"For out of the heart"

Matthew 15: 10-20


Matthew 15: 10-11:  Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. ¹¹ What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

We seem to get bombarded with lots of messages about food.  The recent superbowl weekend was almost as much about party snacks as the game itself!  We get lots of information about healthy choices, whether they are diet promotions or articles promoting “good foods” and decrying “bad foods”.  Certainly food is important and we are responsible for taking care of ourselves by eating properly.  But you can see in Matthew 15:17-20 that food is not really the main point of Jesus’ narrative:  


 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? ¹⁸ But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. ²⁰ These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”


Instead of so many messages about what goes into our mouths, wouldn’t it be nice to get more reminders about what comes out of our mouths, what comes from the heart?  My study bible notes state “Fellowship with God is not interrupted by unclean hands or food, but by sin.”  How true I find that to be in my life, how about you?  Thank God for the Holy Spirit who convicts us at such times and calls us to repentance.


The book of Proverbs has some pretty good advice on this topic.  The following is from Proverbs 4: 23-24: 
  

 Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.
²⁴ Keep your mouth free of perversity;
    keep corrupt talk far from your lips.


Thank-you Jesus, for reminding us about what is truly important, and thank you for the wisdom of Proverbs.  Help us to guard our hearts and fill them with your word so that what comes out of our mouth brings you glory.  Amen

Live Life in Community

Is Christian Community a feeling, a behavior, a relationship, or all of these?  Is Christian Community a noun or a verb? If you ask Google for a definition, you will be greatly misled. This vehicle defines Christian Community so loosely they include Mormonism in their description.

Christian Community can be witnessed at your places of worship. You may also experience a taste of it in a small group, which gathers for the express intention of sharing life, faith, and love for Jesus Christ. These small groups become family, a community that cares and supports each other.

When trouble arrives, and it most certainly will someday, Christian Community surrounds and uplifts with words and actions. Offers of comfort, support and genuine care are available here too. We act as Jesus would and provide for the needs of our hurting and or grieving brothers and sisters.

In this world of convenience, of pulling into our garages and closing the door behind us as we complete our workday, there is something to be said for a new sort of community. We need each other, we grow from our times with each other, and we learn that life isn't a spectator sport. The good life is experienced with other people. Not alone. Live from the heart.

Click here to listen to the sermon on The Heart of the Matter from Sunday, July 21, 2019

Romans 3:21-28

Sinful desires: A Precursor to Death

By Thomas Denegre

Did you commit murder? Rob a bank? Have adulterous affairs?  Chances are you’re a good Christian and you didn’t do any of these things.   But Jesus said that was not good enough.

In this week’s reading from Matthew 5:21-35 Jesus teaches there is a higher standard to our behavior, for he states to the crowd;

“Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty of murder before the court.”

“Everyone who has not forgiven his brother their sacrifice or prayer will not be heard.”

“Everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Clearly, it’s not enough that our outward behavior be righteous, but so too must be the thoughts in our heart.  Jesus goes on to say, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” Matt 15:18

Just as it takes three elements to make a campfire; oxygen, fire, and wood.  So, too does sin need three elements; the world we live in, sinful thoughts and desires (motive), and opportunity.

Some people may say, that if sinful thoughts are just as bad as the sin, then why shouldn’t you just do the sin.  Simply, a life in sin kills the heart and separates us from God.  Sin is on the same level as nerve gas and atomic weapons; deadly and catastrophic. 

Acting out sinful desires causes harm and death to us in many ways.

·         One, it causes people to excuse sin rather than stopping sin.  It deadens the heart and we become desensitized to actions leading to death. Good becomes evil and evil becomes good. Sadly, we see this when churches fly rainbow flags to endorse rebellion.

·         Two, sin will kill, steal, and destroy. 

·         Three, intentional sin is rebellion against God, especially when a person celebrates the sin rather than repents from it.

·         Four, sin will always hurt and kill people.  Free love has aborted 60 million people and that’s just the tipping point.

