March 26, 2019
Isaiah 55:6-9 New Living Translation
Today is the eighteenth day of our 40-Day Lenten Series, “Praying for a Kingdom Heart.” Lent should be a time of prayerful reflection, repentance, and restoration as we draw closer to the heart of God. I am very proud of those of you who have been reading the devotions and allowing the Word of God to settle into your souls. Reflection that leads to repentance and restoration begins in our thoughts as we meditate on the Word. Remember, humanity thought it was foolish to acknowledge God, so “he abandoned us to our foolish thinking” (Rom 1:28). The Lord transforms us from being foolish children of the world into children of faith in a loving God by saving us and changing the way we think (Rom 12:2). Christ is Truth and our Source for Wisdom. Therefore, the believer’s minds can become a great battlefield between truth and deception. The enemy is a liar and he will not give up working against your devotion to God or your quest for Truth. Knowing or identifying Truth is essential to winning the spiritual battle. Don’t ask the world about who God is and what pleases him; the world has been abandoned to foolish thinking. Go to the Word and see what it reveals about God’s character and expectations for his children; pray for Wisdom as you read. Scripture is the story of God’s self-revelation to the world; it is the Wisdom people need to move beyond foolish thinking into faith living and enjoy his holy presence. Have you found yourself wondering if your thoughts about God and his ways are based on Wisdom?
As humans, we should never be so foolish as to think we have a handle on God’s thoughts and presume to understand his ways. However, we can know his heart for us as his children; he affirms us with his love. Trying to fit an infinite God into our human thoughts is ludicrous. Trying to live our lives according to our flesh or according the culture is equally ludicrous. Apply the Word to your life and look for the fruit of the Kingdom to manifest in you. God’s children are known by their good fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control). When the believer bears Kingdom fruit it is a revelation of God’s presence in us…and God smiles!
During Lent, we will be using the acronym P.R.A.Y. as we pray for a Kingdom Heart. P=praise, R=repent, A=ask, and Y=yield. May God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer today.