The delight of GOD - March 26, 2014

Scripture: Psalms 149-150

2 O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.
3 Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp.
4 For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.
5 Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. 

Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.
6 Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands—
7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with shackles and their leaders with iron chains,
9 to execute the judgment written against them. 

This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones.3 2 

Message: 
The LORD delights in His People

Observation/Promise:
We delight in many things, we delight in simple things like food and in clothes, cars, and vacations. We delight in our children, our families, our achievement, our plans. But the Lord GOD of the Universe creator of all things, delights in His people. His children, the humble, those that need Him, hearts that seek Him, even broken hearts, He cares with fragility because it is precious to Him. He delights in our love, in our joys, in everything we do for GOD, HE delights in them.

Application/Command: 
Since we know that GOD delights in us, may we always seek GOD with our hearts and when we serve GOD, may we always serve Him with all our strength. Let us not take for granted the love of GOD for us, let us always honor Him with our actions, and thoughts. The delight of GOD is us and no matter what situation we are in life, whether in hardship or in joy, trying or success, GOD is looking after us and HE is actively participating in our lives, whether we know it or not. For He delights in our victory for He is the giver of victory. So Praise the LORD you who belong to the LORD, for He is faithful and He has given you all you need in life to prosper and succeed. He has given you Himself, take Him!!!

Sovereign Over All

1 We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.
2 People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.
3 Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

4 The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, 

even the wicked for a day of disaster.

20 20 Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful.

20 22 Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it,
9 We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.

- Proverbs 16


The book of proverbs in chapter 16 has been repeatedly been saying that whatever we may plan to do it is GOD who knows eventually knows what's going to happen. We may plan to do many things for the right reasons, but the right reason may not always be the right motives before GOD. That is why we should always be careful to examine our hearts every time we plan or decide to do things because GOD is always examining us, testing and seeing if we are worth HIS blessings and favor. Sometimes we don't even know what's really going on in our hearts except GOD and that is why it is imminent that we commit our plans to GOD because either HE will change our hearts plans or if we are righteous before HIM, HE will make those plans to come completion and success.

We have to keep in mind that everything works for the purposes of GOD. Even the bad things in life that GOD has allowed to happen is for our benefit (though we may not understand it's purpose right away) and for His glory. Listening to GOD's word and keeping His instructions and decrees in our hearts, abiding in HIM is the secret to a joyful life no matter what difficult circumstances we may be in. We have to learn to live discreetly, understand the importance and practice of being still in His presence, for this is how we acquire peace and live in joy. For whatever you chose to do in life, it is a fact that will always remain to be true: GOD is sovereign over all.

HE is After All of Me

21 King Josiah then issued this order to all the people: “You must celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as required in this Book of the Covenant.” 22 There had not been a Passover celebration like that since the time when the judges ruled in Israel...23 in the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign. 24 Josiah also got rid of the mediums and psychics, the household gods, the idols, and every other kind of detestable practice, both in Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judah. He did this in obedience to the laws written in the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had found in the Lord’s Temple. 25 Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.

- 2 Kings 23

Josiah was a special King not because he was the richest or the wisest among all kings. Josiah indeed had GOD's approval as written in the Bible that there was not a King like Josiah before him and never been afterwards. So what does it take to be this kind of person, honored by GOD in His word? Yes he is not as famous King David who was a man after GOD's own heart or as rich as Solomon who was the wisest among all Kings. What Josiah had was rare in GOD's eyes and precious in HIS heart - Josiah was devoted to GOD with all of his heart, soul and strength. This is what GOD commanded to all His people yet how many are truly following this very command of GOD? How do we become like a Josiah in our generation?

First we need to uphold whatever GOD says we should regard as important, like for example He commands us to celebrate His feasts. Not just to celebrate or observe them because GOD said we should do it, but to truly look forward and celebrate it with our hearts and not out of compliance. Next we should get rid of every pagan, detestable thing in our lives that is not pleasing to our Lord. This is very hard to do especially when we are used to already having these kinds of practices in our lives, the idolatry of vanity - putting up too much time to make ourselves beautiful in the worlds eyes, the idolatry of self - pride and exalting ourselves higher or better than others. It is even hard to see that we have these kinds of practices in us but if we let GOD search our hearts, HE will reveal just what it is that is hindering us from truly loving HIM. GOD wants everything within us. What is GOD after? All of me.

The Greatness of GOD and His love for mankind

23 Thus will I demonstrate My greatness and My holiness, and I will be recognized, understood, and known in the eyes of many nations; yes, they shall know that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service].

