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Passage of the Day:

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. ⁴ Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. ⁵ But if anyone obeys his word, love for God^[a] is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. ⁷ Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. ⁸ Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. ⁹ Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister^[b] is still in the darkness. ¹⁰ Anyone who loves their brother and sister^[c] lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. ¹¹ But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them, 1 John 2:3-11.

Reflection:

Speaking from experience of allowing darkness to enter my heart, God has used a series of dreams over the past forty years to alert me to dangers of the current path that I am on. While dreams can be bizarre, and others may not make any sense at all, there have been a few that woke me up in the middle of the night leaving me to ponder, “what the hell was that about?” Whether its thoughts of compromise, rebellion or temptation, my heart and mind race to find some sort of meaning. As human beings, tired and worn down, you may make poor decisions like deciding not to go to church, open the Bible or pray. This one step choice to take a break from God may lead to weeks, months and even years of living in darkness. Like trying to eat healthy and exercise daily, once you stop, it’s hard to make this part of your regular routine again.

Prayerful Action:

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly^[a] with your God, Micah 6:8.

Restoring Your Heart:

Just prior to his farewell address as the spiritual leader of Israel, Moses simplifies want it means to humbly walk with God in the light in Deuteronomy 28:1-2. “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. ² All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.” From a New Testament perspective, habitually walking with God isn’t about checking off a box on a to do list. John is talking about having a personal relationship with Jesus. The closer you become to Jesus, the greater this spiritual light will become.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

The attached song was played at my wedding with Leanne. As our mothers were lighting the unity candle, my good friend Phil sang All the Darkness. May the lyrics of this Steve Wiggins song inspire you today to walk in the light with Jesus.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. ⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love, John 15:1-10.

Reflection:

If you try to ascertain your faith based upon how you feel day to day, you’ll probably be all over the place. Whether you know it or not, sometimes human beings are simply more focused and locked in to what they are doing. Unfortunately, distractions, emotions and the unexpected may cause you to lose your spiritual momentum. Subsequently, this may influence your heart to wander away from the Lord, void of the hunger and passion you once possessed. A sign that Christian hearts aren’t in the right place is when you stray off on your own, away from God’s love as priorities change.

Prayerful Action:

 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. ¹⁷ This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus, 1 John 4:15-17.

Restoring Your Heart:

People who struggle to love others tend to have a hard time forgiving themselves. In the minds of these individuals, God’s unconditional love is hard to fathom. Yet, the analogy of the Vine and Branches involves a relationship which takes time. When Christians begin to grasp God’s love, human hearts start to draw near God. The more Christians learn to rely on and remain attached to the vine, Jesus, hearts will come back to where they belong, Matthew 6:33.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

The lyrics of House of Their Dreams highlight what happens when Christians decide to remove themselves from the Vine, Jesus. Rather than being united under one family, everyone gradually separates due to various priorities in life. If you want your heart to drift back in the right direction, draw near Jesus and trust God to provide all that you need, Matthew 6:33-34.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[d] is not in them. ¹⁶ For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever, 1 John 2:15-17.

Reflection:

The words above were likely inspired by something the apostle Paul wrote to the Church in Galatia several decades before John penned one of his three epistles. Galatians 5:16-17 introduced first century Christians to the spiritual battle taking place inside your own body. Like a spiritual tug of war, the sinful nature tends to have an upper hand on the Holy Spirit. Like the old Veggie Tales classic, the Rumor Weed, the more you feed these desires, the harder it becomes to stop yourself from loving the wrong things in life.

Prayerful Actions:

I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise. ² I will be careful to lead a blameless life—when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. ³ I will not look with approval on anything that is vile; I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it. ⁴ The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil, Psalm 101:3.

Restoring Your Heart:

The words above are a prayer written by King David. Perhaps, David is reflecting upon his first glance of Bathsheba taking a bath outside. It’s one thing to notice beauty, but taking a second glance often conceives enticement with a lust for more, James 1:14-15. One of my spiritual mentors in college talked about sin keeping you longer than you expected to stay. Once evil thoughts become full blown, even Christians are capable of doing the unexpected act. May you flee from evil so that fleshly desires don’t give birth to sexual addictions.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

Job’s defense to accusations made against him is compelling, Job 10:1-7. If you ever find yourself unable to control your eyes, pray the prayers of David and Job to start your heart from loving the wrong things in life.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. ² Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. ³ “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.” ⁴ Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim^[a] and all the store cities of Naphtali. ⁵ When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. ⁶ Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah.⁷ At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. ⁸ Were not the Cushites^[b] and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen^[c]? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. ⁹ For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” ¹⁰ Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people, 2 Chronicles 16:1-10.

