Monday Reading: Proverbs 26:24-26
Key Verse: Proverbs 26:24
24 He who hates pretends with his lips and stores up deceit within him.
Devotion:
I don't think any of us could truly admit to never holding a grudge against someone at sometime. We all like to think that we will be able to forgive and forget, but at some stage we think others go a bit far and we start remembering what they are doing. Before long, we have got a whole string of things that we have remembered and then we start to break those instances down into deceitful things in our hearts. At first, we probably do not mean anything by them, but the longer they stay in our hearts, the more they eat up at us and the more we dwell on them. Before long we have used them to plot something against our adversary – or at least that is now how we see them!
Key Verse: Proverbs 26:24
24 He who hates pretends with his lips and stores up deceit within him.
Devotion:
I don't think any of us could truly admit to never holding a grudge against someone at sometime. We all like to think that we will be able to forgive and forget, but at some stage we think others go a bit far and we start remembering what they are doing. Before long, we have got a whole string of things that we have remembered and then we start to break those instances down into deceitful things in our hearts. At first, we probably do not mean anything by them, but the longer they stay in our hearts, the more they eat up at us and the more we dwell on them. Before long we have used them to plot something against our adversary – or at least that is now how we see them!
When we get to that stage we may well say anything to convince others that we are not holding a grudge, but deep in our hearts we have that grudge and it is gaining in strength hour by hour. It is no longer the one thing that we remember that has been done against us, but a whole string of things. When we are confronted, we may well try our best to cover it up, but before long, the deceit that is in our hearts will overflow and consume the words that come out of our mouths. Then it is too late – everyone sees what we have been doing for the past days or weeks...
But one thing we have forgotten. We are on view to Christ at all times! Our heart is an open book for Him to see what we are doing. As soon as we start to take on that grudge, He is waiting for us to admit it to Him. We may well be careful enough to not let anyone see what we have inside, but God knows. Before long He will allow us to see what we are doing, and if we are listening to Him, we will recognise that we are doing wrong. But far too often we will block things out just so that we can continue with our self deceit to prolong our grudge... just so that we can feel like we have got our own way!
Points to Ponder:
Are you holding a grudge?
Are you listening to God?
Are you holding a grudge?
Are you listening to God?