Good morning ladies! I've been thinking and praying about this week's devotional, and I wanted to write about the fruit of the spirit to go along with the "planting" theme that has been on my heart lately. But, nothing was coming to me. So today I sat down to write, and realizing that I could find a devotion online to share, or I could wait on the Lord, I held out for God and He challenged me and put this on my heart instead.
This week has been tough for me, because I have been dealing with some family stuff that is a very long story and has affected me for my whole life. It seems as though things are coming to a head and I'm doing my best to listen to God in this time and speak when He wants me to speak, and be still all the other times. I'm feeling frustrated and disappointed watching people that I have looked up to, some who are Christians, fall due to sin and stubbornness and pride. As I sat down to write this devotional, this song came to my head. It is called "If We're Honest" by Francesca Battistelli. The lyrics really hit home for me, because when we are hard-hearted and stubborn and prideful, we cannot allow our sin to be dealt with and our hearts to be changed. We continue to be held in bondage by our unGodly beliefs and the things we hide from the Lord. We can lie to ourselves and think we are ok, but eventually the lies eat us alive. Every time we choose sin, it separates us from God, and it becomes easier to choose sin again and again until we become blind to it.
Adam and Eve were a perfect example of this, because as soon as they sinned that very first time, they were ashamed and grew fearful because they were exposed. What did they do? They tried to hide themselves from God. We are human. We are not perfect, and God doesn't expect us to be perfect. He does however, want to us to flee from sin. He wants us to recognize the sin in our hearts and when we do fall, to confess it and bring it to Him so He can forgive us and cleanse us. He doesn't want us to hide. He doesn't want our hearts to grow hard and separate us from Him. He wants us to be honest with ourselves, with Him, and with each other (See 1 John 1:9 and James 5:16). He wants our whole hearts. I have personally experienced blindness to sin and the wall I had built between God and myself, but I have also experienced the miracle of when God opened my eyes and allowed me to see the depth of my sin, and the freedom He gives through true repentance. Whatever we build, God can bring down, praise Jesus!
I hope you enjoy this song, and I pray that if there is anything that you have been keeping from God, that you ask the Holy Spirit to give you the strength to expose it so the enemy cannot use it against you anymore, and that you can have true freedom through Christ Jesus.
"If We're Honest" Lyrics:
Truth is harder than a lie
The dark seems safer than the light
And everyone has heart that loves to hide
I'm a mess and so are you
We've built walls nobody can get through
Yeah, it may be hard, but the best thing we could ever do, ever do
Bring your brokenness and I'll bring mine
'Cause love can heal what hurt divides
And mercy's waiting on the other side
If we're honest
If we're honest
Don't pretend to be something that you're not
Living life afraid of getting caught
There is freedom found when we lay our secrets down at the cross, at the cross
Bring your brokenness and I'll bring mine
'Cause love can heal what hurt divides
And mercy's waiting on the other side
If we're honest
If we're honest
It would change our lives
It would set us free
It's what we need to be
Bring your brokenness and I'll bring mine
'Cause love can heal what hurt divides
And mercy's waiting on the other side
If we're honest
If we're honest
Heavenly Father,
Your word says that we are free because of what Christ did for us on the cross. Your word also says to not allow our sin to keep us in bondage any longer. I pray Lord that your Holy Spirit will work in our lives to give us the strength and courage to expose the sin we have been hiding from you, and that we will give it over to you once and for all. I pray for freedom for all the believers who love and believe you but have been hiding from you. I pray that as Christian women we can love and support one another and be transparent and non-judgemental with one another. I pray that you help us forgive those who have wronged us, and help us to walk in the abundant life that you sacrificed so much for. I pray that when you speak to us, we are listening.
In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
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