Evening Prayer: February 9th

Gracious and loving God: For this day I give you thanks. It has had its challenges and it has had its joys. In those moments when the challenges threatened to overtake me, I give you thanks that you were my strength and my salvation. For the moments of joy, I thank you forallowing me to see your grace. The journey is never easy, but my peace comes from having had you walk with me throughout this day. Now as the shadows overtake the earth, I pray that you would hold me close and shield me from the hand of Satan. If it be thy will that I wake to a new day, may I wake with a song in my heart knowing that you are the source of my life. Thank you for your love for me. In the blessed name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Daily Scripture Passage: Psalm 94:12-15

Psalm 94:12-15 (ESV)

¹² Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord,
    and whom you teach out of your law,
¹³ to give him rest from days of trouble,
    until a pit is dug for the wicked.
¹⁴ For the Lord will not forsake his people;
    he will not abandon his heritage;
¹⁵ for justice will return to the righteous,
    and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Thoughts to Ponder from Mark 7:14-23

Mark 7:14-23 (ESV)

What Defiles a Person

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Have you ever felt like you were leading two different lives? On the one hand, there’s the “you” that everyone sees on a daily basis. It’s the personality you project to the world, maybe even to your closest friends and loved ones. But on the other hand, there may be a “you” that you keep hidden – a person who is hiding sins and imperfections, always trying to put on a good show.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus explains that the origins of sin and defilement are in the disposition of the heart. In other words, the outward expression of sin – cheating, lying, stealing, acts of impurity – all start as germs of thought and desire in our hearts. Think of an iceberg: A small portion is visible, but the biggest chunk of ice is below the surface. A ship’s captain may think that the tip of the iceberg is just a chunk of floating ice, nothing worth worrying about. But if he fails to account for the foundation, the results could be disastrous. In a similar way, if we discount our own sins as random acts of disobedience without dealing with what is churning away in our hearts, we too are asking for trouble. The hidden portion of the iceberg is still there and still very dangerous.

Experience tells us that what is in our hearts will eventually affect our behavior and our relationships. Holding on to sin in secret will darken our spiritual clarity and wound our friends and family members – often in ways we may not expect. And then there is also the stress we experience from trying to keep parts of our lives in the dark and having to keep up an act.

Imagine how much peace we would have if our inner hearts and outer lives truly were reflections of Christ. Today, let’s try to do just that, by bringing our inner darkness into the light of Christ. The best way to do this is through repentance, which truly is a gift from God. When we repent, we begin the process of healing and reconciliation. Come clean to the Lord, and watch to see how he brings peace and clarity to your heart!

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