Today’s Scripture: If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11 ESV
Does this feel wrong for you to say or spark your curiosity about me? Is this a “positive” affirmation? YES. I am positively evil and I am positive this is a huge step in being able to walk through God’s narrow way.
My evil nature must be laid before God. My ego and pride must be laid upon the alter of my Father in Heaven. Matthew 7 is a wonderful chapter full of Godly teaching It begins with “Judge not, that you be not judged.”
The more I present the log in my own eye to God the more I come to see His gifts. When I go to Him in prayer and realize how I, who am evil, must lay myself before him in poverty of soul to need Him, the more I come to know Him.
Do you think there is a greater need to lay our evilness before God than to confront the evil in others?
Today’s Prayer: Father God, thank You for the multitude of gifts You give to us. Thank You for Your Word that reminds us of our need for You. LORD, I lay my evil nature before You so You may replace my will with Yours. I present all of me to You and welcome Your Spirit. Amen
Tom Raines
Christian Affirmations 4 Life
“Do you think there is a greater need to lay our evilness before God than to confront the evil in others?” Yes I do. Often when I can recognize my own evil I find that part of the reason I consider eveil in others is because of some evil inclination within myself. By bringing my own wickedness to the cross I more eaasily dispense with the sense that I must judge the evil in others. Thanks for this share Tom.
Thank you Joseph! Considering our own evil humbles us to not judge others and advise them of their specs. I appreciate your interesting perspective that if we consider the evil in others that is an indication of something evil within ourselves. Judge not and trust God.
Blessings and thank you for sharing!
Well this title woke me up, Tom!! It’s very difficult for most of us to own that statement–surely we must know that it’s true, but we–I, at least–spend much of our lives making excuses/defenses for it, and then maybe sweating and striving to “make up for”/compensate for it. I used to “explain” (A LOT) why I was so horrible, and then a wise Christian woman on TV told me I couldn’t use that as a “get out of jail free card” anymore. God doesn’t dismiss or diminish the traumatic events that wound and scar us, causing us to behave badly–He knows, He cares. But you’re so right that He wants us to bring it ALL to Him–He’s the only One who can fix things: cleanse us with His Blood, heal and restore us, make us new and whole and righteous. In fact, He sees us that way Today–but how I wish it were a “done deal” that I, and others, could SEE; that I didn’t have to walk out the continuing process. But I always think, “if we didn’t have ‘stuff’ to keep bringing to Him–would we come to Him at all?” When I look at myself frankly–no excuses, explanations–the SELF is disgustingly evil; but thank God for His grace that takes me and loves me “Just As I AM”. God bless you BIG–love, sis Caddo
Yes, Sis Thank God! He made us, He knows us. We break down walls with others when we admit our evilness instead of trying to put on acts of holiness. God knows, we know and we serve the world in a better way by telling our own beautiful stories of how God accepts and loves us unconditionally “Just As I AM”! Thankful I could wake you up;) BIG Blessings and love to you!
I too recognize my evilness. I see the stoniness still in my heart and pray each day for His restoration and renewal. Sin is ugly and the more we see it in our lives the more we are aware of it all around. ~ Blessings ~
Thank you Deborah Ann for sharing with us. Our honesty is the beginning of healing and unloads the baggage that blocks us from the narrow way. We can continue to give it to our God and draw closer to Him. Blessings as you continue to go to Him and share with us your incredibly powerful words.
Blessings and thanksgivings!
Only in Jesus (being in Him, abiding in Him, and His Word in us) are we attractive to the Lord. I am also reminded of the verse that says that all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. May we not ever boast in anything, except Jesus … who makes us righteous before God 🙂
Amen Heidi! It is not what we do but what Jesus does through us. I pray He lives through us and we always glorify Him. Thank you!
I remember hearing my brother-in-law, a mighty man of God, quote Jeremiah 17:9 to me years ago:”The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” I also vividly remember my mind rejecting that… Pride! Just now, I felt Holy Spirit leading me to read that passage and it was the very next line that struck me: I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:10). If my desire is to live for Him…produce fruit for Him, then He must show me who I truly am without Him! This makes me truly lean on and trust in Him AND allows him to change me…Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Thank You Jesus for changing me!!!! And Thank you Tom, for what may be, strangely to some, one of the best affirmations I’ve read here Tom! Glory to God! God bless you, yours, and your readers, Cindy
Me again…making a cup of tea and still reflecting on this post! This old song by Shaun Groves came to me…I really do pray these songs are a blessing to you as they are to me. God bless, Cindy http://youtu.be/CCvD8n1YapA
Cindy, trust me your gifts of these songs are a true BLESSING to me. It does not cross my mind to go and look for songs…if you could see my hands raised high during this song and asking Jesus to make His home in me, you would know. He knows. Thank you for encouraging us through song and His Word. Blessings to you today! I am so thankful for you being faithful to His Spirit to feed us.
Oh my, Cindy…I am chuckling as I read your comment from yesterday…Although I am in Matthew 7 the LORD spoke to me this morning about the fruits we bear…and here You were providing this yesterday from Jeremiah!!! I never read that! The LORD’S Word will be heard. I am overwhelmed by God’s glory and the way He speaks and confirms us. I am bewildered at how He had your heart on Fruits yesterday and here this morning He had me there. He is obviously encouraging us to bear the fruits He has given us…as Patsy said the other day, “Get out of the boat”…go and bear the fruit I have given you to bear. I am praying now Cindy that God helps us live the will of God and bear His fruits…that is all I am asking (per your song this morning:). Come Jesus, make Your home in me so I will bear Your fruits…JUST WOW! Another one of those crazy moments in God’s glory!!