Eviction
Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV) —
‘Search me, O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me and lead me in an everlasting way.’
Hebrew 12:1 (NLT) —
‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.’
Sometimes addition is by subtraction. We can spend a lot of time thinking 'How can I add more to what I have, what I am?' but do we spend enough time managing and stewarding what we already have? Is everything that is in your life beneficial? In fact, are there some things in your life that are working against you and not for you? It's important to identify these stumbling blocks and remove them so we become more effective in living for Jesus and 'running the race God has set before (you).'
The Bible tells us to guard our hearts, being mindful of what we are letting into them. David, in the first passage above, was brave enough to ask God to search him through and through and reveal any sin.
What a request and how powerful it is! Before we do anything that manifests in the physical world, we must remember that it begins in our hearts. So, let us, like David, ask our kind Lord to evaluate the condition of our hearts, checking our motives and desires. We protect ourselves from inroads and attacks of the Enemy by stewarding what we allow into our lives and hearts. Heart-transformation happens through the Word of God, prayer, and worship.
Let Father God through his Spirit trim and shape your heart, kicking out what he hates and allowing him to permeate your very being. Just as God, before the disastrous Fall, would walk with Adam in the garden of Eden in the cool of the evening, let him abide in your heart, walk with him as friend with friend, as his Word lives in you.
Reflection: What are my stumbling blocks in running the race God has set before me?