The Constant in Our Own Heart....

What we all don’t realize about ourselves, believers and non-believers alike, is the fact that our sinful nature is always present. It’s always there to rebel against God. Here’s a test to prove it: have you ever not prayed about something you know you should’ve? Have you ever done something wrong when you know you shouldn’t do it? Have you ever said to yourself, “I need to talk with God”, but don’t take the time to do it? That is this nature I’m talking about. It’s constant in our lives and if we are not conscience of it, how can we consistently battle it? Our unawareness of it eliminates our ability to ask God for help. Any time we read about someone else’s sin in the news, before we ask ourselves, “how could they do that?”, we need to examine our own heart and see if there’s any cleaning up we need to do first. Jesus said something about this in His story involving the log and speck of dust in our eyes, remember? God’s heart is for our good, let’s start doing a better job at making His job a little easier by making right what’s in our own heart.

“The people of Israel mingle with godless foreigners, making themselves as worthless as a half-baked cake! Worshiping foreign gods has sapped their strength, but they don’t even know it. Their hair is gray, but they don’t realize they’re old and weak. Their arrogance testifies against them, yet they don’t return to the Lord their God or even try to find him. Hosea 7:8-10

“What sorrow awaits those who have deserted me! Let them die, for they have rebelled against me. I wanted to redeem them, but they have told lies about me. They do not cry out to me with sincere hearts. Instead, they sit on their couches and wail. They cut themselves, begging foreign gods for grain and new wine, and they turn away from me. I trained them and made them strong, yet now they plot evil against me. They look everywhere except to the Most High. They are as useless as a crooked bow. Their leaders will be killed by their enemies because of their insolence toward me. Then the people of Egypt will laugh at them. Hosea 7:13-16