For myself, to stop the opportunity of sin, I must remove the motive of sin in my heart.  Jesus came to target the evil in my heart and transform it into his image. He knows my heart is defiled, but when I became born again, I was given a new spirit and heart.  God said in Ezekiel; “And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 11:19

By living in life union with Jesus and having his words living powerfully within me (John 15:7), I can become aware of my thoughts and motives.  While I cannot stop a thought from occurring, I can stop nurturing it. I also know when I do sin, I quickly repent of it to my Father, because God desires to forgive and heal me. By having a spirit-to-spirit relationship with God, I have a guardian at the gate to my heart that lets in good motives while keeping evil ones out.  I trust God when he said, 'I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.” Jeremiah 24:7

Money and the Kingdom

Malachi 1:8 (NIV)
⁸  When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.

Once again, the text for today is pointing out what a difference it is when our hearts are not in the right condition.

God is upset over the offerings the priests are pawning off as worthy sacrifices. Their hearts are polluted and they are trying to short-change God. They truly don't understand the reason for worship. They don't understand the God they claim to worship. They are standing at the altar of God and offering, not the best of the best, but the imperfect and diseased animals. The ones they would throw away.

How often do we do the same? It is hard to part with something we worked hard and long for - but giving it to God isn't parting with it, it is letting go of that which isn't ours to begin with. This is a difficult concept to accept or even believe when we are new to the faith. It is a new way to practice our faith, to step out and trust that God will take care of us.

I am remembering when we first began to practice tithing. It was hard. First I was afraid my husband wouldn't buy into this. I was not ready to bring the subject up, as we were both pretty new to in our walk with Jesus and we were in a financial mess.

I didn't have to say a thing. God had been working on my husband's heart at the same time He was working on mine. It was his suggestion that we start to give our 10% to God. Whew! What a relief. God took care of that right before my eyes. Then He also started to take care of our financial problems.

Malachi 1:14 (MSG)
¹⁴  "A curse on the person who makes a big show of doing something great for me—an expensive sacrifice, say—and then at the last minute brings in something puny and worthless! I'm a great king, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, honored far and wide, and I'll not put up with it! 

God is good...all the time.

Malachi 1:6-14

The Word of Life – Walking in the Light

1 John 1-10

If it makes us happy, we want to share it! When it fills our heart with joy, we want to share it! When it gives us hope, we want to share it! When it brings us such love and peace we can handle anything, we have to share it!

John shared the message of the Lord because as he stated in 1 John 1:4; “We write this to make our joy complete.”

As John and many others of that time did, we have not seen, touched or heard Jesus in person, so we cannot truly fathom how a man with such greatness could walk this earth in genuine humility. It’s a beautiful story, yet quite difficult to comprehend.

Getting this account straight from those who experienced it first hand is exciting! “The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the father and has appeared to us.” 1 John 1:2

John continues by telling us; "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1 John 1:9

Walking in the light is an expression used to give us an honest look at ourselves. In the light all of our flaws are revealed. Standing strong in the Lord, admitting our wrongs and asking for forgiveness is walking in the light WITH the Lord. Pretending we have no sin is walking in darkness, and we cannot walk with God in that place, for he is not there.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, the blood of Jesus, his Son purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1: 7

I love the lyric; "The more broke we are the more the light gets through." in a song by
Jason Gray called Glow in the Dark. This dark world needs his light! 

Walking in the light with our God keeps us light hearted, as we are not weighted down by earthly things. As Ken Davis says at the end of his daily radio segment:

“Lighten up, and live!” 

Read/Listen to 1 John 1:1-10

The Heart Knows

 Posted by Diane Ward

Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV)

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

My background in cardiac nursing causes me to think anatomically of the heart in relationship to maintenance of a car engine, (corroded valves, faulty pumps and poor circulation of vital fluids.) 

At times, I have wondered why we speak of the heart in many different contexts such as sweetheart, broken heart, hard heart and deceitful heart. The word “heart” is found 725 times in the King James Version of the Old Testament, and 105 times in the New Testament. Clearly it is the focus and desire of our hearts the Word speaks to, and what God looks upon.

The Biblical word “heart,” references three parts of our inner being.

Mind, (where action & reaction take place), to guide and navigate us through life. It is with our minds that we focus our attention and choose to obey God, and what he holds us accountable for.

Emotions, (feelings that arise spontaneously rather than through conscious effort.) While emotions are a blessing of God, both in negative and positive aspects of sensation; they are not meant as the sole device of discretion.

Will, (discretionary decision-making), between the rational mind and emotions. We are to focus on God’s Word and His Will, as our will determines the direction we take.