^{- Ezekiel 38}

25 “So now, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will end the captivity of my people[b]; I will have mercy on all Israel, for I jealously guard my holy reputation! 26 They will accept responsibility for[c] their past shame and unfaithfulness after they come home to live in peace in their own land, with no one to bother them. 27 When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, I will display my holiness among them for all the nations to see. 28 Then my people will know that I am theLord their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave none of my people behind.29 And I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the SovereignLord, have spoken!”

- Ezekiel 39

Message/Observation/Promise:

The LORD wants to demonstrate, show and reveal His power to mankind because He is GOD and He wants to be worshipped and be known for who He really is. He is the one and only true GOD of all creation, HE is the uncreated being because HE is the creator. He wants to known by men, to be understood by the finite minds of men that He is the GOD who is looking for people who can be loyal and obedient to Him. The LORD wants to show His power by ending our captivity by anything that has enslaved us, be it work, money or anything that has taken most of our time and effort. We are captives of these things and these things have become our god. He wants to save us from our captors by setting us free from anything that entangles us. He wants to bring us home where we truly belong, and home is the state of contentment and joy in love with Him. But in order for us to find our way home, we need to seek the way first, we have to find the truth, and that is in Yeshua - the way the truth and the life.

Command/Application:

GOD is looking for those who are loyal or faithful to Him. So GOD's would want us to be in devotion to Him. To be devoted to someone we need to spend time and exert effort to be with that someone, to know that someone, and become in love with the someone for us to be devoted to that someone. GOD is looking for those who will do what HE says, those who obey Him and His word. We can be devoted to something but without doing anything that will truly show our devotion when there are no actions nor results. We cannot love GOD with our words but only with our hearts.

Secrets of the Godly

2 Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom...5 The godly are directed by honesty...20 The Lord detests people with crooked hearts, but he delights in those with integrity...25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed...27 If you search for good, you will find favor... 

- Proverbs 11
5 The plans of the godly are just...6 the words of the godly save lives...12 the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit...21 No harm comes to the godly..the diligent make use of everything they find. 28 The way of the godly leads to life that path does not lead to death. 

- Proverbs 12

What is the secret to being godly? The LORD shuns the proud but He gives grace to the humble, therefore the first thing to being godly is to be humble. We have to remember in coming to GOD, to ask Him to take away the pride in our hearts because we cannot connect to GOD when the walls of pride are blocking the way. We are humble when we are truly honest within ourselves before GOD, we are sinful nothings in this world. When we understand the wickedness of our hearts GOD takes delight in transforming us into people of integrity, making us generous people that wants to bless others, finding good because then our attitudes are rebuilt by GOD to be positive in the our mindset.

When GOD takes control of a wretched human heart, there are many great miracles that takes place in a man's life, transforming them into godly people that do only what is right, say only good things that could save lives. The ordinary sinful man is transformed to be a godly man because they are rooted deeply in the fellowship of GOD in their hearts, their actions and words would bear them much fruit. Those whose hearts are humble and wiling to be transformed by Him are protected by GOD. HE is protecting their fields and crops in due season for harvest. Through the power of His word the godly could never be lazy, a godly man is a diligent man, following the ways of GOD that always leads to life.

Be Careful in Doing...

1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the Lord by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. 2 So fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the Lord.
3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said,
‘I will display my holiness through those who come near me.
I will display my glory before all the people.’”

Seen things are not always what they seem to appear. We can laugh and yet be truly sad in our hearts. We can smile but we are disapproving of others. It is easy to fake what is expected of us to do but we do not actually do it from our hearts. Not everyone serving GOD is actually called by GOD to serve. Not everyone who is serving GOD in His temple or church is truly pleasing GOD. For GOD looks at the motives and status of our hearts. Why are we serving GOD? For what purpose? Is it because HE has called us to serve or is it because we just want to impress others or please people. Our service to GOD will be weighed by GOD Himself and HE will make it clear to us whether we are serving for His glory or for our own good reputation.

Even when we serve GOD we can offer to HIM the wrong kind of service when we do something that GOD has not commanded us to do. When GOD has not called us to do something, we should not be like Nadab and Abihu or else we die because of our hypocrisy. GOD despises lies and facades that we put up in our faces just to show that we are doing what is right. We may try to do what is right but out of a rebellious heart, it is not pleasing GOD. That is why GOD despised the pharisees during JESUS time because GOD knew that their god was not GOD Himself but their god was the praise and the honor of man towards them. GOD will surely display HIS holiness through whoever that wants to draw near to HIM. HE will reveal the hearts and minds and expose the lies when the fire of His Spirits comes over us. Let us therefore be careful to do everything in the wholeness of our hearts to please GOD and not the dictates of others to please people.

