Daily Devotional
Do You Have A Crooked Heart?
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Matthew 5:8
May 20, 2024
Ponder This
I’ve visited a sawmill from time to time, and it’s very interesting to watch them put logs on that cradle and lop off the edges. They’ll take a big log out of the woods that has bumps and knots on it. It may be a little crooked, but they lay it on that cradle, run it through, and lop of one side of that log. Then, they bring it back, turn it, run it through again, and lop off another side. And they repeat this process on the whole log. Finally, it’s perfectly square, and if you stand and look down it, it’s perfectly straight. But if you’ll go and look at the end, the heart is still crooked. That’s the way it is with some individuals.
Some individuals show reform outwardly. But the Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). That’s the reason outward reformation is not enough. You need regeneration. If a man is a drunkard and quits drinking without getting saved, all that means is he’ll go to Hell sober. He’s still got to be saved. The problem is not on the outside; the problem is on the inside. Let God deal with the sin inside your heart.
- When have you been tempted to deal with sin only externally rather than let God work on your heart internally?
- What are some sin issues God has revealed in your heart recently?
Practice This
Pray and ask God to deal with the sin in your heart at the core level.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