Proverbs 4:23, (NIV) - Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.  We are to set our compass for true north by diligently guarding our hearts and staying on heaven’s course.

The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah writes that there is no cure for the deceitful heart, while Jesus calls out the cure as recorded in the Gospel of Luke 27:10. "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

John 14:1—10

Jesus the Way to the Father

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Trust in God, trust also in me.

I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the father except through me.

John 14

It is possible to be sad, disappointed even angry, yet without a troubled heart.

Do not be anxious about anything

But in everything by prayer and supplication

With thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding

Will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Loosening our grip on power and control, paves the way for a peaceful heart.

Just as Jesus was comforting his disciples and attempting to explain how letting go and allowing their hearts to trust and live in faith would enable them to dwell in the peace of his promise, he speaks to us today. 

        The challenges of this world seem endless. God’s people, like everyone else, will experience the hills and valleys of this life. Some days may be very difficult to carry on. A heart and soul that trusts in the promise of our Lord however, will view their valleys from more of a heavenly perspective.Through a lens of  contentment regardless of the circumstances. I choose to have such a heart.

        Father, your ways are indeed beyond our comprehension. We cannot thank you enough for your great love and mercy. Though our minds are not capable of understanding, our hearts are able to feel. Please continue to mold them into free and faithful hearts ready and willing to do all you ask and live each day in a way that will please and honor you. Amen.

Read/Listen to John 14:1-10

Heart medicine

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?”  Jeremiah 17:9

When confronted with the gospel of Jesus Christ, a friend of mine responded that he led a good life and that he didn’t really need a savior.  Dared then to go one day without sinning, my friend eagerly accepted the challenge!  He didn’t last one hour.  He needed a savior.  And he knew it.

I’m grateful that my friend was honest with himself about his heart.  Truth be told, in that one hour, he probably only glimpsed the surface of his sin, for, as Jeremiah mused, who can begin know the heart or the depths of the evils we harbor there?  When we think of all the destructive words we’ve spoken and harmful things we’ve done – all proceeding from our hearts – we cringe.  To think further about the inner thoughts that we dared not act upon or give voice to is just overwhelming.  We need a savior.  And we know it.

So where better for God to establish his new covenant but on our hearts?  As they say, “Put the medicine where the hurt is!”  Through Jeremiah, God said, “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.  I will be their God and they will be my people. (Jeremiah 31:33 )”  And so he has!  Paul describes Christians as “a letter from Christ ... written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:3)”

Make no mistake about it, sin still lurks in our flesh – our sinful nature – that self-willed part of us that seeks to live life on our own terms and not God’s.  But the Spirit of Christ lives in us, too!  And he empowers us to choose his ways, which are written on our hearts.

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” – The Emmaus disciples

[To see the daily reading in Jeremiah 17:1-10, click here.]

Luke 1:39-56

Mary

In this scripture reading, Mary visits Elizabeth who is expecting a child as she is. Elizabeth’s son will be John the Baptist, and hers, Jesus. Two blessed women given the gift of life for the world.

“Mary’s Song” in Like 1, is one of glorifying the Lord and rejoicing in the Savior. Mary humbles herself as a servant of God, and speaks of His mercy extending from generation to generation. Mary’s incredible journey is unfolding. She understands her role and her humanness. 

The heart of a mother is strong yet tender, and the love for her child reaches great depths. We mothers will endure great pain for our child. Knowing the arms of our Lord are wrapped around us is sometimes the only way we get through. 

Thank you Lord, for always remaining with us through our deepest pain. For giving us the strength and courage to carry out your will in faith and love. 

Please view a unique representation of:  Mary’s Journey

Mark 12:28-34

Love God with Your Soul

This Sunday we revisit a scripture reading. Revisiting suggests it must be extremely important. You decide.

When Jesus was asked the question in Mark 12 regarding the most important commandment, his response was this: 

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” 

Let’s focus on the soul for a time.

Thinking deeply about what “the soul” feels is personal. Our soul is known to no one but our Lord. It’s like a concept rather than a thing. Something that is with us and guides us, yet we have no visual reference for it.

Our heart pumps to maintain our earthly life, and though we refer to having a broken heart when we experience emotional trials, is it not truly our soul that is affected. Then perhaps it is our soul that guides our heart to continue pumping or to give in, during our last moments.

