Where does sin manifest most prominently in our lives?
Where does sin manifest most prominently in our lives?
Daily Devotional with Dr. Duane Brooks
March 8, 2017
Psalm 141:3-4 
Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips.
Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil
    so that I take part in wicked deeds
along with those who are evildoers;
    do not let me eat their delicacies.
New International Version (NIV)
               Sin begins in the heart.   Our mistakes often begin with a decision of the will.  The memory verses in this five year collection include many prayers and statements about our sin.  We will look at passages in Psalms, Proverbs and 1 John which reveal how to avoid the various types of sin in our lives.  Our eyes, our minds, our mouths and our feet are all involved in sin.  But it starts in the heart.  "Above all else guard your heart.  For everything you do flows from it . . ." Solomon writes in Proverbs 4:23.  Here the Psalmist ends with a plea:  do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil.

                Still our hearts are not always transparent.  So where does sin manifest most prominently in our lives?  The Psalmist and the book of James agree:  our words reveal our hearts.  So here is a prayer for us today:  "Set a guard over my mouth . . ."  Wouldn't it be great if we could wait . . . before we speak.  Our Houdini of a dog, Paisley, can escape every known enclosure.  So, too, my words.  But what if the Lord guarded my mouth?  What if he kept watch at the door of my lips and said to my sinful words, "You shall not pass here." 

                James picks up this thought in another of our memory verses:  "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak . . ." (James 1:20).  My pastor, Jim Hallcom, used to pray every time before he preached, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer."  This is not as hard as it seems:  speak to God before you speak to people.  Surrender to his sovereignty over your speech.  You and others will be glad you did!
Pray with me:  
Father, in my war against sin, please start with my heart.  Let it not be drawn to evil today.  Free us from the impulses which would draw us away from you to sin.  Especially today we pray that you would consecrate our speech.   Guard the gates of our speech today.  Stop hurtful and harmful words before they start.  But we ask more.  Let our words be life-giving today to those who need a kind and encouraging message.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.     
I want to invite you to join me in memorizing 52 passages this year from the 2017 set of Fighter Verses.  You can find the Fighter Verses App at the App Store on your phones or via this link  http://fighterverses.com/the-verses/fighter-verses/. As we study the Bible this year, let's look at each text and learn what it says about God. 
Joyfully, 
Duane 
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