Matthew 12

Today’s thought is Singleness of Mind and Heart.

Matthew 12 warns of the destructiveness of dividedness.  Specifically, Jesus was addressing the charge that His miraculous power was demonic.  He explained the fallacy and gave the reminder and revelation that a divided kingdom is unstable and unsustainable. 

Our Lord continued with a revelation on how to reclaim lost goods, protect what God has put in our care, and how to defeat the devil.

Divided kingdoms. 

Is not our heart a kingdom?  The kingdom of our souls?  If it is divided, it becomes unstable, and we struggle needlessly. 

The first action for any believer is to resist being of a divided or double mind.  We seek to bring every thought into captivity to Jesus. Every Thought!   Then, and only then, can we bind the devil and reclaim the stolen goods. 

Divided hearts destroy faith.

In Matthew 14, we have the account of Peter walking on water and going. Wow!  But the Wow fizzles when we look at the way it ended. It is essential to realize that Peter lost focus.  Focus either builds or destroys faith.  Focus can divide the heart and mind (doubleminded).

Peter’s rise and fall came in what he Saw… He began focusing on Jesus but saw the wind (problems, circumstances, dangers, etc.). His double-mindedness shipwrecked his confidence and trust, destroying his kingdom. He Sank!

He moved from authority over the elements to subjected to them.   He moved from God’s promised reality to his own natural limitations.   He divided his heart as he shifted his focus from Jesus and what Jesus said (Word of God).

We are subservient to whatever holds our focus.   The devil cannot legally withhold anything Unless we become divided, and our focus destroys our faith in God, dividing our hearts.

Therefore, we need to cultivate a singular heart focused on God. But how do we do that?

• Talk to ourselves. 
• Remind ourselves of What God Has Said.  
• Speak to ourselves in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, Singing and making Melody in our hearts to the Lord.

It is out of the overflow of the heart that our words come forth. It is a heart issue.  Binding the division only comes through knowing and obeying the Word.

The devil is not in charge; you are, in God’s eyes.  He has promised us victory!  Therefore, we must bind those loose and wayward thoughts of wrong focus and walk on the waters of our lives. We may have to be rescued a few times, but you will learn to focus and reject doublemindedness.

Rejoice! Today is your day. May the Lord grant you perfect peace and guide your every footstep!

Psalm 55:22 – “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you.  He will NEVER allow the righteous to be shaken.”

Psalm 56:3-4 – “When I am afraid, I will trust You.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.  What can mere man do to me?”

God wants us to realize that God’s power and wisdom can and does flow through our words and deeds. The Psalms are incredibly beneficial, for they enlighten and encourage powerfully.  

For example:

Psalm 55:22 – ”Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Psalm 56:8 – “You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle.  Are they not in Your book?”

Psalm 56:11 – “In God I trust, I shall not be afraid.  What can man do to me?”

It is important and necessary that we realize the Burden that we give to Him is Our Burden. There are no qualifications on the burden or why it came into being. We are to take it to God. As we do, we have two promises—sustained and unshaken. Wow!

In those times of uncertainty, we bring our hearts and thoughts captive and Trust!  His Word is our anchor.   He person our confidence. Fear of man rejected.

To amplify how much God loves and cares, the Psalmist reminds us that God is aware of our wanderings.   Wanderings?  Yes, how often do we discover we do not know what to do or where to go?  He sees it.  Then, a revelation that causes me to weep with Joy.

He puts All, not some, but All our tears in His bottle (Big Bottle) and writes them in His book. That is Amazing! He keeps every tear we have cried before Him. He records them—the number, the cause, and the time. Your hurts, sorrows, pain, and questions are ever before Him.

God does nothing without purpose.   If He is bottling and recording our tears, then be assured that for each tear, there is a reason to smile coming.

No tear is cried alone. The hosts of heaven are witnesses, and the angels stand ready to wipe them from our eyes and pour in the healing oil.  As we are healed, we become God’s comforters, comforting those needing comfort. 

