Mark 7: 14”When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, ‘Hear Me, everyone and understand.’”
Dear God,
I absolutely praise and thank You for loving me and bearing with me; as well as for the news of salvation available for me and everyone; also for Your guidance on how to truly find You, and how to live in accordance with Your will. I have found a loving God who requires us to truly reverence, obey and worship Him, within the knowledge and guidance, You have given us. Today, I have read more on this subject in Mark 7.
Even with the irritation of the ‘nit picking’ Pharisees and priests, Jesus continued to teach, heal and give loving service. Never did He give an indication of personal anger, in the face of their rebukes for He and His disciples not following their Godless traditions and total loveless hypocrisy. It was the ritual cleansing that they were ‘hung up on’, which could never make anyone morally clean, for it is only the working of the Holy Spirit, within our mind and heart, that makes us morally clean. Any evil cherished in the heart eventually comes out, as the evil thoughts that become evil actions; these are what Jesus was teaching needs to be cleansed out of each of us. Mark 7: 6 – 8 “He answered and said to them, ‘well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honour Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandments of God, you hold the tradition of men—…..’“
Please search my heart and show me any evil cherished there that will come out as any type of evil word or action, so that I can now repent of them, before any evil is expressed. Very importantly I will then be forgiven by Your grace, and a change in my heart will take place in the freedom from wrong doing and guilt I now will have. Thank You.
Jesus cast a demon out of the daughter of a foreign woman – after showing the disciples the type of prejudice that they had toward anyone who was not of their nationality. He had first appeared to reject her request, on the basis of her nationality, as they would have done, to show how contrary these prejudices were in the way of love which was His and should be in all His followers. V29 “Then He said to her, ‘For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.’”
As I live for You today Lord, reveal to me my prejudices, so that I can change my attitudes to accept all people, who were lovingly created by You, making them all equal. Now it is more apparent to me, that this also makes every person equal in potential to learn to love and serve You, which gives each of us a spiritual responsibility toward everyone You place in our life. I perceive that this is a privilege as well as a responsibility that Jesus has advised each and every one about, as we read about His words and actions.
Please also fill me with praises for Your every gift, privilege and blessing.
Amen