Confessions of a Church: Apply the Word

The Psalm writer wrote:  Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received.   This is the word of God.  It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.

Proverbs 16:23-33 The heart of the wise instructs his mouth And adds persuasiveness to his lips. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on. A worthless man digs up evil, While his words are like scorching fire. A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends. A man of violence entices his neighbor And leads him in a way that is not good. He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things; He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass. A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness. He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city. The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but it's end is the way of death. Nowhere is this more clearly on display that at the abortion mill or our Thunder Over Louisville outreach. Mother's reject God's Word as they march in one after the other to murder their children, trading the life of their child for the plans of their heart. As men of God preach, women share their faith, and children bear witness to the fact that they are a blessing from the Lord, the crowds mock, scoff, and reject the Word of God. They throw off all restraint, and set their faces and hardened hearts down a path which God tells us will lead them to death. We fear for these image bearers, so we plead for their souls.
 What about you? Are there any areas of your life where you reject the authority of God's Word and replace it with the plans of your heart? What is that one thing you are engaged in, that one area of your life that you have compartmentalized and said “God can have His way in my life everywhere but here”? When we hear the pastor say “This is the Word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life”, do we really believe that, or do we have some place within our hearts where no one but God can see, where we “secretly” supplant Gods plan with our own? Brothers and sisters, this ought not be. This way leads to death. The outward display of rejecting the authority of God is often easy to recognize, but those internal rebellions can be more subtle. Think of the cup that is clean on the outside, while inside it is filthy, contaminated.

Let us kneel and cry out to God for mercy where we have devised our own plans contrary to God's will.

Dear Merciful Heavenly Father, You are worthy of all praise and honor and glory. You are Holy Holy Holy, and we are men, women, boys and girls of unclean lips, with hearts full of the plans of our own imaginations, rather than Your will. Lord it is easy for us to recognize the speck of disobedience in the lives of others, while the plank of rejecting Your plans blinds our vision. Please forgive us for seeking to replace Your will with ours.Outward displays of rejecting Your Holy will are readily apparent, while the hatred of Your will hidden within our hearts is often times harder to recognize. It's subtle, deceptive, and oftentimes has the appearance of godliness, but in the end rejects Your power. Please help us Oh Lord to recognize all the areas hidden within our hearts where we pursue plans according to our will be done, rather than Your will be done. It’s in the mighty name of Your son Jesus that we pray, Amen.

 Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe:

Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.

Lift up your hearts!!!

(From the 4-22-18 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.)