What’s More Important Than Looking Good On The Outside?

Brian — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 07:30:39 +0000

I grabbed my camera quickly as I often do to capture the beautiful scenery for the next day’s post before I lost the opportunity. This time it was of Canadian geese that had returned to an early spring. I admired their beauty as I swiftly focused and grabbed the shot. “Perfect”, I said to myself, “They didn’t even move”

Shortly after taking the photo something seemed odd. Geese are incredibly loud creatures and I hadn’t heard even one make a noise. As I studied more closely, I noticed that they appeared to be dead and frozen to the pond. My stomached dropped. How sad! The timeless and pristine photo I captured, though it looked like it was teaming with life, was actually a picture of a gravesite.

Sadly, this reminded me there are several people who on the outside appear to be some pretty amazing believers; when in reality their hearts are still dead in their trespasses. While their lips honor and build up, their hearts are far from the One through whom all things were created. They do not seek to surrender, love, and carry out the work of God and their end is the way of death.

To my relief, I found out later the birds were alive, but the illustration will forever be burned in my brain.

Reflection

Examine yourselves honestly to see if Christ is in you. Do not be found as the man whose lips praise and whose heart detests our Father in heaven.

Confess to the LORD anything that is separating you from Him.

Turn from those things and follow hard after God alone!

Prayer

Father we are guilty of caring more about the outside than the heart. For You can see all things and You know our hearts. Draw us to You and make Your thoughts ours. Let us not be content with just giving You lip service and the doctrines of men, but instead let us run to You, surrendering all of our hearts in Christ’s name Amen!

In Word And In Heart

Brian — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 11:46:49 +0000

“Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.” Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?” You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, That what is made would say to its maker, “He did not make me”; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, “He has no understanding?”

~ Isaiah 29:13-16 NASB

When will we realize that God is the giver of all, sees all, and knows the depths of our heart? There is no intention that is hidden from Him.

How sharp are the words of scripture; never wavering from the truth. How rotten the aroma of our arrogance that we continue in sin as if God is not real. We have been given new life and are to walk in it. No longer are we to walk in the death that our flesh used to. Praise God for His perfect son who has delivered us from this body of death!

May 2017 bring a time of renewal where our whole hearts draw near to God. May it not just be going through the motions; instead let us cast ourselves at His feet in fully surrendered worship! It is there we find victory and peace from all that ails us. .

#turthtalk4life #knowlivespeaktruthinlove

Make sure to share and add these hashtags above. How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!
@brianfriedl
Note: All Bible quotes are taken from the New American Standard Bible offered by youversion.com unless otherwise stated.

lips – Brian Friedl

What’s More Important Than Looking Good On The Outside?

In Word And In Heart