Jesus knows every tear, fear, failure, and disappointment. He is not just aware; He cares enough to heal.

I encourage you to receive the promise to be healed! Remember that every tear is in God’s bottle and recorded in His book. Every tear will become a weapon to defeat the enemy and free captives. Let the Holy Spirit free you from your prison. Weeping lasts for the night, but joy comes in the morning. It is your morning!

May the LORD be with you, providing all you need and more to pursue and achieve the dreams He has placed in your hearts.

Mark 12:41-44 – “Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. ⁴² Then one poor widow came and threw in two ^[o]mites, which make a quadrans. ⁴³ So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; ⁴⁴ for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had her whole livelihood.” LSB

In this passage, the thought arises of “Spare Change Commitment.”    What does that mean? In Mark 12, we have the account of contrasting giving, the rich and the poor widow. It is revelatory and liberating. This woman had two struggles: She was poor (needy) and a widow (alone, isolated, and unprotected). By contrast, the rich had no lack, whereas she had nothing but need.

We can see the value God has for these two groups.   The rich gave God a portion (spare change), and the widow gave everything.   This is more to commitment than money.   She valued God more than life.  They gave some, and she gave everything.  Too often, we give God what we can spare, and it does not impact us much.  God is not looking for spare change but the whole enchilada. 

If we give to God that which is spare to us, He has nothing to bless us with. The widow gave her life. They gave tokens. If what we give is given without impacting us, the return will be analogous. This is more than money. Money is such a small part of this, and most miss the message. If we give God our All, He reciprocates in kind—He gives us His All.

God does not want spare change; he wants hearts.

Are you facing difficulties, needs, and questions?  Luke 6:38 declares, “Give, and IT will be given.”  If we seek Him with our lives and give Him our all, then what we need becomes His.  He has no lack, so when He receives our needs, He reaches into His immeasurable treasury and supplies.  Everything!

Do not give spare change. Give Him your heart.  He is in us and has no lack.  Today, make God your all and receive His all.  Victory is yours!

May God be with you in all you do today and every day!

Psalm 139:23-24 – “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me and lead me in the everlasting way.”

There is far more there than can be unpacked that will be possible in this devotional, but some pertinent truths can be examined.   A cursory reading of David’s prayer will not convey the depth of what he was seeking but let us consider a few thoughts.

David asked God to examine him and reveal his character in depth.  He wanted God to identify every sin so that he could follow the right path and inherit eternal life. In the previous verses, David extolled God’s omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence.  He knew that God was everywhere and knew everything, so his prayer in vv. 23-24 might seem redundant.

David knew that God knew everything about him. Nothing was hidden, so why the prayer? This prayer revealed David’s heart. He wanted God to pull back the curtain of his mind and show him his heart the way God saw it.  That is powerful and dangerous! I believe that is one of the reasons God could call David a man after His own heart. He was open and sought God’s active involvement and correction in his life. 

David wanted God to reveal his heart. The word heart in Hebrew is (levav) and includes what we would call the mind and thoughts. It also includes resolve, courage, fear, and discouragement. Therefore, David invites God into the innermost part of his being and asks God to put heaven’s spotlight on his life. He wants God to help him alter his perspective, self, and worldview. 

David had Anxious thoughts!   Sometimes, God seemed a million miles away, and doubt crept in.  David appears to detest anxiety of heart in himself and asks God to bring the anxious thoughts and reasons for them to light.  He says, “God, let me see me as You see me.”  He was asking that his flaws and weaknesses be exposed so that he could become what God said he was.  He wanted to Be, not just Do!

1 Peter 5:6-7, there is the admonition to humble ourselves before God so that He can exalt us or transform us in His perfect timing, and in that state, we are enabled to cast, roll, hurl, toss all our anxieties upon God, knowing that He cares for and loves us. 

