MADE ANEW

Kyleaku, Sutherland, Scotland. https://www.facebook.com/SpectacularScotland

Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

I have been battling in the last 24 hours with this devotional post, it was not coming together naturally. Thus I had to sleep on it and leave it in His hands. Today, in the space of a few minutes the Spirit led me to my verse I needed. It came courtesy of a brother on Twitter, Ray Skilton. Ray comes from Maidstone in Kent, his verse posts are always a blessing to me. Further to this as I shared the above verse with Susan, my wife, with the intention of asking for a song…the Spirit gave her a song instantly before I could ask her! This song is shared below the text. Isn’t it amazing how Almighty God interacts with us, in His own perfect time and His own words?

As believers in and children of Almighty God it is necessary to go a step further than believing. Belief needs action to display true faith in God. What value is there in declaring you are a follower of God if your lifestyle is still firmly rooted in the world? I have been prompted by the Spirit to share my own experience in this matter. For some years my life was given over to competitive chess at club level, many hours were spent reading, studying and playing the Royal Game. I also gave time to reading novels as a relief from chess. Both these pastimes were mine; my life away from Him. But my conscience did bother me, I knew I was in the wrong. Deteriorating health made chess difficult and eventually Covid lockdown brought chess to a full stop. Also the book group I attended stopped. With time on my hands at home, the cry of my conscience became too loud to ignore as I turned to His Word. On reflection I can see how Almighty God eventually gets His way, and 100% of my attention! Also I can see how chess and books brought undesirable worldly ideas into my heart, but in the last year of living the surrendered life God has made me anew in Him.

Dear reader, do you have a corner of your life separated from God that does not honour Him? Are you guarding your heart from the temptations of the world? Brethren hear my plea to you: surrender yourself completely to God in all that fills your life, let Him mould you anew today.