy of the covetous heart: And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (Guzik)

This command seems to have been added in order to teach the general principle that the Law of God is concerned, not with acts and words only, but with the thoughts of the heart. True godliness consists in bringing “every thought into captivity to Christ. (Ellicott)

God give us all to see our face in the glass of this law, and to lay our hearts under the government of it. (Benson)

The others forbid all desire of doing what will be an injury to our neighbour; this forbids all wrong desire of having what will gratify ourselves. (Henry)

No human eye can see the coveting heart; it is witnessed only by him who possesses it and by Him to whom all things are naked and open Luke 12:15-21. But it is the root of all sins of word or deed. (Brown)

Those inward motions of the heart, which from the fountain of original corruption do spring up in the heart, and tickle it with some secret delight, though they do not obtain tie deliberate consent of the will. For seeing this law of God is spiritual and holy, Romans 7:12,14, and reacheth the thoughts, intents, and all the actual motions of the heart. (Poole)

This is the tenth and last commandment, and is an explanation of several of the past; showing that the law of God not only forbids external acts of sin, but the inward and first motions of the mind to it, which are not known, and would not be thought to be sinful, were it not for this law; nor are they known by this law until the Spirit of God by it convinces men of them, in whose light they see them to be sinful; even not only the schemes and contrivances of sin in the mind, the imaginations of it, thoughts dwelling upon it with pleasure, but even the first risings of sin in the heart; and such motions of it which are not assented unto, and unawares spring up from the corruption of nature, and are sudden craving desires after unlawful things, even these are forbidden by this law. (Gill)

“Thou shalt not covet: lays it down again that we are not mere slaves of our natural desires and passions, but have a controlling power implanted within us, by means of which we can keep down passion, check desire, resist the impulse. Man is lord of himself, capable, by the exercise of his free will, of molding his feelings, weakening or intensifying his passions, and shaping his character. God, who “requires truth in the inward parts,” looks that we should in all cases go to the root of the matter, and not be content with restraining ourselves from evil acts and evil words, but eradicate the evil feeling from which the acts and words proceed. (Unknown)

Temptations to covet are around us all the time. We are constantly reminded and told through advertisements what we need, what we want, and what we should have. It takes careful discernment to understand the heart and mind. This comes through the indwelling Holy Spirit and God’s Word penetrating and being active in our hearts and minds. Oh that our prayers would be in line with; God show me my heart, allow me to see what I covet wrongly, and lead me in my thoughts and actions that honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

37.w. “God did not permit him to harm me”

Genesis 31:1 Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has gained all this wealth.” And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. You know that I have served your father with all my strength, yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me.

It wasn’t that Jacob had taken anything that belonged to Laban. Rather, it was that his wealth was increasing in proportion to Laban’s wealth. The problem wasn’t that Jacob stole; it was that Laban’s sons were filled with envy. Envy will distort the truth. Jacob had not taken anything of Laban’s, but envy will lie. The envy of Laban’s sons poisoned Laban’s heart against Jacob. Before, Laban was entirely pleased with the agreement. Envy is bad not only on its own, but also for the company it keeps: For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. Instead, Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy. God wants to deliver us from envy: For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. Envy is no small sin. It put Jesus on the cross: For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. (Guzik)

Selfish men consider themselves robbed of all that goes past them, and covetousness will even swallow up natural affection. Men’s overvaluing worldly wealth is that error which is the root of covetousness, envy, and all evil. The men of the world stand in each other’s way, and every one seems to be taking away from the rest; hence discontent, envy, and discord. But there are possessions that will suffice for all; happy they who seek them in the first place. In all our removals we should have respect to the command and promise of God. If He be with us, we need not fear. The perils which surround us are so many, that nothing else can really encourage our hearts. To remember favored seasons of communion with God, is very refreshing when in difficulties; and we should often recollect our vows, that we fail not to fulfill them. (Henry)

12.y.O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you”

Zephaniah 3:14 Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” “I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you. At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord.