Guard Your Heart

23 Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.24 Avoid all perverse talk;
stay away from corrupt speech.25 Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;
stay on the safe path.

- Proverbs 4

There's many things we can do whatever we feel like it. We can do whatever we like but according to 1Corinthians 10:23 "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive. Not everything is for us. Therefore we should find our path in GOD and protect that one thing that drives us to where we want to go - our hearts. We will do anything we don't like, we will only do the things that are from our hearts therefore our source for determining the course of our life should be protected because if it wants the wrong things in life, then we are bound to destruction. The Lord gives us this wise advice in Proverbs saying Guard your heart! Do not anything captivate your thoughts and your heart, let GOD captivate you!

What do we feed our hearts? We feed ourselves with whatever is in our surroundings  we can't help it because we can't stop things from happening, but we can feed our hearts the right way with GOD's word, listening to His Spirit, continually meditating on His promises and His laws. This is how we guard our hearts, by not letting us be corrupted with the talk of idlers, we can talk to people, but let's be alert not to conform to them, we don't have to be influenced by people around us, instead we should be an influence to them. Focus on the LORD, for He has already marked out a straight path before you. Since we cannot see the LORD, it takes discipline to train our spiritual ears and eyes to understand God's heart in every moment and matter in our lives. Guard your heart let it be GOD's alone. 

Dearly Devoted

“I have heard your prayer and your petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy—this place you have built where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.
4 “As for you, if you will follow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, 5 then I will establish the throne of your dynasty over Israel forever. For I made this promise to your father, David: ‘One of your descendants will always sit on the throne of Israel.’

- 1 Kings 9


The temple of GOD is dear to the heart of GOD. What is GOD's temple? Is it man made structure or buildings that we call church or synagogue where we gather as a people to worship GOD? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. GOD has set our bodies to be holy for it is a temple where He resides. When we offer to GOD our bodies to be His temple, GOD is more pleased than you are about offering this gift to Him. He will not only set you apart as different from the rest of the world, but He will make you holy and your body a place where He will be honored because He watches over you, you are dear to His heart.

Whatever we ask of GOD, HE is more than willing to answer our prayers offered in faith. We only have to do our part by following HIM with wholeness of heart and devotion. Wholeness of heart means that we obey fully, without grumbling or complaining whatever GOD wants us to do. Our faith is tested when we are in a crossroads of obeying GOD and looking like a fool sometimes or doing nothing, risking nothing. We not only need to obey all His commands and the laws HE has written on His word for us to follow, GOD wants our hearts. Our devotion to GOD is important to HIM because HE wants our hearts. He will never fail to keep His promise to us when we are devoted to GOD. We are dear to GOD, is GOD dear to us??? Let us strive to keep Him first place in our lives.

The Treasury of the Heart

43 “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 44 A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. 45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
- Luke 6

A tree is equal to a man. As a tree is identified by it's fruit, a man is identified by the results of his life. Is he joyful? richly abounding in the blessings of God? Is he at peace within himself? Is he content? or Is he full of bitterness? Is he negative? complaining? Do people emulate him? Is he an example that others admire and want to follow? These are fruits that can be seen in a man's life. GOD expects each of us to bear fruit. We are not just "nothing" with the salvation we received from Yeshua and the faith GOD has given us. The Father wants us to grow in the Spirit, fully dependent on His power and will.

GOD gives us the seeds of His word, the water of His Spirit into our lives. Do we receive it with joy and gratefulness? Are we remaining and dwelling in the Spirit of thankfulness for His grace upon our lives? Are we nurturing the soils of our hearts according to His word? Are our hearts fertile soil that has been seeking for His word and the waters of His Spirit? Are our hearts receiving other things that are not of GOD? Do not nurture the thorns that may be thrown at you. These are distractions created by the enemy purposefully to bring you away from GOD's perfect will. Your heart is the center of your soul and your entire life functions according to the state of your heart. Guard it well because your heart is a treasure unto GOD. Out of your heart will flow the things that you have been meditating or thinking of in your soul. Nurture on the things of GOD. Do not be distracted by the enemies lies. Let the treasury of your heart be filled with GOD's word and His Spirit.

