Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
-Psalm 19:12-14
This passage truly is the cry of my heart right this very second. The things I write about in these devotionals are not just things that I think you should know. These are things that God has been speaking to me personally. If I place a convicting question or statement in front of you, it is only because God has recently placed it in front of me. This week is no exception! So, let's talk about these "hidden faults" and "willful sins." This is a topic that God and I have been discussing for weeks. For some reason, this week, it has been the main topic of our conversations. Sometimes, I think I can just ignore my spirit/flesh battle. Maybe if I just pretend it doesn't exist, it will go away. Denial. It's funny how we really think ignoring something makes is go away. But, sooner or later, we find out that the problem only grows. We are so busy not looking at it, that before we know it, it's bigger than us! How can we get rid of hidden faults if we continue to hide them? We can't!
The bottom line is: Do you really want to be blameless? Do you really want to be innocent of great transgression? Do you really want the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart to please God? Do YOU really want that? Let's do a heart check. Where is your heart? Do we REALLY love God or do we love our hidden sin? We can't serve two masters. Remember? It doesn't work that way. Are we really willing to let God search our hearts and clean us out? You know what else is funny? We think we have it all under control. We think we can control our hidden sins. The truth is, they control us. What will it take to admit it ALL? I don't mean that we never sin again. But, do we love Him enough to keep laying it down? Do we really want to be clean?
What are YOU hiding? Another version (NLT) calls them "deliberate sins." Is there something you are fully aware is sin, but you keep doing it... deliberately? Perhaps, that sin is ruling over you. Perhaps, you are in bondage to it. And perhaps, that precious sin is standing in the way of a huge move of God in your life. Drop your chains! Give it up. Admit that you can't control it. When you release control, He takes it. YOU can't fix it, but you CAN get real.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Open Your Graves
Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.' "
-Ezekiel 37:11-14
Earlier in this chapter, the hand of the Lord took Ezekiel to a valley. This valley was full of bones. There weren't just a few little bones here and there. This valley was FULL of very dry bones. The word says that the Lord led him back and forth through them; and there were "a great many bones." Then, the Lord asked Ezekiel if these bones can live. He gave God a pretty good answer! Ezekiel said, "O Sovereign Lord, only you know." Then, God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones. Prophesy to dead, dry bones? I would have thought that was pretty crazy! But, Ezekiel did it. He prophesied to those bones and he heard a sound. With a rattling sound, the bones came together! Suddenly, tendons and flesh appeared on them; but there was no breath. Then God had him prophesy to the breath. After he spoke, breath entered the bodies and they rose to their feet - a vast army! Amazing!
How many of you are in a valley right now? Do you feel like the hand of the Lord has led you into a valley? And maybe, you look around and all you see are bones. Dry bones. What is dead and dry in your life? Surely something comes to mind. If not, ask God, he will reveal it. Do you feel like hope has dried up? Maybe, you just don't see how life could come from so many dried up bones.
Fortunately for us, raising dead things is our God's specialty! Perhaps you need to do what Ezekiel did. Admit that all you see are dry bones. Confess that only He knows if they can be brought to life. And then, prophesy (speak truth) to those bones! Speak life into your own life. Even when all we see with our own eyes is death, the Word is still living! Speak what you know is true. Stand on it. Then, watch the God who loves to revive, revive you! There is nothing He can't revive. He has already conquered death. Let Him take you to that valley. Go ahead and survey the bones. But don't hang out with them. Open your mouth and speak life and truth to yourself and others. Without fail, He will "open your graves and bring you up from them!"
-Ezekiel 37:11-14
Earlier in this chapter, the hand of the Lord took Ezekiel to a valley. This valley was full of bones. There weren't just a few little bones here and there. This valley was FULL of very dry bones. The word says that the Lord led him back and forth through them; and there were "a great many bones." Then, the Lord asked Ezekiel if these bones can live. He gave God a pretty good answer! Ezekiel said, "O Sovereign Lord, only you know." Then, God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones. Prophesy to dead, dry bones? I would have thought that was pretty crazy! But, Ezekiel did it. He prophesied to those bones and he heard a sound. With a rattling sound, the bones came together! Suddenly, tendons and flesh appeared on them; but there was no breath. Then God had him prophesy to the breath. After he spoke, breath entered the bodies and they rose to their feet - a vast army! Amazing!
How many of you are in a valley right now? Do you feel like the hand of the Lord has led you into a valley? And maybe, you look around and all you see are bones. Dry bones. What is dead and dry in your life? Surely something comes to mind. If not, ask God, he will reveal it. Do you feel like hope has dried up? Maybe, you just don't see how life could come from so many dried up bones.
Fortunately for us, raising dead things is our God's specialty! Perhaps you need to do what Ezekiel did. Admit that all you see are dry bones. Confess that only He knows if they can be brought to life. And then, prophesy (speak truth) to those bones! Speak life into your own life. Even when all we see with our own eyes is death, the Word is still living! Speak what you know is true. Stand on it. Then, watch the God who loves to revive, revive you! There is nothing He can't revive. He has already conquered death. Let Him take you to that valley. Go ahead and survey the bones. But don't hang out with them. Open your mouth and speak life and truth to yourself and others. Without fail, He will "open your graves and bring you up from them!"
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