Psalm 51:10 God, create a pure heart in me, and renew a right spirit within me.

In this Psalm, David sees now more than ever what an unclean heart he had and sadly laments it; but he sees it is not in his own power to amend it and therefore begs God would create in him a clean heart. He feels change is necessary and searches for the promise of God to that purpose and asks Him for it. David knew his sin grieved the Holy Spirit and provoked Him to withdraw. This he dreaded more than anything. He prayed for Divine comfort to be restored, for he was weak and without joy.

Psalm 24:3-5 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His Holy Place?
The one who had innocent hands and a pure heart;
the person who does not delight in what is false and does not swear an oath deceitfully.
This person will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of His salvation.

What shall I do that I may abide in that happy, holy place where He makes His people blessed and content? I can be cleansed from my sins and renewed unto holiness by the blood of Jesus Christ and the washing of the Holy Spirit. Then I am one of His and will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of my salvation. I will be made truly and forever content and joyful in this alone.

The Heart must be cleansed from sin to be pure, as the blood of Christ is applied to my soul by a lively faith.

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be afflicted, and mourn and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.

1 Peter 1:24-25 All human life is like grass, and all its glory is like a flower in the grass. The grass dries up, and the flower drops off, but eh word of the Lord lasts forever.
Now this word is the good news that was announced to you.

© 2023Debora Gilley

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Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

Jesus’ words of His grace and all the power that goes along with them are lovely. Lovely in the fact that He speaks them to fallen flesh who are bound by guilt and corruption. By His grace, we may be freed from these bonds. He came by the word of His gospel to bring light to those in darkness and, by the power of His grace, to give sight to those that are blind. He is sent to comfort all who mourn and seek Him, not the world, for comfort.

Psalm 147:3
He heals the broken in heart and binds up their wounds.

Praise the Lord for His grace to outcast sinners, for He brings them into His holy haven. He speaks peace to those who will hear it and assures them that their sins are forgiven. As clouds look dark and melancholy, they provide rain and, therefore, fruit. Our afflictions look bleak and unpleasant, but the grace of Jesus Christ turns our mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11) and makes the soul yield peaceable fruits of righteousness.

Praise the Lord, for He heals the brokenhearted.

© 2023Debora Gilley

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Psalm 139:23-24 Search me O God and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

According to the Bible, the heart is the center of spiritual activity and all the operations of human life. It is the core of our being and “the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) From the heart comes grief, desires, joy, understanding, thoughts and reasoning, faith and belief. Choices and decisions flow out of what is in your heart. It should be guarded (Proverbs 4:23) for as the water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. (Proverbs 27:19)

This month, February, my theme will be about The Heart. As I’ve written in earlier posts, the heart yearns for unconditional love of which can only be provided by God. It is then strengthened by His presence there and consumed with reverence and godly fear.

1 John 4:19 We love because God first loved us.

Love God with all your heart, soul, and might. That is:

• With sincere love, not in word and tongue only, but inwardly in truth

May this love of God be shed abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:8)

© 2023 Debora Gilley

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Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand finds to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work nor device nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither you go.

Colossians 3:17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.

These verses speak for themselves and I’m sure, as you read them, they spoke to you where you are right now. Set about proving your faith, glorify God and serve Him. In this world there is much corruption and strife. We must learn to forgive one another imitating the forgiveness through which we are saved. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Be filled with His Word and the grace of Jesus Christ and your soul will prosper.

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There are two questions that must be answered.  

What stirs our cold, unresponsive hearts into a holy fire?

What causes the heart to burn with a passion for God?

There is this burning fire in my heart. It is bound up in my bones, I grow weary of trying to hold it in, and I cannot do it. (Jeremiah 20:9)

Our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29) whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear (Hebrews 12:28)

1 Peter 1:5-9 Through faith you are being protected by God’s power for a salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of this era. You greatly rejoice in this, even though you have to suffer various kinds of trials for a little while, so that your genuine faith, which is more valuable than gold that perishes when tested by fire, may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus, the Messiah, is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. And even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Genesis 2:7 So the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground, breathed life into his lungs, and the man became a living being.

Job 33:4 The Spirit of God fashioned me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

John 20:22 When He had said this, He breathed on them and told them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

It is the breath of life – the very breath of God that sets our hearts ablaze and melts the ice that clutches in condemnation. This breath is life and power given to man to make him animate. 

The life of God is eternal. 

