This week i was in prayer and the Lord spoke a scripture to me, what seemed out of no where. i thought, "hmmm, i guess i better study that out."
We can never assume that we really know what a scripture means until we study it out ourselves. i never take the word of a pastor's about scripture, i go to church and take notes, only to come home and study it out myself to see if God reveals the same thing to me. the truth is, in doing so, it's pleasing to God, but it gives Him the opportunity to reveal truth to ME and MY HEART. i recommend that anyone that is reading these bible studies, be sure that you get your bible out and study these things YOURSELF to be sure that it is true, don't just take MY word for it, i could be lying to you. Your pastor could be lying to you!
The word says to, "study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman need not be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH." 2 TIM 2:15 if it's really from God, when we sit down to study it, if it is truth, God will reveal it to us too.
ok, so...here's the scripture: "THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, AND DESPERATELY WICKED: WHO CAN KNOW IT?"
that word "deceitful" means: sly, insidious, slippery
"desperately wicked" means: to be weak, sick, frail, to be incurable, & woeful, in need of help
"who can know it" to perceive, find out & discern, to distinguish
many people over the years have always told me to follow my heart, listen to my heart...that is BADDDDD advice! what i didn't know in following that advice, i have found that listening to my own heart has always lead me astray, down the wrong path...a "slippery one."
we can't know our own hearts. that is the simple truth. we are not "good," there is none good but God",(Mark 10:18) "none righteous, no not one," (Rom 3:10) and the Word of the Lord "is a lamp unto our feet, a light unto our path," therefore we should put not our confidence in man, nor trust in the flesh, but rather in God. (Ps 118:8, Phil 3:4).
A well known theologian, Adam Clark states: "It even hides itself from itself; so that its owner does not know it. A corrupt heart is the worst enemy the fallen creature can have; it is full of evil devices,-of deceit, of folly, and abomination, and its owner knows not what is in him till it boils over, and is often past remedy before the evil is perceived. Therefore trust not in man, whose purposes are continually changing, and who is actuated only by motives of self-interest."
i thought that was an excellent explanation. let me give a pure example of it.
at the beginning of this week, i emailed a friend of mine to inquire upon what it was that the Lord was showing him lately. his reply was that he wasn't trying to be mean, but he wasn't going to reveal anything about his walk to me at this time. i was hurt, couldn't figure out why the attitude and tone?! i told him i understood, wasn't trying to pry, just was trying to share Christ with him. (the truth is, in my heart, i was wanting to show him what I KNOW about the WORD OF GOD...although i didn't want to admit that to myself at the time. but, pride comes before a fall) i got my feelings hurt a little by his response. then later that day, he emailed only to kindly tell me that he felt as though the past couple of times i had emailed him, i had offended him and belittled him in his walk. and he gave me the specific examples of what i had said. and i was rightfully accused! guilty. unfortunately, the Lord used this friend to show me something that the Lord was trying to illustrate to me about my heart. sometimes i can be a little overzealous, but God is teaching me. thankfully He is patient with me.
i had to see first hand how wicked my heart is. and i'm not the only one, all of us are guilty of the same! remember, there's none good but God, no not one!
Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually.
verse:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
those are some pretty strong statements! that our hearts are EVIL and CONTINUALLY WICKED!
we need to be able to openly admit what we are to God! if we are honest and can assess that we truly need His help.
1Jo 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
I have some scriptures for the skeptical that believe that they are walking in sinless perfection. :D
1Cr 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
Pro 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.
Pro 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.
God thought this one so important, He had King Solomon, the wisest man ever on earth to write it in here twice!
Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Mat 26:33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all [men] shall be offended because of thee, [yet] will I never be offended.
if we haven't read this story, we need to. Peter exclaims to Christ that he would not be offended by Him, that he would follow Him, even unto His death, and yet, when the time came, he did what all of us would have done...he deinied Him. because he didn't want to endure what Christ was enduring, we DON'T WANT TO DIE!!! not to ourselves, not in our own self wants...ahhh, let me get off of that, that is an entirely different study all in itself. :)
In the midst of this, i spent this week hurt by my own heart. I hate it when God shows me my own heart!! i really do, because i don't like to believe how evil and cunning i really can be. those that give a testimony of how they came to Christ and then try to make it seem as though they never do anything displeasing to the Lord, as thought they walk in sinless perfection...they are just hiding their sin better than some of us can, that's all. we are all sinners in need of a Savior, but there is good news! that is what Christ came to give, to give us victory over this nature.
So through this small affliction, i sought the Lord on what my real answer to give to this dilemma would be for myself, as well as to others. He gave it to me, but it will have to be in the next study for the sake of time. i leave you with this:
1Jo 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
