Do You Have A Crooked Heart?

PRAY OVER THIS

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

 

PONDER THIS

I’ve visited a sawmill from time to time, and it’s very interesting to watch them put logs on that cradle and lop off the edges. They’ll take a big log out of the woods that has bumps and knots on it. It may be a little crooked, but they lay it on that cradle, run it through, and lop of one side of that log. Then, they bring it back, turn it, run it through again, and lop off another side. And they repeat this process on the whole log. Finally, it’s perfectly square, and if you stand and look down it, it’s perfectly straight. But if you’ll go and look at the end, the heart is still crooked. That’s the way it is with some individuals.

Some individuals show reform outwardly. But the Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). That’s the reason outward reformation is not enough. You need regeneration. If a man is a drunkard and quits drinking without getting saved, all that means is he’ll go to Hell sober. He’s still got to be saved. The problem is not on the outside; the problem is on the inside. Let God deal with the sin inside your heart.

When have you been tempted to deal with sin only externally rather than let God work on your heart internally?

What are some sin issues God has revealed in your heart recently?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray and ask God to deal with the sin in your heart at the core level.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Only Conscience-Cleanser

How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:14)

Here we are in the modern age — the age of the Internet, smartphones, space travel, and heart transplants — and our problem is fundamentally the same as always: Our consciences condemn us and make us feel unacceptable to God. We are alienated from God. And our consciences bear witness.

We can cut ourselves, or throw our children in the sacred river, or give a million dollars to charity, or serve in a soup kitchen, or a hundred forms of penance or self-injury, and the result will be the same: The stain remains and death terrifies.

We know that our conscience is defiled — not with external things like touching a corpse, a dirty diaper, or a piece of pork. Jesus said it is what comes out of a man that defiles, not what goes in (Mark 7:15–23). We are defiled by attitudes like pride and self-pity and bitterness and lust and envy and jealousy and covetousness and apathy and fear.

The only answer in this modern age, as in every other age, is the blood of Christ. When your conscience rises up and condemns you, where will you turn? Hebrews 9:14 gives you the answer: “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

The answer is: Turn to the blood of Christ. Turn to the only cleansing agent in the universe that can give you relief in life, and peace in death.

John Piper 

What Are You Watching?

BIBLE MEDITATION

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise.”

Psalm 57:7

 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

When I was in college, I kept a motto on my desk: “He who would not fall down ought not to walk in slippery places.” Keep yourself clean. Keep yourself pure. Watch what you set before your eyes.

Are you aware that how you think governs what you see? Why do some people view films with lewd scenes and others don’t? Why do some look at pornography—even becoming addicted—when others don’t? Because your thought life will govern what you do. It will guard your sight. You’re not just a helpless victim. You can make up your mind you’re not going to look at certain things.

The book of Job recounts the life of one of the most respected men in the Old Testament. Job made himself a promise: “I made a covenant with my eyes, not to look upon a maid” (Job 31:1). He made a decision. Now, men and women, listen. You need to get alone with God and your Bible in a quiet place and make a solemn decision before God, saying, “By God’s grace and with His help, I’ll not look at this stuff.”

ACTION POINT

Don’t wait until temptation comes and you’re in the middle of it. Beforehand, make a covenant with your eyes, because what you see determines what you think. If we’re to have a walk of purity in obedience to God, we must determine ahead of time what our course of action will be. Make the decision right now to keep your walk pure and holy for God’s glory. One big decision will take care of a lot of little ones.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Can you see what's invisible?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Let me tell you how to experience God: Get your heart pure, and you will see God with the eyes of faith.

You see, Jesus is not talking about your physical body. You get your spiritual heart right and your spiritual eyes will see.

Hebrews 11:27 says that Moses “endured as seeing Him who is invisible.” You get your heart right and you’ll see the invisible God…

...in circumstances

...in nature

...in the face of your spouse, your child, your grandchild.

You’ll see Him in the Scriptures. God will become a bright, living reality to you.

ACTION POINT:

Put on the eyes of faith today and find God creating and sustaining life. Maybe there is a garden newly abloom with spring flowers. Do you see the hand of God?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

What Does It Mean to Be “Pure in Heart”?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

This beatitude narrows our focus into one rich goal—to be pure in heart. Now, “pure in heart” doesn’t just mean you don’t look at pornography or think vile thoughts. That will be a result of being pure in heart. But to be pure in heart really means to have an undiluted heart. That is, there is no substance in your heart that is adulterated. You have a singleness of mind. You are undivided in your devotion. . .all of the issues of your life are brought down into one burning focus—to be pure in heart before God.

ACTION POINT:

Is Jesus Christ the burning focus of your life? Then the promise is that you will see God. “Now, wait a minute,” you say. “No one has seen God.” You’re right. You will see God not with your physical eyes, but with your spiritual eyes. He will become all the more clear!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

What Does It Mean to Be “Pure in Heart”?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

This beatitude narrows our focus into one rich goal—to be pure in heart. Now, “pure in heart” doesn’t just mean you don’t look at pornography or think vile thoughts. That will be a result of being pure in heart. But to be pure in heart really means to have an undiluted heart. That is, there is no substance in your heart that is adulterated. You have a singleness of mind. You are undivided in your devotion. . .all of the issues of your life are brought down into one burning focus—to be pure in heart before God.

ACTION POINT:

Is Jesus Christ the burning focus of your life? Then the promise is that you will see God. “Now, wait a minute,” you say. “No one has seen God.” You’re right. You will see God not with your physical eyes, but with your spiritual eyes. He will become all the more clear!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Fellowship with Jesus When Our Heart Is Clean

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” Psalm 24:4-50

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

James Nicholson wrote a song which expresses the desire of my heart: 

“Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole; I want Thee forever to live in my soul. Break down every idol, cast out every foe; Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Nothing beats closer to my heart than the yearning to be pure before my Lord. I know that sweet fellowship with Jesus that comes when my heart is clean. And nothing, no nothing, surpasses that in this world.

Are you failing in your Christian life because you are not pure? If you are, you’re not alone. It seems as though a sewer pipe of filth and debauchery has broken and poured out into our world. Someone has well said, “Not since Manhattan Island was sold for 24 dollars has so much dirt been sold so cheaply as it is here in America.”

ACTION POINT:

Take the words of that song and make them your prayer to the Lord right now. Then close with Psalm 51:10-13: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation and uphold me with Thy free Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Pure Heart

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word.” Psalm 119:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

A child delights in what he has. 

A youth delights in what he does. 

An adult delights in what he is. 

The more mature you are, the more you will desire to be something—not just to have something or to do something, but to be something.

What do you desire to be today? Someone who is known for the way they dress? The deals they close? The house they live in? Or do you want others to know that you have a pure heart—a heart that is utterly devoted and surrendered to God.

ACTION POINT:

Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” They will know the unknowable, they will do the impossible, and they will see the invisible. I want to have a heart like that. What about you?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers