Anger affects your fruit

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Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires (James 1:20 NLT)

Ever been angry? Rained a few choice words at a loved one? Felt like you could have pulled someone's brains out? Read on...

There are two scriptures I've been pondering on for a few weeks, if not months, at the back of mind that relates to anger.

Ephesians 4:25-27 (NIV)
 “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."
James 1:20 (NLT)
"Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires."

See when I first read these scriptures, I actually became more aware of the importance of remaining calm in situations that warrant anger.  However, my awareness was blinded by the reasoning that this wasn't right 'because the bible said so'. Recently I read these scriptures again when sharing it with one of my mentees and then it became clearer to me.

"Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires." James 1:20 (NLT)


Lately, I've been angry. To an extent, I'm not too sure I know why I've been angry but I've come to realise that this has to do with the fact that I keep running away from God and the responsibilities He's placed in my hands. (Read my post on running away) Simply not doing as He's asked or responding to His calls can change your emotions FOR Him, AGAINST Him. Yeah, it's funny right, I did not believe it till I experienced it,hence it affected me gravely. After close examination, I caught a glimpse of what the scripture was referring to in terms of righteousness and not being able to be the Christian I'm daily growing to be. 

Anger blocks the fruits of the spirit being used. In other words, it inhibits you being patient with a person who seems to be unaware of the discomfort their actions bring you. It doesn't allow you to view that person in love or be gentle with them. It completely blocks you from using kind words towards them if and when correcting them. It disables you from living in peace with all men. It robs you of your internal joy. It discourages you from being faithful to your prayers for them (for example in the event that this is your spouse, friend or even child). Anger encourages a lack of self control and it's in these circumstances that you find people uttering words they never would have in the first place and in summary it produces no good.

There is a way that God requires us to behave as listed in Galatians 5:22 and anger is one of the things that blocks us from acting in such a manner. 

I'm not sure who I wrote this post for but I know that at one point or the other, we may have been angry and displayed characteristics that we otherwise wouldn't have. I implore you to forgive yourself but take conscious steps to avoid such a state (whatever that means for you) next time.

Let's not allow anger to block our fruit and ruin our testimonies as Christians

Rubo 

Where are you running to?

Still running? 
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So last week I posted on my Facebook that we should stop running away and go back to God as He's waiting to hear from us. He wants us to continually dine with Him. How humbling is that? Therefore I embraced Him and encouraged others to do the same thing.

A trial appeared and all of a sudden I found myself running away again. I heard His calls but decided to ignore, I felt His nudges but decided to move away and ultimately I was back at square one-confused. My prior convictions, visions and decisions were clouded. Discouragement set in and I was running on auto pilot.

I'm currently undergoing something called 'the wait'. A period of time Christians frequently find themselves in according to scriptures such as Psalm 40:1-3 and Isaiah 40:31, for example. 

The wait can be described as a period of silence. A moment where things appear not to be working, prayers unanswered and worship apparently blocked. Funnily enough, this is a time where deep intimacy has the potential to be built. It's in such a time you cannot depend on your feelings to know God is near as your feelings will ultimately fail you. It's a time where you evidently build your inner man. You pray till you can't pray no more, you worship till you can't find a song ('ultimately' make your own), you sacrifice till there's nothing left and you study until you close your eyes and can only see scripture. In other words you keep pressing on and keep chasing after Him. Yes Him. Not the answers to your prayers but Him.

As mentioned before, God kept calling me to talk to him, to simply pour my emotions before Him, but I declined. I think I know now that I didn't know what to say. It's situations like these that I value the scripture Romans 8:26 (NLT):

"And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words."


I've read this scripture a few times but to be honest, I'm grasping the concept of this verse more and more. The Holy Spirit is aware of our weaknesses and shortcomings. Instead of judgement, He's readily available to help us. A common example described in the verse in relation to prayer accompanied with the solution. So why on earth are we running away if He's actually willing to help with even the most basic things? 


Sometimes God only wants us to come. Imagine when you've had a bad day and your mother or spouse cuddles you up on the sofa with hot chocolate and holds you in the silence whilst you cry and fall asleep. It's such a comforting experience and I realise now, that's all he wanted to do.

Listen, waiting can be exhausting if you're doing it just to find an answer. So instead, wait on Him. Let Him renew your strength. Let Him revive your relationship.

But more importantly, stop running away and talk to Him.
I'll leave you with this scripture from Matthew 11:28 (NLT):

"Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

Much love, peace and prayers 

Rubo 

Better late than never (2)- I'm tired of trusting, hoping and believing

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No honestly,  I'm over it. It's draining, or am I doing it the wrong way?

Oh I apologise for those who assumed this would be another inspirational post but I've promised myself to be more honest with you this year.

Lately, all I have received through my digital letter box, are letters starting with the phrase 'We are sorry to inform you', 'It is with regret we inform you', 'We are afraid that we cannot accept your application' and so on and so forth. It is disheartening.

In all honesty, part of the reason I am tired is that I keep going through these cycles. I am tired of seeking the direction, receiving it, taking action, praying and hoping that it will work out, only for it to fall through like water through a sieve. However, I laugh as I'm starting to realise that my theme for the year may actually be trust; in the sense of walking with God.

I think God wants me to learn and develop in the area of trusting Him. But as you can tell, I am finding this particularly difficult. There are a million questions buzzing through my head as I try and comprehend the idea of trusting, waiting and 'faithing' (for lack of better word).

I have two choices. The first is to trust God despite the fact that I have NO CLUE as to what is happening with me. The second is to be bitter and harden my heart towards God even though the situation remains that I have NO CLUE as to what is going on. Let's just say I have almost made up my mind.

Having said that, I have chosen to ponder on a few scriptures to put things into perspective
Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)
"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)
"But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:8 (NLT)
"The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever."


Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."


Jeremiah 33:3 (ESV)
"Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."


Listen, (you too Ruth), this walk of faith is not easy. Whilst this may be true, we must remain convinced that God is walking with us, working for us, in and through us at every point in time especially when it does not appear to be so.

So Rubologians (haha as if), I apologise for my somewhat melancholic tone, but I chose to be open and honest with you. 

By the way, in case you've forgotten, it is well with your soul.

Stay tuned on the next post 

Rubologs 

Welcome to adulthood

July 2013-In shock, it's been over a year y'all 

To all my graduates, I congratulate you or as they said at my graduation ceremony, graduands! (I still don’t understand that word till date.)

How does it feel having graduated, bland, great, confusing or overwhelming? I remember when I first graduated, I felt very disappointed. I don’t know why, but I was expecting a big welcoming party to wish me a happy graduation. Oh my days, how can I forget? I remember what happened on graduation day. I previously lost my iphone (RIP Iphone 4) to the toilet that week, so I had no phone. Like, no insta post, no facebook sermon, nada. Just one mash up blackberry that needed a second touch, so I felt like the only people that cared were the 6/7 family members and friends (who funnily were all male) that turned up to my ceremony.

Anyways let’s move on. In all honesty, I was not ready for the shock of ‘adulthood’ as I fondly call it. During uni, everybody struggled with maintaining money but in the back of our minds, we always had peace as we knew Student Loan was going to ‘drop’ anytime soon (you’ll only understand if you went to uni in the UK lol). Dear graduate, there is no student loan that will drop again and if you didn’t save you’re going to be struggling until you get a job. Hmm a job (check this post where I talk about finding a job).

There’s also the issue of moving back home, if you haven’t already. You see I’m from a Nigerian home and that is a book on its own. In uni, I had the liberty to move as I pleased but when I returned home, I had a clash with my parents. On my side, I forgot the protocols instilled by my parents which we had to adhere to and on their side, they forgot that I experienced freedom and was a growing adult. It wasn’t easy adjusting. After two weeks with my mum, I was looking for another course to do so I could leave lol. It’s not like I wanted to leave but I was tired of food finishing everyday and having to wash the bathroom that 5 people had used over a week.

I could ramble on and on but I’m writing this post for a reason. I’ve experienced some things and I’d like to share a snippet of the things I learnt in the early stages of being a graduate.

