Clean Heart Devotional - Week 1

Interestingly enough, when I recite Psalm 51:10, Proverbs 3:5 seems to automatically follow. There is a significant connection there. It's even significant that the author of this devotional series has chosen to link these two scriptures early in the study.

If our major purpose is to find a pure heart, what better way to begin the process than to recognize that we must trust the Lord and acknowledge him. It feels as if I'm on some sort of quest... to find the holy grail, which is purity of heart. Is it really a journey? Perhaps it seems as though it is, yet at the same time it is right in front of us. Reach out and grab it!

First of all, lack of trust is probably the number one corruptor of purity. Without trust in God, we find ourself seeking some level of comfort in our own abilities, or in those of someone or something that surrounds us. He tells us to trust him with "all our heart." That's not exactly simple. Our human nature is to guard our hearts. To trust him with "all our heart" creates true peace within. I am thankful that the Lord has blessed me with a heart of faith that just KNOWS that I can trust him. Faith is a gift from God. Not everybody has it.

Next... God deserves the glory! That is our #1 purpose as Christians, to glorify God. He reminds us that we are to acknowledge him in ALL our ways. That seems like a rather large task to tackle; however it does not have to be complex. I'm not very good at this. I forget so easily. My sinful nature makes this task REALLY hard to accomplish. Especially when the going gets tough. I know that my trust in the Lord will carry me through; however it is difficult to keep acknowledging God in those circumstances. If you have some practical suggestions on this... please share.

We are on a journey and many of our circumstances are to mold and mature us. We find ourselves constantly planning for the future and forgetting to enjoy what the Lord has in store for us today. What's even better is that we are afforded the opportunity to CHOOSE our direction. Although when we are deliberate in trusting and acknowledging God, we move in the direction he has for us.

A few years ago we left our home to go to Seminary. It was a significant time for us. While my husband did not complete his graduate course work there, we have never doubted that it was a purposeful journey. I suspect that there are friends or family that think we wasted our time because things did not work out as WE had planned. What they fail to realize is that we were simply living out what the Lord had called us to do at that point in our lives. We went where he led us and we are back home now because he led us back home. It was HIS plan, not ours. There were hard times there. We trusted in the Lord. We leaned on the Lord. And He provided for us and blessed us for our obedience. It's easy to plan about what we will do tomorrow, or next week, or next month. The true question is... what does God desire for you in those times? What direction will you choose? And will it be a selfish path? Or one that the Lord leads you to?