The Power of Thoughts

 


But the words that come out of your mouth come from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God.
Matthew‬ ‭15:18‬ ‭CEV‬‬

In this verse, Jesus teaches that the true source of defilement and sin is not external, but internal. It is not what we eat or touch that makes us unclean, but what we think and say. Our words reveal the condition of our hearts, and they have the power to hurt or heal, to bless or curse, to honor or dishonor God.

Jesus said this in response to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who criticized his disciples for not following the traditions of their ancestors, such as washing their hands before eating.

Jesus exposed their hypocrisy and showed that they were more concerned about human rules than God's commands. They neglected to love and respect their parents, and they taught false doctrines that contradicted God's word. They praised God with their lips, but their hearts were far from him.

Jesus also explained this to his disciples, who asked him to clarify what he meant by the things that make people unclean. He listed some examples of the evil thoughts that come out of the heart, such as murder, adultery, theft, lying, and slander.

These are the things that make us unfit to worship God, because they violate his holy and righteous character and his law of love.

Therefore, we need to examine our hearts and our words, and repent of any sin that we find in them.

We need to ask God to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and to create in us a pure heart and a right spirit.

We need to fill our minds with God's truth and our mouths with God's praise.

We need to speak words that edify and encourage others, and that glorify and honor God.

We need to remember that we will be judged by every word that we say, and that we will have to give an account to God for them.

By doing this, we will be able to worship God in spirit and in truth, and to enjoy his presence and his peace.

We will also be able to witness to others about his grace and his salvation, and to share his love and his gospel.

We will be able to fulfill the greatest commandment, which is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the second, which is to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I thank you for your word that teaches me how to live and worship you.

I confess that I have sinned against you with my words, and that they have revealed the evil in my heart.

I ask you to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

I ask you to create in me a pure heart and a right spirit, and to fill me with your love and your truth.

I ask you to help me to speak words that edify and encourage others, and that glorify and honor you.

I ask you to help me to worship you in spirit and in truth, and to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love my neighbor as myself.

In Jesus' name I pray,
amen.
***

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

God our Place of Safety

Image
  Psalms 62:8 CEV‬ Trust God, my friends, and always tell him each of your concerns. God is our place of safety. Let's delve deeper into Psalm 62:8: 1. Trust God: This phrase emphasizes the importance of faith and reliance on God. Trusting God means acknowledging His sovereignty, wisdom, and goodness. It involves surrendering our worries and fears to Him, knowing that He is in control. 2. Always tell Him each of your concerns: God invites us to share our hearts with Him openly. We can pour out our worries, anxieties, and joys before Him. Prayer becomes a powerful way to communicate with God, expressing our deepest feelings and seeking His guidance. 3. God is our place of safety: Here, God is portrayed as our refuge, a safe haven where we find protection, comfort, and peace. When life feels chaotic or uncertain, we can run to Him for shelter. He shields us from harm and provides security. In summary, Psalm 62:8 encourages us to trust God wholeheartedly, communicate with Him h
Read more

Our fears are kept in a bottle

Image
  Psalms 56:8 CEV‬ You have kept record of my days of wandering. You have stored my tears in your bottle and counted each of them. In this psalm, David is facing adversity and persecution. He pleads to God for mercy and protection from his enemies. Despite the challenges he faces, David maintains his trust in God. Here are some key points from Psalm 56:8: 1. God's Care and Compassion: The imagery of God collecting tears in a bottle highlights His deep concern for His people. Tears represent our pain, sorrow, and vulnerability. God not only sees our tears but also treasures them. He doesn't ignore our suffering; instead, He collects and remembers every tear shed. 2. Days of Wandering: David acknowledges that life can be like wandering—a journey filled with uncertainty, trials, and hardships. Yet, even during these wandering days, God is attentive to our struggles. He keeps a record of our experiences, both joyful and painful. 3. Counting Each Tear: The idea that God counts
Read more

Keys to being useful to God

Image
Psalms 57:10-11 CEV‬ Your love reaches higher than the heavens; your loyalty extends beyond the clouds. 1. Know you are loved by God. Worship Him steadfastly: God uses you because He loves you greatly, as David says "For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies" (Psalm 57:10). Worship Him steadfastly with your gifts publicly and privately, in good times and bad (Psalm 57:7-9). 2. Honor God in your life. Desire His glory: Make it your ultimate desire to exalt God and let His glory be over all the earth (Psalm 57:11), just as Jesus taught to pray "hallowed be your name" (Matthew 6:9). 3. Do what the Father is doing, not your own plans: Like Jesus who could do nothing by Himself but only what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19), try to discern God's plans and join in rather than initiating your own.  4. Do good works as evidence of faith, but don't earn salvation by them: Those who have done good will rise to
Read more