I think I have one major point that could be broken down into many paragraphs and that is: Don’t be in a rush to move on.

After speaking to my friends who just finished from university, the response I got from them is that they’re looking for a job. If you’re like them, frantically looking for a job, slow down. In my opinion, I believe you should do other things instead. For example, evaluate the exact career choices you have available to you and plan accordingly. What might have been your ideal career at the beginning of your course, may not necessarily appeal to you now and you need to be able to identify what it is you want to do before you get it wrong. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, what matters is that you get there!

Another option is to go away on holiday. This may sound very silly to you but not everyone who has been to uni, even considered the idea of a break. Some just work, work and work some more. Now, even if it doesn’t appear to be studying, you’re still working if you’re continuously planning events, having socials or attending to voluntary commitments such as service in the church. So technically, you haven’t had a break have ya? So please, go on holiday with a friend. With a budget of 400, you can easily find a 7 day all inclusive to most places in Europe.

Similar to my previous point is considering doing a mission trip for an extended period. First, you get to see another country, another section of the world at large and you’re able to see yourself at work in more likely than not, adverse conditions to what you’re used to. This is good for those people that have never been away from home apart from uni. Check this website for more info (ICS).

Plan your finances. Ok, you’ve sorted out your career, found out potential starting salary and have probably started applying for jobs. My advice is work out a budget. Savings is a priority and should be set at almost 50% depending on whether your salary can afford it but nothing less than 20%. I PLEAD with you, pay off your overdraft ASAP. I don’t even have to assume this. I’m aware, a lot of us were reckless with money during university and have now landed with overdraft. For some banks, your overdraft is interest free for one year after graduation on certain amounts. Find out what your bank policy is and let’s get rid of the debt we can afford to get rid of. Also, depending on your life goals, check your credit. However, before you do that get advice from someone in the financial industry. I checked mine and I’m on track baybe! Lol

Find or develop your natural abilities. Some of my friends critically assessed themselves and instead of working for others, they are working and building their own businesses. They realized that they had a gift, skill or talent that they could develop and overtime they have managed to do that. It may have taken them a few steps but they’re where they desire to be now.

My final point, talk to people. You’re not in this journey alone. Take the courage to ask for advice or even give advice if you, like me, graduated last year. 

These are my main points but one thing I’d like to say is that I wish I’d been more patient in getting a job or rather used my time more wisely when I didn’t have a job. I sincerely do not regret getting a job but I didn’t do some of the things I mentioned above and looking back I wish I did. Having a job is a great thing, puts your life in order to an extent and helps you to mature as an individual on different scopes. However, critically and prayerfully assess whether the road of a job is for you and whether it’s for now. Forget the money aspect. In all honesty, money has wings and it may take you a couple of months before you even ‘enjoy’ your salary.

So, my dear graduate, keep focused and take your time.

P.S If you have any advice that you think would be valuable please drop a comment or send me an email at rubologs@gmail.com.  

In September, I remember....

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It's the beginning of the month and instead of doing my monthly snippets on lessons I've learnt, I thought I'd switch it up this month.

Follow me as I share the 9 things I'm grateful for:

My faith. There's many things in this world that disappoint but the God I worship doesn't have this track record. For the love He continually bestows on me. The fact that He knows my future and helps me to reach it keeps me in awe. The fact that He seeks me and speaks to me, I'm grateful.

My family. I'm grateful because we're still together despite the many things that could've separated us. We're growing each day to understand one another and for the love they display whether it's through shouting or hugging, I'm grateful.

My friends. I have a good set of friends. Friends that tell me the truth, help me, encourage me. Friends that actively maintain our friendship, not ones that I have to chase for a text lol. They've been there through the braids, tracks, weaves and Brazilian times. I'm grateful.

My fights.  So far this year has been good but I've cried a few times and had my share of ups and downs. I've had to fight the desires to sin, the desires to want more and the desire to at times give up. But all in all I can say that I've overcome many things and for that, I'm grateful.

