Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. II Timothy 2:19 Floors are an important part of our homes. We try to keep them clean and uncluttered. When…
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8 Much of this whole Sermon on the Mount is directed to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day and their emphasis on outward cleansing. Jesus stressed the importance of having their hearts right with God, and not depending…
In John 13:34-35 Jesus says, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” This unconditional love is…
Once upon a time, a long, long, time ago there was a King and Queen who ruled over a distant land. Each day the queen would ask a magic mirror, “Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who’s the fairest of them all?” One morning, her magic mirror replied, “You, my queen,…
“How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You are like tombs that are painted white. They look beautiful on the outside. But on the inside they are full of the bones of the dead. They are also full of other things that are not pure…
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:” (Psalm 139:23, Holy Bible, King James Version). My kitchen has a tools drawer where I can easily reach for a hammer, screwdriver, picture hangers, packing tape, thumbtacks, or other useful household items. I often have to…
“And the angel answered and said unto her, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that Holy Being who shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35 Holy Bible 21st Century King James Version).
When the angel announced to Mary that she would have a child, she asked “How can this be?” Engaged to Joseph, chosen to be his bride, her life was pure as she prepared for the day they would finalize their marriage. The angel assured her that conception would be from the Holy Spirit. Her child would have no earthly father. He would be the Son of God.
Prayer: Dear God, the ancient prophecy of a child being born to a virgin was confirmed when the angel told Mary she had been chosen. Her purity prepared her to give birth to the Savior of the world. I too want to live a holy lifestyle so Your promises can be fulfilled in me. Amen.
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible). I often hear folks say that the Lord doesn’t care about separation from the world and that those who speak about doing so are legalists. According to our devotional verse, we are to come to God on His terms – terms that include separation. While sorting the laundry this morning, I was reminded of the importance of separation. If the laundry is not sorted properly, the white clothes are definitely affected by the colored clothes. I have firsthand knowledge of this fact when my favorite blouse or my husband’s white shirt was ruined because I failed to separate them before washing.
Prayer: Lord, I want to come to You on Your terms. I desire to be received by You. I don’t want my life to be tainted by unclean things. Your terms are the only way to go.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:” (Psalm 139:23, Holy Bible, King James Version). My kitchen has a tools drawer where I can easily reach for a hammer, screwdriver, picture hangers, packing tape, thumbtacks, or other useful household items. I often have to search through twisty ties, expired batteries, and glue dried to find a tiny wrench. No matter how often I clean the drawer, there is always something to discard. Hearts have junk drawer filled with indifference, jealously, resentment, and envy. Periodic cleaning required. Today is a perfect day for heart search. The kitchen drawer can wait.
Prayer: Lord, shine Your searchlight on heart and remove everything not pleasing to you. Amen.
Devotion by Violet Moore