Dictionary.com defines the soul as follows: noun: the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separate in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.

Might it be, that our true heart (not physical heart), and our soul are one in the same?

Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

May we closely guard our heart/soul and praise God in all seasons.

“Bless the Lord O my soul, O, O, O my soul. Worship His Holy name. Sing like never before, O, my soul. Worship His Holy name.”

Listen to Matt Redman: 
10,000 Reasons

Great faith in an unwilling heart

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.  He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.  From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry....  I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you.  What I have vowed I will make good.  Salvation comes from the Lord.”  Jonah 2:1-2, 9

I know a retired pastor who from time to time used to remind his congregation, “There is more to Christianity than simply ‘being right.’”  It was good wisdom, well spoken.  For who among us has not shunned individuals or people groups, even as we believe, confess and proclaim the Word of God?

The paradox is not new.  Jonah was a man of great faith, a preacher and a worshiper of “the God of heaven who made the sea and the land. (Jonah 1:9)”  He confessed God to be “a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. (Jonah 4:2b-3)”

And that was precisely Jonah's problem!  He had no interest in preaching to the people of Nineveh, because he knew these enemies of Israel would turn from their evil ways and receive from God the very compassion that Jonah embraced for himself!  When it came to the spiritual well-being of those he despised, “being right” was good enough for Jonah.  He had great faith … and an unwilling heart.

But to God, “being right” always involves “doing right.”  Even to our enemies.  As God said to Jonah, “Should I not be concerned about that great city? (Jonah 4:11)”

So we have to ask ourselves, who do we deem unworthy of the same rich blessings God has given to us?  With what people groups are we unwilling to share God’s love, God’s truth, God’s grace?  Nineveh responded to the word of God with prayer and fasting, repentance and belief.  Who would do the same, if we were to speak the truth in love, today? 

I think we’d be surprised.

Lord, grace us with hearts that are eager to speak your truth in love.

[To see the daily reading in Jonah 2:1-10, click here.]

Lean in and Listen

Psalm 119-132-135
Turn my way, look kindly on me,
    as you always do to those who personally love you.
Steady my steps with your Word of promise
    so nothing malign gets the better of me.
Rescue me from the grip of bad men and women
    so I can live life your way.
Smile on me, your servant;
    teach me the right way to live.

Sometimes the word discernment gets a bad rap. We think we can't get anything done unless we have felt in our spirit or sensed the Word of God confirming or directing our next steps. We are frozen in place and don't move out in faith without discerning what to do.

These four verses were written by a a man who asked God for discernment, something we all should do daily. The reason to open up our Bible each morning is to seek God's Word, His direction. The Word is so alive that it does teach us, and direct us and so much more. God's Word comforts, confirms and carries us though another day with Him at our side.

When we apply Scripture to our daily tasks and concerns our Faith is ignited. Discernment comes into play as we seek to understand the words which lay open at our fingertips. The Life Application Bible Notes puts it this way - The Bible is like medicine: It goes to work only when we apply it to the affected areas. As you read the Bible, be alert for lessons, commands, or examples that you can put into practice.

Is there something tearing you apart? Are you worried?  Is there unending pain which you don't know how to stop? Are creditors knocking on the door daily? God has a Word for you and me. Open your Bible and ask God to speak; then listen close, for God's Word might be said in a whisper meant only for your heart.

Psalm 119:129-136

Nehemiah 2:1-8 Prayer First

Perhaps it is best to read these 8 verses in Nehemiah, before going any further. It may sometimes seem as though we are backtracking or repeating as you read the Daily Bible Blast, however there is meaning and purpose in the progression. This link will bring you to the new BibleGateway.com. There you can read, or click the speaker button to simply listen to: Nehemiah 2: 1-8

 

With great respect to God and the king, Nehemiah made his request to go to Jerusalem. He did not immediately blurt out to King Artaxerxes the burden that was upon his heart when the king inquired. He instead "prayed to the Lord of heaven," and then replied to the king, beginning with "If it pleases the king...."

Nehemiah did not immediately flee from his responsibilities as the cup-bearer to the king, and return to Jerusalem to begin his plight as re-builder of the wall. Though he likely longed to arrive as quickly as possible to get the restructuring under way and protect his people, Nehemiah viewed all of his work as labor for the Lord as the bible calls us to do in Colossians 3:23. (NIV) “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as for the Lord….”

