Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 27:1, And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.”
I have often heard people give this advice, “Just follow your heart.” However, this actually might be one of the most dangerous pieces of advice I have ever heard. Why, you ask? Well, because God tells us in His Word, in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Far too many of us get ourselves into difficult situations in life because we follow our heart and emotions. Emotions are not a bad thing, only if we realize what role they should play in our life and walk with the Lord. God certainly uses our emotions to feel anger, sorrow, compassion, and so forth, when appropriate. We get ourselves in trouble when we allow our emotions to run rampant and control what we do. Here, the one thing that David said in his heart caused him to make an emotional decision. In life, we will find ourselves being wearied by the events that happen around us, some that affect us directly and those that affect the people we love most. The devils are constantly trying to use what happens to us, and around us, as a way of getting to our hearts and minds, and causing us to follow our own path, rather than stay on the one God has chosen for us. Proverbs 4:23 warns, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” If we are not careful about vigilantly guarding our hearts, many things can slip in that we will entertain, that will eventually cause us to drift away from God, rather than draw near to Him. When we drift away from the Lord, we give an opening to the devils that are looking for an opportunity to move in for a final kill. That is why Peter warns us to be sober and vigilant when it comes to our enemy the devil (1 Peter 5:8). We spoke yesterday about how David, once again, repeated the mistake he made before in going to live among the Philistines. A decision that grew out of something he may not have said out loud, or may not have even shared with anyone, but said quietly in his heart. The problem with what David said in his heart is that it was something that showed a lack of faith in God, a forgetfulness of God’s goodness and faithfulness, and something that was heard by God Himself. In Jeremiah 17:10, God answered the question asked in verse 9, “Who can know it (the heart)?” God’s response to His own question was, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” In this case, David, once again, is going to reap the fruit of what he allowed to be sown in his heart. The best way to uproot any thoughts or feelings the enemy desires to cultivate in our hearts is to immediately cast it out and give it to the Lord. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments (or imaginations) and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” Philippians 4:6-7 also commands us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The one thing that will guarantee our defeat is if we fail to act on God’s truth, when His truth contradicts our feelings and thoughts. Sadly, David’s decision did not just affect David; it affected the six hundred men that were with him and their families, as well as David’s two wives (verses 2-3). The battle for our hearts and minds is a real one. This is why God instructs us to renew our minds in Romans 12:2. We must not allow the thoughts we have, or emotions that run high, during difficult times to be our guide in what we decide or what direction we should take. This is why it is of utmost importance that we stay in God’s Word and pray daily, because if we are waiting until hard times come for us to then start reading the Word and praying, the likelihood is that our thoughts and emotions will be what we let guide us; and that will only lead to further heartache and complications that we will regret later. When we feel weak, and feel like we are going to give in to something we know to be contrary to God’s truth, remember Psalm 73:26, “My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the Strength of my heart and my Portion forever.”
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
No comments:
Post a Comment