Reflection:

As the life expectancy increases with scientific advances, it’s hard for a man or woman to finish strong late in life. Whether its Alzheimer’s, Dementia or Parkinson disease, the final years of those battling these conditions can be downright cruel. However, in the case of King Asa, a godly leader for the first 36 years of his reign as king, he developed a cold spiritual heart. Perhaps, apathy and complacency opened the door for evil to enter his life, Ephesians 4:26-27. Whatever the reason, today’s passage serves as a warning against mailing it in during the home stretch of your life.

Prayerful Action:

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;  let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. ² Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me, Psalm 31:1-2.

Restoring Your Heart:

In the early years of life, pride and arrogance will lead to destruction. Meanwhile, near the end, a failing body and mind is hard to overcome. Yet, for King Asa, sometime prior to his 36th year as ruler, subtle compromises became a way of life. This didn’t come suddenly but was a byproduct of trusting in his own abilities rather than looking up to God for answers. When your heart catches a spiritual cold, the obedience that you once followed without a doubt is brought into question. Maybe King Asa forgot the word of one of Israel’s forefathers in Joshua 1:8. When Christians stop opening the Bible and prayer becomes a distant memory, this is when a cold heart starts to influence what you say, how you act and the path that you eventually follow, Matthew 7:13-14.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

The good news about stumbling across the finish line of faith, Hebrews 10:26-27 suggests death bed confessions are possible. Those who keep their eyes on eternity will be able to fight through the spiritual illness of a cold heart.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said to them. “The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. ²⁸ Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t have to stay any longer.” ²⁹ Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. ³⁰ But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God.” ³¹ (The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. ³² The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.) ³³ Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. ³⁴ When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. ³⁵ So Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses, Exodus 9:27-35.

Reflection:

As someone who enjoys doing yard work, my hands develop callouses every week. This hardening of the skin often leads to blusters or warts in a worst-case scenario. However, when your life encounter trials that result in trauma like Pharaoh, God told Moses that hearts can become calloused and hardened. From a relationship point of view, if a man or woman breaks your heart, it may take years for you to recover. When my best friend from Cleveland had the same girl break his heart twice, he lost his faith and never recovered. If today’s blog post finds you in a similar condition, an Old Testament prophet provides a cure for overcoming a calloused heart.

Prayerful Action:

“‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. ²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws, ” Ezekiel 36:24-27.

Restoring Your Heart:

Like any culture, Israel went back and forth between following God and falling prey to earthly pleasures and treasures. Asking God for a new heart will depend upon your sense of urgency to change. Pharaoh doesn’t change until the death of his first-born son. The prodigal son doesn’t alter his path until he nearly starves to death, Luke 15:17. While I can’t guarantee success, the will to restore your heart will be the motivating force that conceives healing.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

Some of the greatest accomplishments in life come from hating to lose. The attached You Tube has a violinist who has a mentor enter her life at the right time to encourage her to press on. While overcoming a calloused may take longer than you want, don’t give up hope that God can do a miracle in your life.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴ Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. ⁴⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of, ” Luke 6:43-45.

Reflection:

Cursing is one of those habits in life that is often influenced by the people around you. When I completed in Ultimate Frisbee at the University of Delaware, most of the communication involved four letter words. If we began to lose, cursing came out of the mouth of my teammates. Yet, when the momentum switched, opponents began to lose their cool, in curse filled tirades. As an adult, I’m not immune as some days foul language comes out of nowhere, fueled by frustration or a fit of rage. A first century doctor was caught off guard when Jesus taught about where curse words are conceived. The language that you share daily is an expression of what’s going on inside your heart.

Prayerful Action:

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ³ But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. ⁴ Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving, Ephesians 5:1-4.

Restoring Your Heart:

As a young parent, I remember losing it a few times in front of my children. My anger scared my oldest son which brought conviction to my heart. While anger doesn’t disappear overnight, your heart can change when you begin to fill it with wholesome practices like Bible memorization and soaking in Christian music filled with godly lyrics. One of my best memories in college was pouring out my heart to other believers while walking. Some of these walks lasted hours as secret scars deep inside our heart were finally verbalized and brought to the light. This is one of the ideas Jesus’ earthly brother had in mind when he wrote James 5:16.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

I joined an accountability group as an upperclassman in high school. Sometimes one person’s drama during the week shifted our focus. Yet, when it comes to pouring out your heart, the timing has to be right. Those who keep in step with the Spirit, Galatians 5:25, will know when to open up.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,^[c] your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are unhealthy,^[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! ²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money, Matthew 6:19-24.

