A Heart That Obeys
Acts 13:22 ~ After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'"The heart God delights in is a heart that is compliant, cooperative, and responsive to Him and His commands--a heart that obeys."
"Two very different kinds of hearts - David and Saul
- In his heart, David was willing to obey, but Saul was satisfied with merely external acts of sacrifice.
- David served God. Saul served himself and did things his way.
- David was concerned with following God's will, but Saul cared solely for his own will.
- David's heart was centered on God, and Saul's was centered on Saul.
- Even though David didn't always obey God, he had what mattered over the long haul--a heart after God. In sharp contrast, Saul's devotion to God was impulsive and sporadic.
- Although David was well-known for his physical prowess and might as a warrior, he was humbly dependent upon God, trusting in Him and repeatedly acknowledging, "The Lord is the strength of my life" (Psalm 27:1). Saul, on the other hand, was proud. He relied on his own skill, his own wisdom, and judgment, and his arm of flesh."
"A heart committed to doing God's will is an important ingredient when it comes to living out our love for God."
How?
Proverbs 4:23-27 ~ Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the[a] paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.
"If we keep our hearts, if we diligently attend to them and guard them, then all of the issues, the actions, the 'ongoings and the out-goings' of life will be handled God's way."
- Concentrate on doing what is right
Proverbs 3:6 ~ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
James 1:5 ~If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
James 4:17 ~ Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Romans 14:23 ~But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
- Cease doing what is wrong
Hebrews 2:18 ~ Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
- Confess any wrong
1 John 1:8 ~ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
"So I call sin 'sin', and by doing so I train my heart to be more responsive to God's convicting Spirit."
1 John 1:9 ~ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Proverbs 28:13 ~He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
- Clear up things with others
"Confession makes things right with God, but if we've hurt another person, we need to clear things up with that person too."
- Continue on as soon as possible
Philippians 3:13-14 ~ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
"Once we've acknowledged and dealt with our failure to follow God whole-heartedly, once we've addressed our acts of disobedience, you and I are to forget those things from the past and go on. Oh, we are to remember the lessons learned, but we are also to train our hearts to obey by obeying this command from Got to go on."
----------------------------------------------------
My prayer today, dear Lord, is that I may have a heart like David, one willing to obey and serve you, concerned with following your will and having you be the center of my life. Lord show me how to guard my heart daily. If I have unconfessed sin please Lord reveal it to me that I may confess it and be right before you.
And Lord if I have wronged someone and not dealt with it Biblically please open my eyes to it and give me the strength to do the right thing.
Lord I pray that I may keep my focus on the goal which is heavenward...not forgetting my past but also not dwelling on it.
Thank you Lord for loving me when I was so unlovely and for opening my eyes to the truth ~ your gift of salvation.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment