Day 4
Today's Scripture:
Romans 1:18-32
Key Verse:
Romans 1:21
"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."
The Point:
Has your heart been fooled?
Most of us are familiar with the term "deepfake" and recognize the threats they pose in several ways (e.g., political, financial, military). To put it simply, a deepfake is the product of emerging technology (usually attributed to as "artificial intelligence") that fools people into believing a lie about a person, place, or thing either visually, audibly or both. The technology is new but the concept is not!
What does the Bible have to say about the heart?
CAUTION: The Bible's teaching about the human heart is contrary to the common understanding held by people in our country, community, and culture. Here are a couple of examples:
Genesis 6:5 "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."
Jeremiah 17:9-10 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reigns, even to give every man according to the fruit of his doings."
Mark 15:18-20 "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."
The primary obstacle to accepting the truth about the condition of our heart is our tendency to justify our thoughts, words, and deeds based on our experience, understanding, and what we have been taught. To put it another way, we have accepted a deepfake from Satan about the true nature of our heart!
Today's Scripture records a comprehensive explanation of how the spiritual condition of man's heart leads to alienation from God and all that He values.
Study Today's Scripture for a few minutes and answer these questions:
- Why are men able to "hold the truth in unrighteousness?" (see verses 18-21)
- What "darkens" the heart of man? (see verse 21)
- God has made himself "known to man," why is man without excuse? (verse 20)
- What happens to a person who decides to trust in their own wisdom when it comes to the truth about the condition of their heart? (verse 22)
- The human heart has the capability to turn the truth of God into a lie (verse 25), what is God's response when that occurs (verse 28)?
Prayer Time
Confess and Forsake Any Known Sin:
Probing Questions:
- Have you ever been completely honest with God about the nature, desires, and motives resident in your heart?
- Do you recall the specific event, the time, and the place when you first realized the Word of God (either spoken or written) correctly diagnosed your heart condition?
- How long has it been since you sincerely focused on the preaching or reading of God’s Word and allowed it to "read" your heart?
Worship:
- God is omniscient (knows all things) to include everything about me! (Psalm 139:1-6)
- God is greater than our heart! (1 John 3:20)
Praise:
- Trusting in God brings joy to the heart (Psalm 33:21)
- Thank God for blessing us when we are obedient (Psalm 119:2
- Praise God for the delight He gives when we recall His Word (Psalm 119:16)
Confession:
- If you have never been completely honest with God about the condition of your heart, ask Him to use His Word to persuade you about the true condition of your heart.
- Think about your relationship with someone who has hurt you, disappointed you, made you angry and if you are having trouble forgiving them, ask God to examine your heart using His Word and lead you through repentance and forgiveness.
- Are you struggling with some persistent sin, ask God to search your heart using His Word and lead you through repentance and a new determination to forsake the sin and grow in His grace.
Intercessory Prayers:
- Think of someone who recognizes there is a creative force in the universe but hasn't accepted the truth about the spiritual condition of their heart; ask God to draw them to His Word and persuade them of the truth about Him and the condition of their heart.
- Do you know Christians who are out of fellowship with one another; pray for them to allow the Word to read their hearts and replace the hurt with a desire for reconciliation.
Petitions:
- Ask God to use His Word to show you the next step in your service to Him?
- Ask God to use His Word to help you understand the importance of memorizing His Word.
- Ask God to use His Word to help you become a peacemaker.
Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Don't fall for the deepfake, open your heart, mind, and spirit to the truth of God's Word!