My fears. I'm grateful for these because it helps me to remember that my hopes and dreams should be in one persons hand. It helps me to put things in perspective and keeps me running to the person that can take the doubts away. It's always a great exchange and for this I'm grateful.

My feelings. It's not something that comes to mind, is it? I'm not saying it's ok to be angry or constantly moody without resolving the issues causing these expressions of emotions but I'm saying it's great that we can be ourselves.  So whilst it sounds silly, I don't have to go through a lifetime of suppressed emotions and for this I'm grateful.

My flaws. I'm not perfect. I have some blemishes which I'm using toner for (lol the make up artists will laugh at me for that). But rather than look at my flaws and become discouraged, I look up to the one who is perfect to help me. For this privilege, I'm grateful.

My food. I like food!! In my language we have a name for those who like food and loosely translated it's someone who IS food (did I get that right?). I can have any type of food because I live in a place where variety is not lacking. Others don't have so I savour every moment and for that, I'm grateful.

My future. Simply put, He holds my world in His hands; I'm secure and most importantly I'm grateful.

Why should I feel discouraged?

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Ever felt discouraged, without hope and no sense of direction? Welcome to the club.

Psalm 42 says 'Why, I ask myself, are you so depressed? Why are you so upset inside? Hope in God! Because I will again give him thanks, my saving presence and my God.' (‭Psalms‬ ‭42‬:‭5‬ CEB)

There are several reasons why as Christians we may feel discouraged. We may have lost a loved one, scored badly on an important exam or made a bad decision resulting in loss. Let me be real with you, even watching the news these days can be quite discouraging. Whatever the case, we can identify with the feeling. David did too and he certainly didn't hide this emotion but like Job, openly expressed his feelings before God.

In verse three of psalms 42, David mentioned he had been crying for days on end to the extent that he had no energy left as he refrained from eating. He was even being tormented with thoughts of what people had previously said in that they questioned the reality of his beliefs.

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Does this sound familiar?

Life gives you the option of being depressed, upset and at times bitter. But let's examine what David said in the latter part of verse 5. He said 'Hope in God! Because I will again give him thanks, my saving presence and my God.'

Why did he say this? I believe it's because he had an assurance based on his past experiences in his relationship with God. He knew that he'd come out of this situation because God was with him. That's what brought him out of the situation.

With this in mind, I thought of things that I do that help me when I'm discouraged.

1. I'll be honest with God about my feelings

2. I'll calm down and not let emotions rule my thoughts

3. I make my feelings accountable to another person

4. I'll be silent to hear from God as I believe he's heard me

5. I'll be vigilant to understand what He's trying to teach me.

6.  Ultimately, I'll keep moving forward as there's no benefit to my progress if I remain stagnant.

Last thoughts: What we must always strive to maintain is our relationship and enhance the knowledge we have with Him, through the word of God. Then when discouragement surfaces we'll be able to deal with it.

Today I'm reminding you and myself that if His eyes is on the sparrow, then He's surely watching over us.

Rubologs

The thief of joy

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Comparison is the thief of joy-Theodore Roosevelt

Sometimes we compare ourselves so much to other people that we forget the great things that God has bestowed on us which in turn halts us from doing the things He wants us to. This happened to me for 2 months.

It's an internal battle. A battle that occurs in the mind, translates to speech and eventually becomes your character. I find it quite ironic that during this time, I read the 'The battlefield of the mind' by Joyce Meyer. I think reading this book helped me to restructure my thought pattern to a great extent and has helped me to even identify the way in which the enemy primarily works against our minds. I certainly recommend it. However, you can read all the books you want to and gain as much information as possible but nothing will change until you do internally.

I'll confess that, I didn't realise I was in this phase until I stopped certain things that God specifically put in my hands to do. For example, this very blog. I know it's a work in progress but I so compared myself to others that I eventually convinced myself that I couldn't do anything with it or that it wouldn't go far. May I mention that this however, did not stop the flow of ideas regarding my blog posts. I thought about it everyday!

As I mentioned before, my character was affected. I reduced my calls, texts and general posts that made me, me. I became inferior to people that genuinely loved me and I was downright negative about everything. The funny thing is no one particularly noticed this because as I said, it was an internal thing and I hid it quite well.

