Dear friends,
Please forgive my non-regular posting recently. I'm working on a monumental project... with a deadline. I actually wrote this post while waiting for tools to load on the computer that I needed for the project! : ) God bless y'all. : )
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A piece of information I heard once goes back to the Native Americans: They said that the conscience is like a spinning triangle in your heart. As it spins around, its sharp edges pierce and prick. However, if your heart becomes hard, it rounds the edges and you cannot feel its pangs anymore. How sharp are our consciences? More importantly, how soft are our hearts? I actually had no idea where this post was going to go when I sat down to write it - I only had a theme. But as I was thinking about 'rusty consciences,' Romans 1 came to mind. The people in the last part of this chapter ignored the Obvious. Although they knew God, they didn't glorify Him or give Him due gratitude. It says that they 'did not like to retain God in their knowledge,' and I think that verse 32 explains why: 'They knew 'the righteous judgment of God and that those who practice such things are deserving of death.' It sounds like they hardened their hearts to me. (See Romans 1.) Do our hearts truly glorify Him with every action, thought, & word? Are they humbly offering true gratitude to God for His indescribable gift? This is what the people in Romans 1 neglected to do. Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
~ 1 Corinthians 10:31 God is holy, and He is glorified with holiness. ...Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. ~ Psalm 29:2 He gave us consciences to aid in this end. It is so, so easy to dampen the pricks and continue in our way of doing things. It is so, so so hard to put aside temptations and walk in complete obedience... especially for the right motives. In fact, I'm pretty sure that it's impossible to do without His Spirit. But God, again, is faithful. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:13 Do we give up after the third or fourth round of temptations? Where is our Sword of the Spirit?
Strengthen me according to Your Word.
~ Psalm 119:28. Are our hearts soft, tender soil, ready to hear and do the Word of God? (see James 1:22. and Matthew 13:8, 18-19, & 23.) We're all placed in the difficult spot of decision between good & evil each day. Decisions that need to be made with the conscious and subconscious.... some that grant us some time to think about it, or none at all. Regardless, God's Word is enough to help us escape from any temptation. And escape again.... and again and again and again. Perhaps you're realizing, like I was recently, that your heart hardly notices the pricks of the conscience, but you greatly want that to change. Where to go from here? James 1:21-22 says, Therefore, lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted Word which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. ~ James 1:21-22. One might say though, I can't do this! Deny temptation? Pursue righteousness? Every time? This morning I was reading a verse that I had already memorized and had said to myself several times before, when I suddenly stopped. I all of a sudden understood the third line of the verse: The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? ~ Psalm 27:1 “The LORD is the strength of my life.” It’s not by our strength that we can do this. For it is GOD who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
~ Philippians 2:13. But when God is the strength of our life - the only strength - His power is absolutely enough. Just some food for thought, and a plea that we will all be quick and tender to the voice of God in His Word and bear fruit from it.
~ To The Utmost Glory Of God ~
