February 12, 2023 -- Proverbs 4:20-23 -- The Father's words are life and healing
/People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!
My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:20-23 ESV
Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, today is Sunday, and we have the great privilege of hearing the words of God, our Father. The Bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, preserved by the Spirit through the ages and generations so that men and women would be drawn to the Father’s love through the grace of Jesus Christ. Every page of the Bible speaks of the Father's unstoppable love.
Gathering for worship and hearing the sermon preached is life for all who love Jesus. Your mind and body—your flesh—are healed by the words the Spirit preserved. Old strongholds of sin fall to the ground ruined. The Devil’s lies are exposed by the Word of God. The magnificence of Jesus Christ and His saving grace are highlighted so that Jesus is seen to be more than a mere prophet. Instead He is always revealed to be what He Is: the Captain of Salvation.
Get to church. Listen to your preacher. Let the beauty of the Gospel once again capture your heart and inspire your soul. What you put into your heart, that will flow out over your life. If you constantly stuff your life with evil, or even with subtle sins, these will overflow into every part of your life. If you guard your heart, filling it with the message of the Father’s instruction, your life will overflow with glory to God.
Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name! Thank You for the beauty of Your Word. Thank You for the Spirit Who has preserved the Word through the generations so that it faithfully reflects Your instruction to Your people. Truly these are words of life. Forgive us for the times we have crowded our lives with all kinds of other things and sought substitutes, which were in fact crooked speech and devious talk. Renew in us a holy hunger to know You and receive all the grace and blessing You have in store for us through the grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Draw us to the places where Your people gather and praise You and are instructed in Your will. We pray for friends and family members who are not yet believers, and we pray for the many people in this world who still stubbornly refuse You. Father in heaven, give to Jesus the reward for which He died--rescue great multitudes from the kingdom of darkness and bring them into the Kingdom of Light, the Kingdom of the Son You love. Amen.
https://youtu.be/agROj9nTQP4
Chris Tomlin "Take My LIfe and Let It Be"
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