Generosity in the Right Motives

9 As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem[f]will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.

- 2 Corinthians 9

How does a person become generous? Generosity can be taught by our parents. We can grow up in the values of giving because our parents have made it one of the foundational values we live by. We can be generous because we have more than enough and so we can give. Some can also give for the wrong reasons, giving to get something in return. Giving in exchange for honor and praise. Giving in exchange for a good reputation. But how does one become purely generous, giving from their hearts?

In GOD's word above, it says GOD is the one who provides seed for the farmer. What does farming got to do with our giving? This should not be taken literally but to be understood metaphorically. Seed represents the things we have that we give to sow in other people's lives. We are the farmer. Everything that we have comes from GOD, nothing that we have is ever gained on our own strength or will. And so if everything comes from GOD, the increase in our wealth also comes from HIM. No matter how hard we work, we will never gain increase without GOD's blessings. Therefore true giving comes from GOD because as we increase in our wealth, GOD will also enlarge our hearts, enriching us in every way, soul, body and spirit. So that when we have so much more than we need, GOD can trust us to distribute HIS wealth to others who are in need because our hearts are not greedy wanting for more never having enough, we will always have more than enough because of what when GOD gives to us, it is unending, it is always more than what we could ask or imagine. 

Your Heart

7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—now let me rejoice.
9 Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.

- Psalm 51

When you are precious to the Lord GOD in Heaven, your relationship with Him is such an important treasure to Him. He will hold you in His heart like cherished treasure. When you have this kind of intimacy with GOD and you have done a wrong thing that has displeased Him, He will surely tell you what is weighing in His heart. He will not let you go feeling okay. GOD will's hand will be heavy on you and you will feel so much sorrow. Until you ask for His forgiveness and has released forgiveness to you. This is how much GOD cares for you that He would not let you just be unaware of what He feels about what you have done until you make things right with Him. GOD is such a passionate lover and always wants us to maintain a good love relationship with Him. 

We need to ask from GOD a pure heart. For nobody is good on their own not one is good enough (Psalm 53:2-3). When we ask things that will please Him, He will surely grant it to us especially when it will benefit us greatly. We have to desire what is pleasing to Him and ask it of Him. For we are frail beings unable to please GOD on our own, we need His Spirit to enable us to be willing and obedient to His ways. Many times it is difficult because our rebellious nature wants it's own way, but there's nothing GOD would not do for a heart that longs for His presence and seeks His love. GOD is after your heart.... 

The Heart

14 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand.15 It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart." 18 “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? 19 Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.)
20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

- Mark 7

Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. It is the same with food, not everything will benefit our bodies, but the food we eat does not defile our purity to GOD. As Yeshua said: Food goes into the stomach, not the heart. It doesn't affect how we think or how we feel, because what influences the heart is not related to food. Food affects our bodies, we when take in food that is good for our bodies, then we will reap good health but if we do not then we develop sickness and also reap the consequences. But this does not matter to GOD as much as what affects our hearts because GOD is after every heart. What goes into our souls influences us and affects the way we think and feel. What do we feed our hearts?

The things we watch, listen, and put our minds into are the things we feed our souls. What are we feeding our souls? TV, Movies, Music, dreams, are they glorifying GOD? This is what we should watch out and take care of what we allow our hearts to influence. Because our hearts is the center of our being. Whatever revolves in our thoughts, that is where our heart is. Therefore, feed yourself with GOD's word, for this will purify your souls, listen to Godly music, and things that are from GOD. Everything that does not come from GOD is garbage, throw it out and clean the areas of affecting your soul. Guard whatever you put into your heart, guard your heart well because your heart affects everything you do. 

What Soil?

15 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. 16 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 17 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. 20 And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

- Mark 4

Seed is the word of GOD that is being preached to different people. The soil is the heart of many that hears the word of GOD and receives them. Yeshua put it so clearly as to how He illustrated how people receive GOD's word in their hearts. Which soil are you? It is essential to know the conditions of our hearts. Is your heart a rocky soil? Are you seeking for GOD and His Kingdom? Or is this world all you ever care about and know? Is your heart a soil crowded with many other things in life? Is your ambition more than your desire for GOD?

These are tough questions and if the answers to them are yes then we just have to ask GOD the change the conditions of our hearts. Yes, when we are true to ourselves and understand which soil we have. When we are aware of our weakness, we can identify our problems and therefore be able to deal with it honestly and directly. No one is perfect, and that is why we have to regularly ask GOD to cultivate our hearts with fertilizers by asking Him to change our hearts and mold us by His grace that is ever sufficient for our needs. In this way we depend on Him not on our own efforts to be what He wants us to be: fruitful, productive and effective.

