Deuteronomy 30:5 – “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, some verses filled my thoughts.   In Deuteronomy 30:6, Moses spoke of having circumcised hearts, enabling them to love God with their entire person.  They knew the commandments, but Moses knew that unless their hearts were changed, they would not successfully follow the commandments. Heart vs. Mind.

In Acts 11:17, we find the revelation that God is not bound by man’s traditions, doctrines, ideology, or philosophy. The question is, “What do we do when God dismantles our doctrinal positions and invalidates our traditions?”   We can be like the Pharisees and seek to destroy what we disagree with, or follow God’s move and modify our minds to fit His purposes.

Paul made an interesting statement in Acts 14:22 about entering the kingdom by tribulation. I do not discount persecution, but suggest that this could be viewed as overcoming difficulty and pressing in with unrelenting persistence. Only those unwilling to quit short of having God’s presence will enter in. Living with the kingdom fully manifest in our hearts enables us, like Paul and Silas, to praise in prison.

It is one thing to know about the material, but another to be transformed by the Truth. Knowing it intellectually is only step one, not the destination. Embracing it in the heart transforms and transformed lives and changes cultures.

Lord, help us to be one with Your Word, not simply know the language. Let our walk be greater than our talk.