Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart:
Proverbs 20:27, “The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.”
When you do not exercise your spirit, you stay enmeshed with yourself.
You remain a whole person, an unbroken person.
You are proud, you cannot admit, you cannot confess, you cannot apologize, because there is no objective base in you.
You are caught up and immersed in the feelings of pride with its stiff neck and its inability to lose its face.
This self is so intact and whole that it cannot be broken through, it cannot be penetrated, it cannot be reached, because it does not know itself.
It does not know its folly.
Apart from our spirit, we do not know ourselves, we are ignorant of ourselves.
But when we touch our spirit, we loathe ourselves.
We recognize that there is nothing good in us.
Through and through we are altogether flesh.
We are full of sin and the flesh with its reactions, bitterness, hatred, and lust.
Indeed, every gross sin is a possibility with us.
The spirit of man is the key to knowing ourselves in God’s light.
This is revealed not only in Proverbs 20:27, but also in 1 Corinthians 2:11: “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?”
Ezekiel 36:31 tells us what happens at the time of receiving a new spirit (cf. verse 26): “Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.”
In other words, from our spirit we know ourselves in God’s light, we are inwardly searched, and we are able to loathe ourselves.
Loathing ourselves has nothing to do with morbid introspection.
It is actually a gift of grace imparting to us the ability to remain objective about our fallen state by agreeing with God’s judgment of it.
Until Tomorrow,
With A Shepherd’s Love
Pastor
TODAY’S PRAYER LIST
Amy Garner’s Mom & Dad
Brandon’s Dad
Dan Haines
Dr. Don Davis – Home
Freddie May’s Mom
George Alexander
Jane Hicks
Joan Cronan’s Sister
Linda Hodges’ Sister
Michael Stanley
John McClain
Ronnie Palmer
Linda Lanier
Melisa Smith’s G’Father
Ricky Gipson – Ashley’s Brother
Tom Witcher
Ann Sullivan – Paula’s Friend
Bentley Smith
James Garner’s Friend
Kim McClain’s Mother
Lonzo Christian
Ashley Burn’s Sisters
Bill Moody
Charlie Sessom – Waiting
Colby/Connor – Allison’s G’sons
Greg Payne – Lisa’s Brother
Hanna Hall – Pray for Grace
Kenny & Nora Allison
Kimberly – Dustin’s Sister
Larry Barker
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Mary Sims
Marynell Ford
Pastor & Mrs. Driskell
Paula Ferus’ Missionary Friend
Ricky Stubbs
Roseleigh Osborn
Scott Lanier – Linda’s Son
Shaelyn – Jill’s Friend
Sheila Simmon’s Cousin
Tammy Shellnut’s Mother/Dad