Scripture:
"... for God is greater than our heart and knows all things."
1 John 3:20 NASB


Application:
Self condemnation is fed from outside and then it takes root in the heart. We spend so much time being brainwashed by what the outside world tells us what we should look like, eat like, dress like, etc, that we begin to believe the hype ourselves.
That's where it gets us.
When we don't match up, we may take unnecessary prescriptions because we feel "imbalanced" believing we have a problem when we really don't.
Addiction results.
The outside influencers become part of us, and that toxic thinking and behaving results (Matthew 15:17-19) We have to get back into our hearts, the place where all the self-condemnation had been rooted. But I'm convinced we can't do the heart surgery on ourselves.
But there's Good News:
God is stronger than our hearts. He can change us at the pain source. It takes humility to let go of our outside influencers and let the Holy Spirit do heart surgery. The result is a unique person.


Prayer:
God, You made me to be unique. Mold me into that unique person. Amen.

Scripture:
"For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless."
James 1:23-26 NASB

Application:
Nobody likes to be tested daily on how to apply the Word of God in a very challenging situation with a challenging person. It's also very hard to hear, "just stay in the Word" as the catch all remedy. But as we read the first chapter of James again, we see some things:

1. God isn't putting us through the test. We're being tested by the "lusts of our own hearts."
2. Christian behavior is a shaping process over time.
3. Shutting up is part of the remedy. That's mentioned near the end of the chapter.

We have work to do, and the Bible has given us guidance. God will give us opportunities to do better. But they're not "tests" from Him, they're just life that our own weaknesses will confront. If we are driven to be selfish, pompous, or vindictive, those areas are going to be the first that will be confronted. Being quiet helps a lot.

Prayer:
When stuff bothers us, help us to be quiet as we try to remember to apply the Bible's teachings, Lord. Amen.

Scripture:
But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
Isaiah 53:10 NASB

Application:
No one recognized how God would bring about the success that would save every one of us from hell.
No one. Not even the disciples who spent three years with Jesus.
But it happened, and now we see the supernatural workings clearly, but only in retrospect.
Where we are now may not look too good. But someday we'll look back and praise God for His supernatural workings going on right this very moment.
Hold on.

Prayer:
Father God, we praise You now for the supernatural blessings we certainly will see clearly later. Amen.