Eventually I became quite unhappy and demotivated to do anything and if I'm honest with you, I cannot recall how I got to this stage. I'm only grateful that I'm progressively coming out of this! One way I'm recovering so to speak, is by reminding myself of who I am in Christ and remembering the love He has for me that He displayed on the cross. It's easy to forget so that's why God told Joshua ''This book of the law must not depart from your  mouth but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. Then you shall make your way prosperous and then you will have good success." Joshua 1:8 (NKJV) Yes, to have good success in our minds means to be stable and positive.

Let's be clear, this isn't a blog post to declare and announce some epic return but rather an encouragement and caution against comparison.

There's a reason why you are who you are, bestowed with the gifts and talents that you have. Others may be in your field and this is for many reasons including the fact that you can't reach everyone by yourself. So "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." 2 Corinthians 10:12 (NIV). I compared myself with others, became foolish and look where it landed me! Avoid doing the same.

Last thought: If you compare yourself with another person, you're indirectly telling God that He didn't do a good job.

Until we meet again, be yourself!
Rubo

Keep an eye out for my next post on discouragement. 

I don't think, I lust

Faded love
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The thing I hate most about lust is the fact that it's so subtle. Let me be honest, I didn't even know I was lusting and till date I can't even recall when it started.

I don't necessarily want to go into this subject as I'm convinced that the majority of people reading this are aware of it and have probably encountered (for lack of better word) it.

My post is for those who have struggled and I mean struggled with it for the past months or even years and are at their wits end and need help. I know that position. I know what it did to me physically and spiritually; it's not an easy battle to engage in.

For the majority of us, it starts with an image, a thought of a person or even a familiar scent for those with a more 
sensual outlook. Yes, this is how subtle it can be as I mentioned before.

Firstly, let me address that the enemy is aware of the state of your mind and has decided to use this as a main weapon of warfare against you.
Let's look at a few scriptures before I go on to explain tools that I've used which has helped me through the years.
Matthew 5:27-30 (NLT)
27“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your bodythan for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

The first part of this verse addresses lust and what it actually is-adultery. Then the second part addresses how to combat it and with what intensity. For you to physically pluck your eye out would leave you blind and in excruciating pain. However, looking at it metaphorically it means that you've disabled the equipment that would otherwise land you in trouble.
In essence, this verse helped me to understand how God viewed lust and how He wanted me to deal with it.

Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

This verse has been a great comfort to say the least. At times I'd feel episodes of  sheer guilt, shame and rejection. Upon reading this, I'd understand that I was in a relationship with someone who understood EXACTLY what I was encountering but was able to withstand it meaning that through my constant relationship with Him, I too could overcome.

1 John 5:4 (NLT)

For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith
I smile whenever I think of this scripture because I learnt it by listening to a sermon in church but didn't know how important a scripture it would become to me.
Simply stated; because He overcame, I can overcome.

1 Corinthians 10:3-4 (NLT)

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

Yeah welcome to Christianity also known as spiritual warfare. This verse practically tells you what Matthew 5 gruesomely explained. Throw the thoughts into the bottomless pit of hell. That's where they belong, not your mind!!

Psalms 19:4 (NLT)

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O  
lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Again another scripture that helped me to cast down thoughts by simply replacing it with the word of God.

James 4:7 (NLT)
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
I remembering reading this entire passage of scripture realising that I had read it only to understand one point. I must be under the umbrella (protection) of God before I can even face the devil, unless I'll just be flicked away like a piece of dust.

These scriptures are not extensive but this is what I used in overcoming this demon called lust.

Now, I'd like to give a few tactical points in overcoming this.
1. Prayer
What I mean in this point is that you should be honest with God. Explain to Him that you have this weakness and need His help. He already understands and He's already holding your hands, however He just needs you to keep the grip and never let go.
However, be aware that this is a spiritual battle and needs to be fought brutally, so don't be comfortable or familiar with your prayer in regards to this. Address the enemy and let him know that you're not giving up!

