Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria Grace for Living Devotional Sunday October 8, 2023 TOPIC: JUST AND PERFECT HEART

 

BIBLE READING:

GENESIS 6:5-9

5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.  

KEY VERSE:

“Noah was a righteous man. He was blameless among his generation. Noah continually walked with God.” Genesis 6:9  

MEDITATION:

In the beginning, God spoke everything into existence except “man”, a product of dust and the breath of God. Man’s life consequently is defined by the dominance of either dust (flesh) or the breath of God (Spirit); the former is corruptible, destructive and desperately wicked while the latter is godly, celestial and eternal.  The fall of man brought to the fore the nature of the flesh, loss of fellowship with God, and the desire and crave to gratify the flesh. Cain, for instance, chose the path of murder instead of reconciliation with God (Genesis 4:8-9).  

So it was that Noah’s generations was filled with evil, “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Within the thick darkness shone a beacon of light, Noah, who lived right, was saint among sinners, had resilient faith that built a boat (ark) on dry land, and preached repentance for 120 years!  

How was it possible for the corrupt and wicked heart to become pure and perfect? Jesus provided the answer in John 3:6: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”.  

Without a regeneration, the natural man is incapable of being perfect and just. The Psalmist provided the antidote: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word” (Psalms 119:9).  

When last did you do an honest search of your heart based on God’s word?   

PRAYER:

Oh Lord, please deliver me from hypocrisy and delusion in my Christian walk.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

ISAIAH 16-19, EPHESIANS 5:1-21