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Breathe on me, breath of God. Pray for renewal of God’s Spirit to be expressed in a life of love, in purity of heart and will, and in intimacy with God that heralds the perfection of eternal life.

Psalm 51:10-12 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.  

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Psalm 73:25
Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee. My flesh and my heart fails: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.

In Psalm 73, the psalmist is plagued and chastened daily with his temptation of envy and discontent but shows how faith and grace prevail. As he thinks through his painful provocations he realizes the presence of God is with him and that he is being held and guided by Him. He is then quickened to cleave the closer to God, happy in the presence and love of God alone. The world and all its glory vanishes.

And so it is, the letting go of worldly things and relationships and having the understanding that there is no peace here on earth without God.

Draw near and keep near to God by faith and prayer. He has set us free so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. So keep on standing firm in it, and stop putting yourselves under the yoke of slavery (to the world) again. (Galatians 5:1-2)

Lamentations 3:22-26
Because of the Lord’s gracious love we are not consumed,
since His compassions never end.
They are new every morning – great is Your faithfulness!
“The Lord is all I have,” says my soul,
“Therefore will I trust in Him.”
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who searches for Him.
It is good to hope and wait patiently for the Lord’s salvation.

I quietly wait for Your salvation Oh Lord – In all my situations – I wait for You.

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Romans 5:8
God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The human heart yearns. As infants, it yearns for sustenance and security. As children, affirmation and discipline; as teens, understanding and positive communication and as adults, unconditional love and commitment. But when these abstract feelings and emotions are denied, the heart begins to yearn for perfect love and becomes aware that other humans can’t provide the needs they yearn for.

When a sorrowing broken heart hears of a God who will love them unconditionally, no matter what, it soars in great joy and thankfulness. It warms and longs for His endearing Words and searches more and more for His mercy and grace. Surely, confidence in Him grows and their cup runs over with this same love for others as the love God gives them.
Romans 5:5 – the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Knowing God is very important in our daily lives for:

• Peace: Job 22:21 – Acquaint now thyself with thy God and be at peace.

Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that aks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.

Seek Him today and you will find Him!

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Psalm 139:17-18

How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

God’s thoughts concerning us and our welfare are profound, as cannot be known. It is impossible to realize how many mercies we have received from Him.

therefore

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

The way of godliness is pleasing to God and profitable to us. As the Lord knows us thoroughly, and we are strangers to ourselves, we should fervently desire and pray to be searched and proved by His Word and Spirit. If there be any wicked way in me, let me see it; and do root it out of me, O Lord.

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John 1:1-5
In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. And the light shines in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.

In these verses, John calls the Son of God “The Word.” Just as we explain what we are thinking in our minds to others, The Son of God was sent to reveal His Father’s mind to the world. He is life, He is light, and He is eternal. Reason and sense are derived from Him and depend upon Him. The Word shines true Light into darkness, and the darkness can never put out this Light.

The late Chuck Missler said, “We have in our possession an Integrated Message System: 66 separate books penned by 40 different individuals over two thousand years… in which every detail is anticipated by deliberate, skillful design!”

In my life, I have chosen to follow this Word as my guidebook to life. I have followed the Berean Challenge, which is stated in Acts 17:11
… they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily to prove whether those things were so.

The challenge here is to eliminate any baggage of misconceptions and disinformation and remove presuppositions that may be in error.

So, search the scriptures as it is the only reliable source for the absolute truth. To search means to investigate, examine, enquire into, scrutinize, sift, and question, specifically in a forensic sense of a judge to hold an investigation; to judge, estimate, and determine (the excellence or defects) of any person or thing.
Have a “readiness of mind…” by putting away misconceptions and prejudices from inaccuracies and distortion about “Reality” and “science.” You search the scriptures. Don’t assume what someone has told you is all true. See for yourself.

Let us pray without end, that our eyes may be opened to see this Light, that we may walk in it; and then be made to understand salvation, by faith in Jesus Christ.

© 2023Debora P. Gilley

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Casting all your care upon Him for He careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:6

Feelings deceive. Only God’s Word is firm and unchanging. Live by your own faith not someone else’s. Look as long and as hard as necessary to see truth with your own eyes. Let evidence from the Word decide your judgment.

Those who would learn the things of God and be assured of them must know His Word, for it is Divine revelation. Never neglect to look into this gift, for it is a sure guide to eternal life and profitable for all daily life purposes. Happiness is gained therein, promised by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

© 2023 Debora Gilley

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