Psalms 42:2-4    My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?  My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”

Psalms 63:1-2   O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Jeremiah 31:9    With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Romans 11:25-26    Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

Even in our trials and troubles, God is with us. “Be glad and rejoice with all your heart”. “The Lord is with you”, “I will rescue”, “I will gather”, “I will bring you home”, “I will give”, and “I will restore”. These are all from God. When all around us may be failing and falling apart, God has not changed and His promises are true, His grace, mercy, and love are steadfast, His presences is ever-present, His power to do more than we ask or can imagine is never limited, and all His foes, defiers, and deniers will be defeated and their plans destroyed. Our God is greater. Our God is all-powerful, Our God is all-knowing. Our God is all-in-all. He is our God. Do not allow fear, confusion, and worry place a cloud over you, blocking you from standing in the light of Our God, savior, redeemer, and King of kings. He is God Almighty.

12.h. “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!”

Habakkuk 2:9 “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm! You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond.

Deuteronomy 7:25-26    The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the LORD your God.  And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.

Job 20: 19-20     For he has crushed and abandoned the poor; he has seized a house that he did not build.  “Because he knew no contentment in his belly, he will not let anything in which he delights escape him.

Obadiah 1:4    Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD.

Proverbs 18:11-12    A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination.  Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.

Psalms 52:7     “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!”

The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life are the entangling snares of men. When our hearts are given over to these lusts it is taken captive by a very jealous and powerful master. These lusts are a thick dark staining clay. Those who think they can handle it are easily dirtied and soiled with a stain that is very hard to wash from the heart. They will find not find happiness and satisfaction in this clay no matter how they mold it. Seeking after an abundance of wealth is the ruin of many. And what fools are those that burden themselves with continual care about it; with a great deal of guilt in getting, saving, and spending it, and with a heavy account which they must give another day! They overload themselves with this thick staining clay, and soon do not even notice how badly their soul is stained. They live in fear of not having enough and run blindly through life on a path that leads straight to hell. When we give in to covetousness and lust of the eye and allow it to take root in our hearts it will bring along with it troubles, confusion, fear, loneliness, and dissatisfaction, and brings darkness so dark that only the Word of God can shine through. If we think for one moment that we can manage these lusts of staining clay and not be stained by them we are certainly void of the wisdom and knowledge of God’s Word. There are no greater slaves in the world than those who are slaves to worldly pursuits and lusts. And what comes of it? They will find life very disappointing and without lasting purpose. There is nothing in worldly lusts that honors and glorifies God.

123. And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David,

2Samuel 12:15 And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.” But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.” Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”

How do we end up sinning – Sometimes we think of the natural consequences of sin and we fear it and so we don’t do that sin. That may be true, but perhaps we are ignorant, perhaps we were unwise, perhaps we were tempted, perhaps we’re even told to do it even when we know it was wrong as if we were coerced. No matter how it happened, our sin is not something we want to continue in our lives. You should love God so much that when you sin, you realize that you hurt God. You should love God so much that after you sin, you want to restore your relationship with God. God wants to get our attention. He wants to help us out of our failure, but we have to listen to Him when He warns us. God gives us the Holy Spirit as our warning system. The Holy Spirit tells us when we are doing something that is against God and His commands. Nothing messes up your relationship with God more than unconfessed sin. God wants to forgive your sin, but you have to come to Him and confess it.

Do not be blinded by neglect and complacency. Recognize sin and run from it. Sin always has consequences and unconfessed sin will eat away at your soul.

114. Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray.

1 Samuel 25:36 And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until the morning light. In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. And about ten days later the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the Lord who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. The Lord has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head.”

2 Samuel 3:28-29    Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD for the blood of Abner the son of Ner.  May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father’s house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!”

1 Kings 2:44    The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your own heart all the harm that you did to David my father. So the LORD will bring back your harm on your own head.

Psalms 7:16   His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.

Psalms 37:12-13   but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.

Isaiah 47:10 You felt secure in your wickedness; you said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.”  But evil shall come upon you, which you will not know how to charm away; disaster shall fall upon you, for which you will not be able to atone; and ruin shall come upon you suddenly, of which you know nothing.

Psalms 52:7    “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!”

Ecclesiastes 8:8    No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death.

