Changed From Inside Out.

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" Psa. 51:10. 

There are many people today who are religiously decorated. These decorations deceive the owners into believing they are Christians, that they are born-again believers. They have bought some religious pictures or other items. They hang up pictures of saints or one of Jesus Christ knocking at the closed door, but they have never opened their own door to Christ. They have no love for the cross of Christ, but they may have a very handsome crucifix hanging on the wall, or even a cross on a chain hanging around their necks. They may be garnished with generosity, giving their tithes to the church but withholding their hearts from Jesus Christ. The Bible is on the table or in the bookcase, but it is never read. These are the decorations of religion that the Lord is speaking about. People may pray long-winded prayers, show zeal, go to church, volunteer to cut the church lawn, yet these may only be the decorations of an empty heart.

It's indeed important we stop decorating an empty heart and instead fill it with lasting spiritual substance. The goal is not just emptying, but filling. An "empty" heart must become a filled heart filled Jesus. When you stop evil and you don't replace it with good, you do greater evil. Instead of focusing only on stopping sinful habits, focus on filling your mind with God's Word, prayer, and worship. A heart occupied by Christ has no room for empty decorations. Be intentional about what you allow into your mind, including the media you consume and the conversations you engage in. Stop allowing unproven or toxic influences to access your inner man. Your heart (your mind, emotions, and will) must be actively protected from taking in destructive influences either from the kind of company you keep or the kind of influences you permit in your life. You are clearly warned in scriptures Prov. 4:23. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" It's so important that you adhere to this scripture for your total well-being.

An empty heart is often the result of trying to fill a God-shaped void with approval, relationships, possessions and human validations. You must acknowledge that only God's love can satisfy your deepest thirst. Stop looking for your emotional, spiritual, or relational needs to be fully met by men. Stop trying to look good on the outside while ignoring the inside. Regularly ask God to show you areas of your heart that are "dirty" or "empty" and allow Him to cleanse them. A clean heart requires a daily, sometimes moment-by-moment, commitment to turning away from selfish desires and toward God. Instead of waiting for your heart to be filled, actively serve and pour into others. Investing your time, love, and resources in God's work fills your "empty space" with lasting, God-given joy. A focused, self-centered heart often leads to emptiness. A serving heart, reflecting Christ's, is filled by pouring out.

FURTHER READING:

"It is more blessed to give than to receive" Acts 20:35.

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing." John 15:4-5.

DECLARATION: 

Dear Abba Father, I thank You for the gift of life and the privilege of salvation. Lord, I confess that apart from You, my heart becomes dry, parched, and weary, like a desert land. I surrender my desire to lead my own life and ask that You take control of my heart, mind, and will. I choose to delight in Your Word, that I may be like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in season. Let my life reflect the beauty of Your holiness and the abundance of Your grace. Lead me into Your perfect will and help me to walk in obedience, not for my own glory, but so I can bear fruit that remains in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:

2 Chron. 16:1-11.

2 Chron. 17:1-15.

2 Chron. 18:1-50.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

"No Beauty Shines Brighter Than That Of A Good Heart And A Changed Life. Don't Lose Yours.”