Satisfy Your Soul

21 “Submit to God, and you will have peace;
then things will go well for you.
22 Listen to his instructions,
and store them in your heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored—
so clean up your life.
24 If you give up your lust for money
and throw your precious gold into the river,
25 the Almighty himself will be your treasure.
He will be your precious silver!

- Job 22

GOD Almighty is Sovereign over all things. He is not sovereign over one thing and that is the human heart and will. He doesn't force you to believe or love Him but He is inviting you to believe in who He is and love Him. When we believe in GOD we know He exists and His powers are real. But submitting to GOD will require more than just belief. Submission comes out of love. We couldn't submit to someone we don't love or trust. We usually submit to our higher authorities but submitting to someone unseen can be a challenge. Submitting to GOD we have to know His word and put them in our hearts each day. We have to spend time being with Him because it requires quietness to reach Him.

GOD is everywhere, anytime we want to call to Him, He is right there with us. But it requires faith to believe that He is there when we call to Him. Sometimes it is easy to take for granted someone who can be easily sought after. But to find GOD will require a heart that's truly needing and wanting Him for Himself and not only for the blessing that He gives. GOD knows the intentions and motives of our hearts. When we truly seek GOD and put Him first instead of the material things that the world offers as security, HE will be a precious treasure, no jewelry or precious stone could ever compare. You will have joy and everlasting peace, none that money or riches could ever give to satisfy your soul.

Your Heart, Your Center

8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

- Psalm 32

GOD is faithful, HE is good to those whose hearts are His, to those that fear Him. To fear GOD does not mean to be afraid of Him, but fear in a way that you have so much respect for Him and His being that you do not just do anything according to what you feel is good, but you always consider His thoughts and what He might feel every time you do something.The LORD wants to guide you in the best pathway for your life, truly He knows what is best for you. If you ask Him, He will gladly guide you and watch over you.

The pagans, the godless, they do anything they feel and think is right for them. They give in to their physical desires anytime their bodies demand for it. But GOD says not to be like them. It is wise to be in control of our bodies and of our minds because everything that we decide to do starts with our thoughts. Be open to GOD, tell Him all that is in your heart  and HE will align your thoughts to His will. Keeping track of the state of your heart lets GOD always be the bearer of your heart. When GOD holds your heart, you make the Him the center of your being. And when He is your center, you have nothing to fear!

Conscious Awareness

12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

- Psalm 19:12-14

Sin is unnoticable as the ants on the ground. Sin crawls into you without even knowing it or feeling it. Sin starts with our thoughts and when we dwell on the negative thoughts and emotions we are then pressured and pushed to do what is humanlike just to protect ourselves but hurting GOD or others. That is why everyday when we pray, we have to ask for GOD's forgivenss of our sins and HIS Spirit to search our hearts and reveal to us what is not right before Him so we can ask Him to cleanse and rid us of it. We cannot know when we are already sinning, human judgement is very poor. Only GOD can know what is right in the motives of our hearts.

When we depend on GOD's power to cleanse us from sin, to keep us from sinning, then we are acting wisely. For we could never be able to keep ourselves pure and blameless by our own strength and will. It is not humanly possible because humans are naturally frail. We make it a point to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" - 2 Corinthians 10:5 When we have this attitude of always acknolwedging GOD's ways and what HE thinks about the matters that occupy our hearts, then this is how we make our thoughts, words, and the motives of our hearts pure. This is how it means to walk with the LORD and what conscious awareness of the presence of GOD in our life means.

Inner Purity

10 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said,“and try to understand. 11 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” 16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. 17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”

- Matthew 15:10-11,16-20

Yeshua was teaching about inner purity at this particular time. Purity in thoughts and in your heart is what GOD is after. Yeshua says whatever we eat does not affect our thoughts or heart. Yes it may affect our health, we can have certain illnesses when we do not eat right. But this is not what affects our character as a person. It is how we respond to situation and things, it is the motives of our hearts that we are judged by GOD and not by what we eat. The heart is the center of a person. Whatever is in our hearts is our GOD.

Earlier before that Yeshua taught in Matthew 6:21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Therefore we should watch out and be aware more of with what we think about than what we eat or drink. We should be careful to keep ourselves healthy yes, but these are physical things that pass away in time. What we allow to come to our thoughts be it doubt, hope, lies or truth what we allow to come into our hearts will greatly affect who we are and it make us to be either better or worse. We should eat the words of GOD everyday and think about HIS love and His ways so that we reflect and mirror the greatness and goodness of GOD.