Reflection:

Christian retreats are designed to take a break from your busy life and withdraw into the wilderness to spend time with the Lord. As someone who was always excited for retreats in highs school and college, these times away at a camp, in the mountains or a quiet setting gives you a chance to do a spiritual evaluation of your life. In the middle of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus takes a break by asking those in attendance, “where is your heart?” Or from a more practical sense, what are your priorities and where does God the Lord rank on your daily to do list?

Prayerful Action:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight, Proverbs 3:5-6.

Restoring Your Heart:

Jesus appears to be addressing this question, “where is your heart?” to anyone in the crowd who is currently trusting in their wealth rather than the Lord. Jesus uses human eyes as a visual aid to illustrate this important message. Perhaps, Jesus was referring to individuals who tend to think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Eve was the first to fall prey to this temptation, choosing to satisfy her own earthly desires rather than obey God, Genesis 3:1-6. If you want to restore your heart, use the momentum of a new year to trust God with your whole heart.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

As a former perfectionist, I know how it feels to constantly beat yourself inside for making bad choices and decisions in life. May the dawn of a new day help you to see the big picture that faith is a journey of ups and downs. May today’s devotion prompt you to take steps to trust in the Lord.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. ² Blessed is the one  whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit ³ When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. ⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.^{[b] 5} Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin, Psalm 32:1-5.

Reflection:

The beginning of David’s Psalm reminds me of Adam and Eve’s attempt to hid from God in the Garden of Eden after eating the forbidden fruit, Genesis 3:6-8. One of the first reactions human beings experience after committing a sinful act is shame. While David didn’t run away from God after committing adultery with Bathsheba, he was afraid to acknowledge this transgression. Sinful acts tend to separate you from the people you love, including God. When your strength is sapped from you like heat and humidity on a hot summer day, this is when you need to pray for a new heart.

Prayerful Action:

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me, Psalm 51:10-12.

Restoring Your Heart:

Regret is one of those internal feelings that tends to gnaw at your soul. Some individuals retrace their steps to see what led up to making a careless choice, poor decision or subtle compromise. Rather than go to war in the Spring, 2 Samuel 11:1, King David opted to stay home for an extended vacation. This idle time led to boredom and eventually an evening stroll on the roof of his palace. As soon as David saw Bathsheba bathing in the nude, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. As darkness entered David’s heart, Matthew 6:22-23, it was only a matter of time before sin was conceived. This is why the apostle Paul urged a teenage pastor to flee from evil, 2 Timothy 2:22.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

In the next week of devotionals, I’ll be bringing attention to various conditions of the human heart. The Bible is clear about how eyes, minds and hearts all work together. Bruce Carroll’s song points out subtle flaws that exist in every Christian. The quicker you acknowledge that you have a problem by confessing your mistakes, the sooner healing can occur. Whatever you’re current spiritual condition may be, don’t be afraid to ask God for a clean and new heart.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him, Colossians 3:12-17.

Reflection:

The context of today’s featured passage follows the apostle’s Paul call to members of the Church at Colosse to put to death their old self. One misnomer about becoming a Christian is that after you enter into a personal relationship with Jesus, Romans 10:9-10, desires to sin will dissipate. Like trying to eat healthy, exercise daily or work out at the beginning of a new year, bad habits don’t suddenly leave you. Rather, genuine spiritual change requires your whole heart. Unfortunately, people tend to be halfhearted, returning to past addictions and bad habits when you feel like it. If you want to begin experiencing spiritual victories in 2024, give your heart whole to God and the Lord will take care of the rest.

Prayerful Action:

What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end, Ecclesiastes 3:9-11.

Restoring Your Heart:

Over my forty-year faith journey, I’ve discovered that listening to Christian music is one of the best tools for restoring my heart. Although I may not always find the perfect song to minister to me when I’m experiencing a rough stretch in life, there’s always one chorus or part of the lyrics that speaks to my heart. The next time you find yourself falling back into bad habits, lean on Christian music to enable you to give your whole heart to God going forward.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

Christian artists also experience the highs and lows in life. Jennifer Knapp, like Ray Boltz, has struggled with gender and identity issues for years. Yet, at the time Jennifer wrote Fall Down, she was trying to convey her own personal crisis. Nonetheless, each time I listen to the lyrics, my heart is moved and touched by God. May your own spiritual journey be enhanced today as you strive toward giving your whole heart to God.

by Jay Mankus