2. Memorising the word and using it as a weapon
This is the biggest weapon you have to use in prayer. First of all read the word on this subject area of the mind and use it. Memorise it till it becomes a part of you. Then when the moment arises you're equipped.

The three times Jesus was tempted by the devil, He used the word in order to overcome the temptation and over power the attempts of the enemy. It works! I know it does.


3. Confession/accountability
I can't stress this point enough. Let me be honest, the average evangelical/Pentecostal Christian doesn't want to be open with their fellow Christian brothers and sisters and the enemy is using this to divide the church.

The word of God instructs us to confess our sins one to another. There's a reason why; two heads are better than one, physically,mentally and spiritually. Share with your Christian friend. I know some feel that they may be judged but I've found great peace in this. If you're not sure of who to talk to, pray first and let God lead you. I'm telling you it has helped. Don't expect too much, because they're not God and cannot fully solve this issue. In summary, this friend of yours can help you to pray continually and encourage you even when you don't feel like doing the right thing. There's great progress when you have the support of someone. Galatians 6:2 (NLT) says "Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ."

4. Identify the conditions surrounding you that make you more vulnerable
Are you more susceptible to lust in the morning because you've just woken up, are weak and not been able to gather your thoughts?
Is it when you're idle and not occupied?
Identify it and when you have, use it to your advantage.

5. Watch what you watch
In other words, guard your heart.  If you already know that watching a particular film or reading something will later result in episodes of lust then there's no point. Avoid it.

Let me close by saying that the state of your mind is important to God! That's the avenue He uses to talk with you so the enemy will do anything to block it.

Let's begin to think and not lust!

The month of May

I posted on Facebook a few days ago that the month of May was an emotional and spiritual roller coaster. I was literally left with two options. I remembered the scripture of 'life and death' but it came to me in a different way. I could've chosen to be bitter towards God and the people involved or chosen to view this as a learning curve and hold on to God even more.

So this month I realised that communication within a family is vital. Without it, misconceptions will arise, assumptions will be made and confusion will take place. In fact, I understood this point so much this month that I was given insight to the damage it could do if it was missing. I also began to understand why married couples always pin pointed that communication was or shall I say is important to a marriage. Please don't take it lightly. If you notice a gap in communication with your loved ones, build a bridge.

Treat others the way you would like to be treated. The problem is we know these things but we choose not to apply them.

How you make your bed, is how you will lie in it. Excuse my proverbial language, however it's something that was reiterated this month to me. Don't expect an output if there's no input.

Prayer is essential. I think I may expatiate on this point with another blog post but for now, I learnt that communication at all times with the Holy Spirit is what kept me sane or on track.

This is one point that I'm still trying to grasp. I realised that I was not happy within me when I didn't use my gift to serve at the right time. I also found out that if I didn't do something that I was meant to do which could bless someone then someone else would replace me, do that thing and do it better *insertappropriateemoticon*!!!

Before I leave, this might make you laugh but I learnt that money is good!! Lol.

See you sooner than you think whilst we discuss practical ways to deal with lust.

Rubo

Who's asking about my heart?

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 (ESV).

(Source: www.netdoctor.co.uk)

This will be a short piece but I believe it is relevant to the subject at hand-The Heart.

I recently, spoke about the heart and this topic has been ruminating within me for the past month. After pondering continuously on the content of my heart, I realised I was asking the wrong person. How will I truly know what is in the content of my heart?

Like David I asked "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV).

I think one of the reasons God asked me this question and does it quite frequently is because He's ensuring that my motive is right. What's the essence of serving an individual but doing it with resentment in your heart towards the person? It's a contradicting act and will amount to nothing. Hence we shouldn't forget that He is looking at the content of your heart. 

As I was thinking of this, I stumbled across the fact that God might be constantly asking me this question in order to make me aware that He's always watching me. 

Psalm 139:7-12 (ESV) says "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me and the light about me be night,”even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you."

I can't hide from Him as He knows everything already, including the content of my heart.

Next time you feel a nudge regarding your heart, think motive, think presence.

Rubologs 

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