Inside Out

Daily Reading: Mark 7

Scripture Focus: What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person (Mark 7.20-23)

Devotional Thought: The Pharisees were incensed!  “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” (v. 5)  These self-righteous legalists believed that without proper hand-washing a person became ‘unclean’ – unfit for fellowship with God.  Jesus let them know in no uncertain terms that eating without washing your hands didn’t make you ‘unclean’ in God’s sight.  That was just a venerated tradition of men.  He went on to excoriate them for focusing on the traditions of men while ignoring the commands of God!

Then, Jesus called the disciples aside and explained what really makes a person unclean.  It is the heart!  For what is in the heart comes out and gets all over a man’s mouth and face, all over his hands and feet, causing him to say, to do, and to go places that are contrary to God’s commands.  These things are incongruous with God’s purity and holiness.   Our hearts must be cleansed from the core of sin that causes sinful actions.

No amount of good intentions, no severity of discipline, no loftiness of resolution can really change a heart.  It is only by the grace of God that a heart is changed.  The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17.9) and that God “knows the secrets of the heart” (Psalm 44.21).  The key to heart purity is to have God “cleanse our hearts by faith” (Acts 15.9).

Prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139.23-24)

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 18.46-50

46 The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation--

47 the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me,

48 who delivered me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you rescued me from the man of violence.

49 For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name.

50 Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.