Week 3 in Review
Three weeks have just flown by! I hope you have been blessed by this time spent in God’s word. If you’re starting to fall behind or get discouraged, don’t worry! Just jump back in where we’re at next week, get in fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ, and talk to your heavenly Father about it.
Here’s a couple links to some great articles about reading the Bible on Desiring God, I’d highly recommend them!
Treat yourself to the voice of God
The morning I heard the voice of God
This past week we finished off Revelation and got a good ways into Matthew. So far I’ve been really struck by Jesus’ sermon on the mount. It has spoken to me more on this read through that any other.
The portion that really stuck out to me is Matthew 6:19-24, where Jesus is talking about how we should not long for the things of this world.
The verse I’d specifically like to talk about is Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We hear this verse a lot and I think it’s easy to glaze over it and miss how important of a statement this is. This verse is and should be a very convicting reminder for us to evaluate where our hearts are at.
So how can we figure that out?
How we speak and act.
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Luke 6:45
Where our heart is at will come out through the way we speak and act. I’m not talking about how we are at work when we have a filter on, I’m talking about when you’re with your friends, your spouse, parents, or children. Are we loving our wives? Respecting our husbands? Being patient with our children?
What we think about.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
Romans 8:5-6
What is most on our mind is a great indication of where our hearts are at. What are you thinking about most regularly? Far too often when we look at this, the answer is politics, that frustration at work, anxiety about money, or that next purchase we want to make that we’re so sure will make us happy. Far too rarely do we find our heart snugly resting in and contemplating the glory of our Lord.
Alright, so now we’ve been convicted, luckily God’s word has lots to say about how we can address the issue of our treasuring the wrong things.
David gives us a great example of how we can pray about this.
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
Psalms 139:23-24
We can also follow the advice given to Timothy.
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
1 Timothy 6:17
And let’s follow Paul’s direction given to the church in Philippi.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8
God is ALL of those things, and what better way to set our thoughts on Him than reading His Word and praying?