It would be beneficial to consider the words, ‘hurtful ways.’  What do we mean by Hurtful ways?   Some translations render it ‘wicked’ and some ‘grievous’ or ‘sorrow.’   The thought of hurtfulness could be directed at the relationship with others. 

David wanted God to expose any sins he had normalized in his heart and glossed over, justifying or excusing them. He knew that only as he walked with a pure heart could he please God and his heart desired to please God. He knew he could not lead effectively if there was iniquity in his heart. 

The Essential Question is, do we know our own hearts?  Are we willing to allow God to put us under the microscope and examine us?  We have great and precious promises from God.  Psalm 24 asks who can ascend into the mountain of God. 

What was the answer? Those with innocent hands and pure hearts, those who have not pursued worthlessness or made insincere covenants and contracts, and those whose hearts are fully turned to the LORD.

Psalm 119 asks, “How can a person keep their heart pure?”  The answer:  By living according to the Word.  We need to pray David’s Prayer in Psalm 139 and determine that we will become transformed into Whom God says we are, reflecting Him.  In that condition, we will see the Mighty Hand of God move.

Therefore, when anxious thoughts come – resist them.   When hurtful ways are revealed – repent and return to the Lord.  God wants to make us an expression of His person and character to the world.  He wants to meet all your needs according to His riches in glory.  He wants you to walk in the fullness of His provision and enforce the victory of Calvary. 

That is our heritage. But first, ask Him to show you the lack so that He can replace it with Himself. Then, He will embolden you with His power so that you can fulfill His purpose for your life. Remember, you are victorious! Believe it and receive it!

May the Lord be with you today and guide you into His Peace.

Proverbs 14:14 – “The one who turns back in his heart will be satisfied with his ways, but a good man will be satisfied with his.”

The word that I would like for us to ponder is the word – Hope.

We must guard our hearts and mouths so that we speak the right words.  Words that agree with God.  Our words flow from our hearts, and we eat the fruit produced by what we believe, speak, and act upon. If we turn back, as our scripture reveals, we will have the fruit of destruction and disappointment.   Conversely, if we do not turn back but pursue righteousness, we will have the harvest of blessings.

Proverbs 14:30 is revelatory.  “A tranquil heart is LIFE to the BODY…”  That is a reason to rejoice.  The remainder of the verse is “BUT jealousy is rottenness to the bones.”  That is powerful; it touches the marrow and strengthens the bones.

Jealousy is a dimension of envy and covetousness. It is not simply about relationships; it is about life. Envy, jealousy, covetousness, bitterness, hate, unforgiveness, and anger are destructive. They destroy spiritually, emotionally, socially, economically, and physically. The root cause of some arthritis is bitterness. The poison of those things causes numerous ailments and diseases.

Proverbs 16:24 – “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

The fruit of our hearts (words) can improve or harm our health in every way. Words reflect thoughts, and thoughts are shaped in the heart. Out of the overflow of the heart, our words come. Proverbs 17:22 – “A glad heart is good medicine, BUT a broken spirit dries up the bones.”  Bones without marrow are dead and diseased.  Hearts without the Spirit and love of God flowing are dead.

God desires for us to be healthy in every dimension of life.  That is the expression in John’s prayer – “prosper and be in health EVEN AS the soul prospers.”  God’s design is for us to walk free and in the fullness of the kingdom.  The challenge is for us to take steps to guard our hearts and calculate the words spoken.  If our words match our hearts and our hearts match His Promises, we will see walls crumble and live in the miraculous.

God has done His part; He is waiting on us.  May today bring you the bountiful blessings of the LORD and enable you to Hope in His Promises and Enjoy His Provisions.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in Yahweh with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”

The KJV and NKJV – “direct your paths.”

Back to the beginning—my beginning—in the Christian faith.  This passage was the catalyst that brought me to Salvation and the New Birth. I was trusting everything but God. I knew I was lost and going to hell, but I thought I had done too much to be forgiven. This passage enabled me to cease trusting my understanding and receive His mercy.