Nehemiah covered all of his bases so to speak. He prayed, sincerely summarized his dismay, and then requested permission to follow through with what he believed was his calling from God. “And because the gracious hand of God was upon me, the king granted my request.” Nehemiah 2:8

From there, the journey was difficult, but because Nehemiah took his time establishing a firm foundation before beginning his mission, he was able to comfortably carry on. He had the approval of the king, and the blessing of the Father.

Dear Lord, your love and grace are far beyond our understanding. We praise and worship you for being such a perfect and awesome God.Though through our imperfection we make mistakes and fall short of what we are called to be, please continue to be patient when we do not go to you first but instead attempt to change and fix things on our own. Nehemiah is an amazing example of how to prioritize and plan. May our hearts be reminded to turn to the ways of those like Nehemiah as we build and rebuild our own Jerusalem. Amen  

Did I Just Say That? Matthew 15:1-20

But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person... ( Matthew 15:17-20)

We recently needed to teach our son that certain words are not accepted in our home. He was not saying “bad” words, but there are some things he would say that made me cringe.

He loves playing video games, and when he would make a bad move he would say, “Oh dang it”. When he would get surprised he would exclaim, “Oh my gosh”. Now, dang and gosh are not what most people would classify bad words, but when they come out of the mouth of a four year old, they just don’t sound right.

It’s amazing how fast Evan has caught on. He has not only learned how to restrain his tongue, but he often corrects me when I slip. It’s easy to teach a young child to change a new behavior, but it is much harder for us to change as adults.

Our scripture passage today says that, “the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart.” This made me reflect on the things we say that make God cringe. Are there things in our vocabulary that we would classify as harmless, but God sees as a reflection of our heart?

Ask him to reveal to you any areas of your heart that you have not surrendered to Him.

Read today's passage at Biblegateway Matthew 15:1-20

Getting To The Heart Of The Matter

I use to dread having substitute teachers. Some got walked all over and we never accomplished anything, and the one who did accomplish thing, always seemed mean. It wasn’t until later that I understood why some substitute teachers were “mean”. It is easier to relax once you have established your authority than it is to gain it, once it is lost.

Our scripture today reminds me of that. The only difference is that instead of Jesus being a substitute teacher, he is more like the principle taking over a classroom. Once Jesus started healing and forgiving sins, all signs of his authority, the Jewish leaders thought that he also came to change the law. He explains, in our scripture today, that he has not come to abolish the law but fulfill it.

If you read further you can see how the law may even seem stricter now. He makes statements like. “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.”

Now that Jesus is here it’s more than just about our actions, it’s about our heart. The law is going to seem even more restricting unless we accept God’s free gift of grace, through Jesus. The cool thing is, once we get our heart in the right place, the rules won’t seem so restricting.

Click to Read the entire passage on Biblegateway Matthew 5:17-32

Samuel Anoints David - 1 Samuel 16:8-13

What happened when God rejected Saul as king of Israel? God sent Samuel to Jesse’s house. He was to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king. Which one would it be? Seven of Jesse’s sons passed in front of Samuel. None of them were chosen by God.

Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” (v 11)

Because David was only a shepherd boy, his father didn’t consider him fit to be a king. He didn’t even come to the meeting! Jesse had to send for him. When Samuel saw David, God told him David was the chosen one.

Samuel anointed David. God’s Spirit powerfully came on David. In time he became king of Israel.

Today’s scripture reminds us what is important to God. God sees us in a different way than people do. What matters to God the most is whether we have hearts that love Him. God chose David because David had a heart that knew Him and loved Him.

How do we know if we have hearts that love God? The Bible tells us how God wants us to live. If we have a heart that loves Him, we will want to live His way.

What if our lives aren’t completely in step with God? The good news is that God will forgive us if we ask Him. God will give us a new heart that loves Him.

Refresh your heart in a devotional time of prayer and Bible reading each day. Feel His peace, joy, hope, and love enter your heart as you read His Words.

Read today's text on Biblegateway. Use the arrow key to return to this page.

