Inside out - 08/23/12 - Ezekiel 24:15-25:17, 29:1-16, 30:20-31:18, Jeremiah 34:1-22, 21:1-14

"But your sins will eat away at you from within" (Ezekiel 24:23)

Truth - it always, always, prevails.  You can try and bury it, deny it, twist it around- yet it always comes out. 

That is the way it works with our hearts too.  What we have inside of them, will come out.   You can see it in our expressions, the lines/wrinkles that are formed by the face we wear.  Your eyes, the window to your soul become hardened, pained, full of sorrow, happiness.  Some persons wear their feelings on their sleeve.   Others bury them deep and pretend that life is a bowl of cherries.

And some persons, call themselves "Christians", but their hearts belong to self/satan.  And what you are inside will overtake your life - your whole being. 

I love the saying, "just because you sit in a pew doesn't make you a Christian anymore than sitting in a garage makes you a car".  

One of our questions in group last night was, "if you are done with sin".  No way!  But, even though my heart still struggles with sinning - it's different now.  Before I didn't care if I hurt God.  Now, the Holy Spirit and His Word convicts me.  My "Christian family" holds me accountable.  All of these elements help me to grow - to walk away from sin.  Thankfully, I am growing and some things that used to tempt me, no longer do.  That doesn't mean that self/satan aren't right there throwing other sins in my path!

He promises, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it." (I Corinthians 10:13) 

It is my choice what to put into my heart, my life. 

The truth will set you free - no longer a slave to sin. There are not enough words to describe the feeling of knowing I am free from the cancer of sin eating away at me from the inside out. 

I pray that when I am seen, I shine because of Him totally taking over my heart, soul and mind.