1.26.17

 

 

 

 
Devotional for Thursday, January 26, 2017
“From the Abundance of Our Hearts”
 

Abundance of the Heart

by Dona Hake

 

The Lord desires that we diligently care for our hearts, minds and tongues.   It is up to us what we deposit into our hearts and minds.  If you are a person that takes it seriously to guard your heart than you well understand the battle that it can be.  Daily we are bombarded with things that serve to pull us away.  Thoughts can seemingly come out of nowhere and sometimes we think too highly of our own opinions.   Thoughts and opinions can war against our soul.   If left unguarded we will soon be speaking from our mouths things that could harm our faith or possibly offend someone.

 

There is also another area in which we can struggle with and that is failing to see ourselves as God sees us.   I spoke earlier this week about embracing God’s vision, and it applies to this devotion as well.    We must see ourselves as a people that are blessed with the precious gift of forgiveness.   Oh but how many times do we make a mistake and miss the mark, and we can be tempted to be unable to forgive ourselves.   As we meditate upon negative thoughts about ourselves that negative will grow bigger and bigger in our mind.  The strength of any negative will be an arrow that the devil will use against us.   One of his main tools will be our own tongues. You may begin to speak things about yourself and you put yourself down.  Eventually the more you hear those words from your own mouth, you will begin to believe them.

 

Proverbs 4:24(ERV)
“Don’t bend the truth or say things

that you know are not right. 

 

We know it to be a truth that it is wrong in the eyes of our Lord to lie so let us not entertain lies about ourselves.   As we stay full of His Word and remind ourselves of who He says we are, we will not fall prey to lies about ourselves.  I encourage you today to guard your heart with ALL diligence for from it truly flows the issues of this life, and from the abundance of our heart will flow that which we truly believe.
 
Lord, we ask You help us to seek and value the importance of guarding our hearts and minds with all diligence for from it flows the issues of this life.   May we be reminded by Your Holy Spirit to see ourselves and those around us with Your vision.  It is Your focus and vision that will help us keep hope before us. May our words edify those around us and glorify Your Name.   In Jesus Name! Amen.