An Unclean Thing
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy as rags; and we all do fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind have taken us away. KJV (also look at the Common Engilsh Version its a bit more graphic.)
I was out walking in the sugar bush checking out the mainlines and damage done by fallen limbs. A relaxing time just being out in God's country. Sometimes inspiration comes in these little adventures of mine. And so I was inspired to cross over into the other area of woods that well, really isn't much but has potential. In order to get there I walked across the mound system in our yard and in the middle of the mound is a vent pipe. Sometimes you will see these things sticking out of the ground. Kinda looks like a hook. I heard a trickling sound which I thought to be unusual. Water was coming out of this particular pipe. HMMM! Better check the gray water tank. Rats! low and behold the tank was full and the excess was going out the vent pipe, which meant only one thing. The mound system had failed. Double Rats! Now a days these types of sytems have two tanks, one for solids and one for gray water. In that order. Once the gray water tank has filled up to a designated level the "bell" is pushed upwards and sends a slug of liquid down the pipe creating a siphon which sucks out about 200 gallons. This is called "dosing." It was not working properly. Our minds and our hearts can do this very thing if not kept clean. The right words, the right thoughts, the things we see, movies, television can have a significant role in what comes out of our mouths and in the way we live. I was reminded of how unclean my heart was after I had dug up the mound system and cut the ends off the pipes that dispersed the gray water into the stone. I won't go into details but it was not fun. I managed to get all 4 pipes cleaned and working properly just in time for single digit weather. This took place December 21 2011, 4 days before Christmas.
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Which will you be today? Lord I pray that you will guard the hearts and minds of men through the FULL ARMOR OF GOD. Amen!
The Fever of Guilt
Psalm 32 Guilt is like a fever of the soul. Like a warning light, our guilt alerts us to our actions that conflict with God's will, ourselves and maybe even others. When we sense the alarm of guilt, many of us descend into deep depression, condemning ourselves or imagining various ways that God will punish us. Wallowing in feelings of guilt, however, only leaves us discouraged and spiritually drained.
David understood the fever of guilt, but he also knew the recovery that could come with forgiveness. Both guilt and forgiveness are described in Psalm 32. It is very possible that David wrote this Psalm around the same time as Psalm 51. Psalm 51 pertains to his adultery with Bathsheba. David initially covered up his adultery with Bathsheba and contrived the murder of Bathsheba's husband, Uriah. David didn't confess his sin until Nathen the prophet confronted him several months later. Psalm 32 gives us an insight into the painful, physical and spiritual symptoms that were generated by David's guilty conscience. These symptoms were resolved only through David's confession of sin and his forgiveness from God.
Sometimes we believe we can make up for our sin because of the suffering we endure from our accusing conscience. But guilt itself cannot atone for our sin. We can only rid ourselves of guilt by dealing with its cause. Once we have treated the root cause of our sin, guilt takes care of itself. In this way, guilt can help bring us to God, prompting us to confess our sins and find forgiveness and restoration. Hiding our sins only gives them increasing power over us. Instead, we must break sin's power by confessing our sin to God and seeking his forgiveness. And God may also lead us to confess our sin to those we have harmed and seek their forgiveness as well. From the NIV Bible.
The 12 "I Will" Statements
The Resolution for Men, written by Stephen and Alex Kendrick (Broadman & Holman). The book is based on the movie Courageous, and is built around 12 “I Will” statements.
1. I WILL solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.
2. I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.
3. I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me.
4. I WILL bless my children and teach them how to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.
5. I WILL train them to honor authority and live responsibly. 6. I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy. 7. I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.
8. I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.
9. I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.
10. I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.
11. I WILL seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.
12. I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill His resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.