Scripture: Mark 7.
OBSERVATION
(Key verses)
Mark 7:20-23 (NLT)
20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 2 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.
23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”
Philippians 4:8
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my life today?)
Folk may sometimes say that the Bible is full of negative things, because all it ever tells you about are the things that you shouldn’t do. This passage in Mark is probably one of those, because Jesus is warning us about how important it is for us to protect our heart and our soul, for most terrible things that occur come from a heart that is defiled, or soured. Praise God though, that over in Philippians 4 we are told what should occupy our mind, our heart and our soul. Friends I want to encourage you today to: a). Protect your heart from the things mentioned in Mark, for we are warned that these will lead to no good, and b). Look at the positive side of things when faced with challenges or just everyday life. I believe that as we look at the good in folk, we will see good folk, and we will allow them to influence areas of our lives that we may struggle with. Let’s not allow the negative found in many folk to have a negative impact on our already challenged lives.
PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)
Lord Jesus, I will be faced with choices and decisions today where I will decide whether to respond negatively or positively. I am convinced that with Your help, strength and direction, I can make wise choices that will lead to a positive experience others may have in dealing with me. Lord, I want to be just like You, so it is important that I stop and listen to Your voice before making stupid responses or acting in ways that will not reflect Your loving nature. Please have Your will and way in my life today, so that I may represent You well in all of life’s circumstances.
**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
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Nuggets From God's Word 