Searching Moral Inventory

A searching moral inventory is an intense evaluation of the thoughts, words and actions in our life at any moment of time. This is a very helpful practice, because it rids us of negative issues, which plague our life.

We ask God to search us and to examine our heart as if it is on trial, so that we can see if there are any wicked intents in our thoughts, which God needs to heal and redirect (Psalm 139:23).

The cauldron filters silver and the furnace refines gold in the same way that the Lord purifies the hearts of His people (Proverbs 17:3). He sanctifies our soul, so that we can speak as one approved and entrusted by God to share His Gospel message.

It is in our best interest to walk uprightly before the Lord, blameless before Him and in our testimony to the world (Job 31:6). We no longer need anyone else's approval, because God's opinion of us is all that really matters (1 Thessalonians 2:4; Psalm 26:2).

We cannot always know our hidden faults and failings, but God's Spirit will bring them to our attention if we take the time to listen (Psalm 7:9, 19:12). A searching moral inventory reveals negative emotions, thoughts of regret and revenge, as well as shameful deeds for which we need to make amends.

It will relieve repressed stress and it will cause new stress until we repent and surrender control of our life to God. Once we fearlessly confront our issues and submit our self to God's healing scalpel, we are free from the bondage in which the past held us captive all of our life (Hebrews 4:12).

When we commit our ways to the Lord, He judges us righteously, tests our heart and metes out vengeance on those who misjudge us. He rewards each of us according to what our deeds deserve (Jeremiah 11:20; 17:10, 20:12).

We confess the root cause of the destructive behavior, which once dominated our life and God sets us free to live in His victorious grace and love. We mend relationships and are ready to face the future in the center of God's will - the happiest place on earth.

Prayer:

Father God, at times we are afraid to search our heart too closely. We know that there are wicked thoughts, desires and attitudes lurking in the dark corners of our soul. We are often afraid of these emotions; preferring to ignore them rather than to ferret them out, discover their cause and find a resolution to these unresolved conflicts.

Help us to bless those who hurt and curse us, and to allow You to take vengeance on these ignorant people who do not realize to whom we belong. You are the King of the galaxies and You ride the wings of the wind to come to the aid of all of those who trust in You (Psalm 104:3).

Thought for the Day:

Let us take a frequent searching moral inventory of our soul, to repent of our sins, to return to the everlasting arms of the Lord from which we strayed and to ensure His blessings on our life both now and in eternity.

- Lamentations 3:40

Hearing from God

 

Satan hates authentic Born Again Believers, because we spend each moment of our day listening to God’s Spirit and obeying His promptings.

The devil's only recourse is to plant doubts in our mind about whether or not the thought in our mind is from God. We analyze the leading and often decide it is only our human thought.

Then, we end up in confusion and even regret, because we missed a great opportunity designed just for us by our loving Heavenly Father. We can quickly repent and then hear from God for our next moment.

When the thought is from God, His Holy Spirit who abides in us gives us His peace deep within our spirit. If there is any doubt or unrest in our spirit, we stop and wait on God to clarify His will for the moment.

The Spirit and the Word never disagree. If the thought in our mind is not confirmed by the Bible, then it is not of God. Satan will attempt to twist scriptures or make us distrust God’s Word.

As children of God, we do not live in fear or confusion, but in love - with spiritual power and a stable mind (Romans 8:4; 2 Timothy 1:7). Walking in God’s Will keeps us from having the anxiety and stress of a hectic pace.

God’s presence within us assures us of His will. His omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence guide us throughout our life, so that we can honor God in our thoughts, words and actions (Proverbs 1:7).

Prayer:

Father God, we dwell in You as our sanctuary (Isaiah 8:13-14). You are our comfort and delight. We look forward to serving You each day and enjoying Your presence now and in eternity.

You give us wisdom and direction each moment of our day, so that we can abide in Your presence. You strengthen us, help us and lift us up by Your mighty right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

Thought for the Day:

Living in the Spirit is a life of security, peace and fulfillment.

The Value of God's Blessing

“God bless you” is a common response to people who sneeze. The reason behind this custom is that people used to die during the bubonic plague, and continual sneezing was a symptom of this illness. Now the words are used carelessly and often shortened to “Bless you”, leaving God out of the equation all together. However, God’s blessing is very powerful and coveted by people who know its value.

Jacob knew the value of God’s blessing. In fact, he bargained with his brother Esau to give to him, the younger brother, the blessing, which rightfully belonged to the older brother. If Esau valued his blessing, he would not have traded it for a bowl of hearty soup; but the carnal Esau was famished after a day of hunting, and his stomach ruled his head. He never regretted this decision either. In fact, God knew this would happen before it ever occurred (Genesis 25:19-34).

In today’s society, we continually compromise the values, which lead to God’s blessings. Adultery in marriage, sexual indulgence with the same gender, rebellion against parents and authority, witchcraft, God-haters, rejecting God’s truth to trust in Satan’s lies, and worshipping the created rather than the Creator are just a few of our transgressions. We also teach others to do these very same things (Romans 1). We fail to acknowledge God. We are too busy futilely planning our own life (Proverbs 3:5-6).

God promises blessings to His Saints, including those of peace, direction and abundance (Philippians 4:7; James 1:17; 2 Corinthians 9:8-10). We are His people, and He is our God (Ezekiel 36:28-38). As His Saints, we never worry about amassing the vanities of life, or even the essential things we need (Proverbs 30:8). God is always faithful. In our finite, human imagination we cannot even conceive of the wondrous bounty that God has planned for His people both now and in eternity (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Prayer:

Father God, the true essence of prayer is a direct line of communication with You. You are the source of all life and we truly value Your blessings in our life. The sinful lifestyle we give up in order to live in Your presence is nothing compared to the riches You have for us both now and in eternity (Acts 17:11; Romans 8:18-19). We stand firmly in the freedom of Your presence (Galatians 5:1). As we wait on You, we receive our strength for each new day (Isaiah 40:31).

Thought for the Day:

With God’s blessings in our life, we never have to give another thought to what we should eat or wear, because of what He has in store for us. - Luke 12:22-31