Just Look At That Face, 1 Samuel 16:1-7

Can I tell you something? I have a cute son. I know that all parents think their child is cute, but mine really is. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bragging as if I had anything to do with it. He is adopted so all his cuteness comes from another’s genes. I say this because there are people who will be attracted to him merely because of his looks. He has a dimple that appears on his left cheek when he smiles, that already melts hearts.

I have honestly given his appearance some thought. I have prayed over my son, when he was sleeping, that God would make his heart as attractive as his face. I love that my son is cute, but I am also concerned that he will rely on good looks and not God. Do I sound strange? Well our scripture passage today make is clear that God does not concern himself with the things people look at. “People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

We live in a world that obsesses with appearance and I don’t want my child to fall into that trap. I pray every day that he would fall in love with God and rely totally on Him. That’s something we could all focus more. Do you look at people the way most of the world does, or the way God does? It’s hard, but let’s all worry more about appearance of our heart than our face.

Read today's passage at Biblegateway 1 Samuel 16:1-7

Worship With Thanks - Psalm 95

Psalm 95 calls us to praise God: “Come, let us sing…shout…come before Him with thanksgiving.” (v 1-2) The reason to praise Him is, “the Lord is the great God.” (v 3)

We're to praise God with thanksgiving regardless of our circumstances. Praise usually comes easy. However, when you've suddenly lost a job, a spouse becomes ill, or someone you love dies it’s hard to sing let alone shout out loud. It can be a struggle to feel God's presence.

The Psalmist reminds me when I am in the valleys or the mountain peaks of life, God is with me. He created me. He has me in His hands. When I rely on my faith and just start praising Him when I don’t feel like it, I feel Him empower me, lift me up to keep going.

Psalm 95 also calls us to worship: “let us bow down…let us kneel before the Lord." The reason to worship is, “He is our maker…He is our God…we are His people…[we are] under His care.”

My worship isn’t confined to Sunday worship time and holy holiday celebrations. As I read and study His Word and pray, God usually tells me something I need to hear. I find myself, alone, praising and thanking Him, worshipping Him for who He is to me and to the world.

God turned away from an entire generation of His people because of their hearts. Listen for His voice through Scripture, prayer, services, and during quiet moments. Your praise and worship with thanksgiving will come from hearing what He whispers in your heart.

Read today's text on Biblegateway.

Giving Blesses All - 2 Corinthians 9:1-9

There is a saying: “True giving comes from a happy heart, and it also gives us a happy heart.”

How is your giving attitude? With an eye on the current economic situation, here are some questions: Is there joy in your giving? Are you thankful for what you have to give? Or is there complaining and an attitude that hesitantly and grudgingly holds on to every penny?

Paul says that giving should be an important personal decision of the heart. Giving should never be an issue of obligation.

Paul reminds us when God gives grace He does not do it reluctantly. His grace is always without limitation. He loves to give a cheerful giver a sense of blessing and happiness. There is no end to the ways He will bless a giver by His grace.

Paul tells us, further, that God gives, “so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (v 8)

The message is: God doesn't bless us so we can hold on to things, but so that we can be a blessing to others. We can be generous with each other because of the generosity of God. Every Christian should be a giver. Some, because of having little, cannot give much. But it isn't the amount that is important. What is important is giving and doing it with the right kind of heart; a happy heart that is overflowing with God's wonderful grace and love.

Read today's text, 2 Corinthians 9:1-9, on Biblegateway.

Abram and God - Genesis 12

Do you notice when you become comfortable in life, things start to change? Abram, comfortable and successful, heard God speak and his life changed forever. God told Abram to go to a new land. God promised not only a new land, but a nation and a blessing.

“So Abram left, as the Lord had told him…” I am awed by the trust, obedience, and confident faith of Abram. Leaving his homeland and family to set out from the safe and secure to take on the incredible unknown is hard to imagine.

In today’s reading, Abram’s strong faith shows weakness. Abram lies. God rescues him, his wife, and all he brought with him. His actions seem out of place since he earlier responded without question and immediately in obedience to God.

It is obvious that Abram is human and therefore struggles with his faith. His strength to obey God, amid his failures and difficulties, is evident through the desire and courage found in his heart.

Abram's story reminds us that faith grows through encounters with the incredible patience and grace of God. When we choose to make trust and obedience the desire of our hearts, God works through any troubles, obstacles, and temptations to bless us by strengthening our faith.

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Read today's text on Biblegateway, Genesis 12.