We are to trust in God, not self-reliance or human understanding. By acknowledging God, His truth, and His love, I received my pardon, which transformed me forever!

I am reminded of the saying, “Play with fire, and you will get burned” (Proverbs 6:27).  I am also reminded of the destructiveness of hate and the power of love (Proverbs 10:12).

In Proverbs 11 & 12, some powerful life applications captured our thoughts.

• If we seek and pursue God and His righteousness, we will be rescued, and the wicked will take our place in destruction (11:8).
• A divided heart receives God’s disfavor, but those who pursue righteousness, His delight.  (11:20).
• Then, there is the thought of giving and its benefits (11:25).

We dare not be too random in these thoughts, so let us consider them in this manner.

• If we give (whatever we give), we will come back to us multiplied.
• What we say impacts both the natural and supernatural.   We can and do place ourselves in a prison through our words, which are oral expressions of thought, which are what is in our hearts.   That which we are flows out in our words. 
• We produce daily harvests through the seed of our expressions.

Proverbs 12:18 –“There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, BUT the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

We speak out of the condition of our hearts, and the overflow comes out in words. Those words heal or hurt. They elevate us into the presence of God or plunge us into the abyss of the world of self. We encourage or disparage through our heart’s overflow. What we are is expressed in our verbalizations. Therefore, we must guard our hearts so that the fruit of our lips will bring a harvest of life and blessing rather than strife and lack.

Luke 12:34 – “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Wherever the heart is focused is where our lives are going.  It is a choice!

I urge you to allow the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with a consciousness of Jesus, His words and promises, and His overflowing Agape love.  Set your heart to ensure that your lips produce a life-giving harvest.  Remember who and whose you are.   That means you are a bringer of life, so receive God’s abundance and refuse to let death and destruction come out of you.  Command with words of life!

May the Lord be with you today and bring you overflowing peace and perfect guidance!         

Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.”

Ecclesiastes 3:15 – “That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, yet God seeks what is pursued.”

I believe that it is appropriate to remind people of how a word can be beneficial and transformative. As we read Scripture, we discover that sometimes, a single word transforms our thoughts in a life-altering manner.

In Ecclesiastes 3:11, that word is “In Its Time.”  You may think, well, it is, but it is not, but it is.  Are you confused yet?  In v. 15, we read, “That which has already been and that which will be has already been, yet God seeks what is pursued.”

What is, is, and what will be is? God seeks what is pursued. That is a revelation of God’s heart. He seeks to provide and bring into the present what we pursue. He wants to give us the kingdom. We keep asking Him to create what He has already created. Too frequently, we ask God to do what He has already done.

It is a real problem that results in our limiting ourselves to what we see, but we do not have eyes to see that it already is, and God only waits for us to hold on to it in faith.

Ecclesiastes 4:3 speaks about the dead and the living and says something incredible.  The one who has never been is better than the living or the dead.  That indicates that all people exist in God, even before conception or birth.  (Note 3:15 once again.)

Then, almost as an aside, but germane is Ecclesiastes 7:10, where we are chastised for nostalgic yearning for the good old days.  Today is the day the LORD has made, and it always was and always will be.  It is filled with God’s person, promise, purpose, potential, and power.   We only see the immediate, but God is eternal.  That is the foundation of Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever our hand finds to do, do it with everything in us.”  The finished product is within our reach, but we must reach for it.

We need to determine in our hearts that we will not look back at what was or even what we perceive to be.  Instead, look into the eternal realm and pursue what is in God.

• If you want peace, it is. 
• If you need provision, it is. 
• If you want guidance, it is. 
• If you want power. It is. 
• If you want your family in the kingdom, they are. 

If we can accept it, Jesus finished work on the Cross, and His disarming the devil made All Things Possible!   In God, what was is, is, and what will be is.  Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and Forever!

So, today, claim your dream; it is more than a dream!  May God be with you as you enjoy this wonderful day. He has created it!