W. Alderman – When a person puts his confidence in that which he has, including money, he is doomed to failure./riches trust in their riches only. Unless the word of God speaks into their life there is no hope for them.n is now. The day of commitment is now. The day of forgiveness is now. The day of bringing to live for Jesus is now. Anything that causes us to take our eyes off of Jesus will get us out of focus spiritually. The love of money can certainly do this. When they trust their money and their job for their provisions they are out of focus spiritually and no longer know where they were going. The trusting in riches lays a snare that will trap you suddenly and it will hinder your faith. a snare that will trap you suddenly and it will hinder your faith. The love of money traps many a good person. It happens so suddenly. There are many lusts that will consume the person who follows after riches. Money has a way of causing displaced trust. Instead of trusting God for the needed provisions, those who trust in wealth/riches trust in their riches only.

Unless the word of God speaks into their life there is no hope for them. They become self-centered and consciously or unconsciously make decisions that affect and harm others. Their money/wealth has gone to their head and heart and they trust in this alone. Psalms 52:7 “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!” They did not obey God. They did not honor God. They do not have reverence for God. In protecting their riches they make decisions that cause harm to others. They are boastful, arrogant, prideful, seekers of pleasure, and give no thought to the day of judgment or their day of death. In their foolish wisdom and knowledge, they have cast God aside. How many people have died thinking they have time to make things right with God? How many have died and not given any thought to the judgment they will face?

The day of salvation is now. The day of forgiveness is now. The day of commitment is now. The day of beginning to live for Jesus is now.

63. For the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought.

Deuteronomy 31:16 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’

Judges 2:14-15     So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies.  Whenever they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them for harm, as the LORD had warned, and as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.

Psalms 2:12     Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalms 90:11     Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?

1 Chronicles 28:9    “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.

Psalms 104:29     When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

Isaiah 64:7     There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

There is nothing hidden from God past, present or future. Just look at how he spoke with Moses and told him what was going to happen. We can read over and over again how people who were close to God and living in and under His blessings soon turned away. It is not as though they did not know God but rather they chose to go their own way and serve self-interests. Beware of what our culture is selling. It will surely lead you down a path where God is nothing more than a second thought. Keep an earnest desire for Him and learn to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey Him.

Call and I will answer

Psalms 91:14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 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.”

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

Galatians 4:9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

John 12:43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

Isaiah 58:9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

Acts 18:9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”

John 12:26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

2 Corinthians 1:9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.

“When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him,” “Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;” “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” We have great promises from God. Call to Me and I will answer is one not to forget. Sometimes all we want is an answer, to know that God will respond means we can wait in peace for His reply. Waiting in perfect peace is an attribute grown in faith, through trust, reliance, hope, and understanding knowledge of God. Being in the presence of God, through faith, will eliminate anxiousness as we await God’s perfect response.

Hearts far from God

“Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me,”

“the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.”

John 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

John 9:41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

John 12:48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

Ezekiel 2:5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house)

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. And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.

Acts 17:30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Romans 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 2:1 Therefore you have no excuse

1 Peter 2:16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

Revelation 3:15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

How do we know if our heart is hard? How do we know if we are only serving God with our mouth and not our heart, mind, and soul? What are we going to be held accountable for? What does it mean to be without excuse? What does it take to be rejected or, for that matter, restored? How do we know if we are lukewarm? I remember it being considered normal to attend Sunday morning bible study, then worship service, then Sunday evening study, having a couples bible study during the week, Wednesday evening prayer meeting, and a mens bible study one morning during the week. Being in God’s word throughout the week. It does not seem this is the norm any more. In fact it appears that if we are attending Sunday morning worship service every week we are considered a fanatic. The expectation for what it means to humbly serve, honor, follow, and obey God has dropped to a very low expectation in our culture. We need to be mindful of our heart, mind and soul and the influence of the world and it’s expectation making us think we are in some way serving God with a lukewarm life. We are meant to be a light shinning in the darkness, making disciples, serving God, feeding on His word, knowing His word, meditating on His word, hearing His whispers of guidance, being led by the Holy Spirit, finding purpose each day seeking to honor Him. How is this done if our we neglect His word? Scripture is clear we are without excuse for being complacent. Praise be to God that He pursues us and draws us back to Himself. Praise to Him for not leaving us in a state of being lukewarm. Praise to Him for standing at the door of our heart knocking. Praise to Him for His steadfast love. Forget doing right and wrong and thinking this in someway makes it right with God. Come to Him broken and seek His building you up into a humble servant. Seek to honor Him. Desire to follow and obey Him for the purpose of glorifying Him. Run to Him for His leading in your life. Yield fully in service to Him. SPEND TIME IN HIS WORD