104 Jeremiah 17:9,10 The Human Condition
JMD Devotional 104 Jeremiah 17:9,10 The Human Condition
The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]? I the Lord search the mind, I try the heart, even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.
If you are assaulted, you feel it. If you are robbed, the loss is apparent. But if you are (effectively) deceived, you have no idea. The scriptures inform us of two great agents of deception; one is external, Satan, the Enemy of our Souls; the other is internal, and is a traitor, our very own heart.
Proverbs 21:2 (NIV) All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.
The fundamental problem is that our conscious and subconscious minds conspire to paint a self-portrait that is far better than reality. Left to ourselves, we are much more concerned with protecting our own ego and looking good to others than we are with getting a frank assessment of our virtue, consistency and reliability. Most people don't worry very much about their character development because they have deceived themselves into thinking that they are pretty good. My friend, listen carefully; you were born in utter depravity. You are of no better stuff then than that of the thieves, murders and rapists locked up in maximum security; for most people only circumstance, opportunity and random good fortune make you a 'fit' citizen by man's standards.
God's holiness and righteousness make our best attempts at virtue look like filthy rags. The Great Physician sees past your facades and through your self-deception into a very sick human soul. Apart from His holy influence (which you fight against nine out of ten times) you would be a fit citizen of Hell! Heaven would be contaminated by your presence! Give up on the idea that you are capable of cleaning up your own act and getting salvation by your own merit! For a small minority of the human race, God will transform retched people into Children of God. The process will involve repentance, pain and suffering to work out the wickedness, rebellion and self-will common to all humanity. Only by God's grace will anyone squeeze through the narrow door!
Dear God,
The light of your Word takes away my self-righteousness and pride. I shudder in recognition of the fate I deserve, that lumps me with all enemies of God. Your AMAZING GRACE blows my mind! You sought me when I was hostile and indifferent to You. You have paid for my crimes, you have washed away my sins, you adopted me and implanted a new nature that is growing within my soul. You are treating the cancer of sin in my life without charge. You have promised that your work will continue until I am just like Jesus Christ. Glory to God! What a comprehensive salvation! Glory! May I respond with excellence to your holy influence, and may this life please you and may I praise your holy name. May those in danger of eternal wrath be awakened to their estate.
Amen
All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)
If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.
More features:
My Poetry
http://saintjamespoetry.blog.com/
(Some) of my Devotionals
http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/
The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]? I the Lord search the mind, I try the heart, even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.
If you are assaulted, you feel it. If you are robbed, the loss is apparent. But if you are (effectively) deceived, you have no idea. The scriptures inform us of two great agents of deception; one is external, Satan, the Enemy of our Souls; the other is internal, and is a traitor, our very own heart.
Proverbs 21:2 (NIV) All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.
The fundamental problem is that our conscious and subconscious minds conspire to paint a self-portrait that is far better than reality. Left to ourselves, we are much more concerned with protecting our own ego and looking good to others than we are with getting a frank assessment of our virtue, consistency and reliability. Most people don't worry very much about their character development because they have deceived themselves into thinking that they are pretty good. My friend, listen carefully; you were born in utter depravity. You are of no better stuff then than that of the thieves, murders and rapists locked up in maximum security; for most people only circumstance, opportunity and random good fortune make you a 'fit' citizen by man's standards.
God's holiness and righteousness make our best attempts at virtue look like filthy rags. The Great Physician sees past your facades and through your self-deception into a very sick human soul. Apart from His holy influence (which you fight against nine out of ten times) you would be a fit citizen of Hell! Heaven would be contaminated by your presence! Give up on the idea that you are capable of cleaning up your own act and getting salvation by your own merit! For a small minority of the human race, God will transform retched people into Children of God. The process will involve repentance, pain and suffering to work out the wickedness, rebellion and self-will common to all humanity. Only by God's grace will anyone squeeze through the narrow door!
Dear God,
The light of your Word takes away my self-righteousness and pride. I shudder in recognition of the fate I deserve, that lumps me with all enemies of God. Your AMAZING GRACE blows my mind! You sought me when I was hostile and indifferent to You. You have paid for my crimes, you have washed away my sins, you adopted me and implanted a new nature that is growing within my soul. You are treating the cancer of sin in my life without charge. You have promised that your work will continue until I am just like Jesus Christ. Glory to God! What a comprehensive salvation! Glory! May I respond with excellence to your holy influence, and may this life please you and may I praise your holy name. May those in danger of eternal wrath be awakened to their estate.
Amen
All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)
If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.
More features:
My Poetry
http://saintjamespoetry.blog.com/
(Some) of my Devotionals
http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/
posted by James M. Dinsmore at 9:10 AM
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