Right with GOD

⁵ 5 But if you pray to God and seek the favor of the Almighty,
6 and if you are pure and live with integrity, he will surely rise up and restore your happy home.
7 And though you started with little, you will end with much.
20 “But look, God will not reject a person of integrity, nor will he lend a hand to the wicked.
21 He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the home of the wicked will be destroyed.”
- Job 8:5-7,20-22


No matter how great the troubles, trials or hardship may come in our lives, we always have prayer that connects us to GOD who holds everything in HIS power. When we have sinned we can always ask for forgiveness and be right with GOD in our hearts. For HIS mercies are always standing by for us every morning, waiting for repentance to take place in our hearts. Once we do, GOD will restore all things to us, for HE is faithful to the very end.

When we come humbly before GOD He will not reject us, even when we have been unfaithful, HE will always look to us with mercy and HIS healing power is ready for our taking. He will not let us suffer the consequences of our sins forever, HE is waiting for our hearts to turn back to HIM. He is longing for our hearts, our worship should only be unto HIM and when we restore our worship into it's rightful place, HE will restore us to that place of favor and blessings. HE is waiting for us, are we ready for HIM?

Shine Bright

2 All the acts of his power and might, along with a full account of the high honor to which the king advanced Mordekhai, are written in the Annals of the Kings of Media and Persia. 3 For Mordekhai the Jew was second only to King Achashverosh; he was a great man among the Jews, popular with all his many countrymen. He sought the good of his people and interceded for the welfare of all their descendants.
Esther 10:2-3

Everyone of us has responsibities or positions wherever we live. Some are fathers, husbands, mothers, wives, teachers, doctors, and many more. But whatever it is that GOD has called us to be and entrusted in our hands to do, are we doing it with our heart and at our best? Mordecai was only a scribe in the King's palace. He is one of many who writes or records everything concerning the palace. It is a most simple job but he was diligent and earnest with what he did because he was not just a man who records but cares about what's going on with the country he lived in and the leadership he is submitted to in the place that he resided even though it was not his own home country.

In the middle of the story, we see that Mordecai was not only an industrious man who cared about his job, he was a good father or guardian for he was the one who raised his cousin Esther who later became queen of the Country he was serving Persia. In the last pages of the story of Esther, Mordecai was given credit due him, where the bible records that Mordecai was a great man who sought not only the good of his people but also prayed for the welfare of all his bretheren. He is a man of faith. A man whose passions benefited a whole nation, he burned so bright he became popular and gained power throughout the entire Kingdom. Do you want to shine bright like Mordecai? You can if only you put your heart in whatever you do and put your faith in the LORD Almighty.

Reasons

People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives.
- Proverbs 16:2 (NLT)

My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.
- 1 Corinthians 4:4-5 (NLT)

 
Everyone is always driven to do things for a reason. These reasons are known as motives of our hearts. We work to provide for our families, we work hard to bring a brighter future for our families, we work harder to achieve success, we are slaves to work because we want to be richer than anyone else. The world judges us for our accomplishments and success. Isn't this a bad scale to weigh on? In fact, most people are pressured to achieve great success because we give in to the pressures the world has on us.

But whatever the world thinks of us, whether we have a house, cars or luxury trips, whether we are a success or a failure, it is an opinion that will not matter in the end. Ultimately, when we die, we are judged by the One who created us. HIS measurements are far heavier and greater from that of the world. He measures our character and values. He measures the depths of our hearts. HE measures the intentions or inner motives of our hearts for doing what we have been doing on earth. So with every important decision that you make in life, ask yourself the reason for your decisions. Why am I doing? Who am I doing this for? Does my motivation come from my parents? Does it come from peer pressure and what people think of me? Does it come from how the world views me, achiever or failure? Am I driven for fear of rejection? Am I driven because of pride? Or does my motivation come from pleasing GOD. GOD who has HIS best intentions for you

So think about what you are doing and what it is for. Whether it be your education, your career, your business or doing philanthropy. Why are you doing it? Is it just for money? Is it just for yourself? Does it benefit those you love? or Does it benefit your family even many more? The more people who will be blessed by you doing this, the better! Just remember, whatever you do, do it because it glorifies GOD, then you will not only receive rewards here on earth but also in Heaven!