Every temptation is designed to feed our self-gratification. Otherwise it would not be a temptation. I have never drank alcohol. If offered a drink, it would have no pull on me. However, if someone had been set free of drinking, it would pull them like a magnet. It depends on what we have been set free from. It also depends on what is hidden in our hearts. 

My grandfather was a fly fisherman. He crafted each of his lures. The enemy of our soul is searching for ways to reel us in. He ‘crafts’ lures that will get us to take his bait. His goal is to take us out of service to the Lord. He hates authentic followers of Christ because they represent the One he cannot control.

Yesterday I brought up bitterness. Bitterness starts as a seed that is dropped into the soil of our heart. When our heart is full of God’s word, the soil is rich in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:23-24 says, “…Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

When the soil in our heart is barren (the way of the transgressor is hard), full of stones (offenses), and thorns (irritations, nettling thoughts), the fruit of the Spirit has nothing to grow in. I love the picture in Psalm 65. Verse 4 says, “Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple.” 

Here is an illustration of a satisfied heart. Verses 9-11 say, “You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it. You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth. You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.” 

Anything we do in our own strength pleases our flesh. Romans 8:7-8 says, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Walking in the Spirit pleases the Lord. The fruit of the Spirit is evident in our lives when we are submitted to the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:16 says, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” 

Here is our mandate. Romans 13:14 says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” Lust: greed, self-gratification, unholy desires, and unbridled passions. When we put off every temptation by putting on Christ, we will erase and wipe out any pre-plans to gratify our flesh. Abundant fruit glorifies the Lord.

Perhaps we should always consider every temptation to sin as an encounter that will lead to death. There are serpents whose venom kills instantly. The enemy of our soul was first portrayed as a serpent in the garden. I don’t do snakes. When the Holy Spirit gave me this analogy this morning it resonated clearly.

It brought me back to Paul and his encounter with a deadly snake. Acts 28:2 says that the natives of Malta built a fire for the shipwrecked victims. Verse 3 says, “But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.” Let us follow his example any time a temptation latches onto us. It says, “But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.”

Proverbs 7:6-27 is a lengthly description of a harlot’s craftiness. We saw it played out with Samson and Delilah. Verse 7 says, “And I saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, a young man devoid of understanding.” Verse 21 says, “With her enticing speech she caused him to yield…” Verse 23 says, “…he did not know it would cost his life.” Verse 27 says, “Her house is the way to hell, descending to the chamber of death.”

These two illustrations make the power and consequences of a temptation very vivid. Let us picture these the next time we are tempted. The temptation is not sin. It is when we yield that the viper fastens onto our heart. James 1:15 says, “Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.”

A snake bite is very toxic. The only way to neutralize the toxicity is with an anti venom. How do we neutralize a temptation? We inject truth immediately! Experiential truth is truth that is inculcated into our heart. It is a way of life. I love Psalm 119 because it describes the power of God’s word through multiple ways. Verse 11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” ALL sin is against God. 

Let me use bitterness as an example. Bitterness is a choice that has come from a ‘snake’ bite. Instead of shaking off the temptation to be offended, we allow the snake to remain and speak to us. We roll the whole scene around in our mind. We built a case against the one who hurt us.

Bitterness causes chemical changes. Each toxic thought drips onto neuro pathways in our brain and erodes them. When we don’t forgive in the moment, the seed germinates. It is that fast. Hebrews 12:15 says, “Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God…”

The moment the temptation to sin comes we have God’s grace to resist. If we ignore His provision, the rest of the verse goes into effect. “…lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.” Our sin affects those around us. Sin blocks our fellowship with the Lord. It plunges us into darkness. Our light is covered. We no longer shine for Him.

John made it really clear in 1 John 1:5. It says, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. Let us rise up above every temptation by neutralizing it instantly. Let us say no! and use the temptation as a reminder that sin’s bite is deadly.

Disciplined thought patterns follow truth. They are directional. Psalm 5:3 says, “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.” They are intentional. Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s word discerns our thoughts and intentions. When we hide His word in our heart it is there to direct our intentions. They are purposed. Daniel 1:8 says that Daniel purposed in his heart. Before he was ever tempted, his heart was set on God’s way.

Any rogue thought against you, others, or your circumstances are fiery darts. They are guided missiles to destroy. They are set to implode within once they are hidden. They slip in unnoticed because we did not discipline our thoughts. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to bring every (rogue) thought captive. Rogue thoughts exalt themselves against the knowledge of God as declared in His word. 

We bring stress upon ourselves when we worry/trust, fear/hope, or have inner turmoil/peace at the same time. Our brain cannot handle it. It throws confusion into the mix. Our thoughts are divided. We hesitate. Doubt means that we are divided in our decision making, or we waver between right and wrong. When we are tempted, we know that we should not, but there is something inside that still longs for it. James 1:14 says, “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” 

Judges 16:5 is a perfect example of enticement’s results. The Philistines said to Delilah, “…Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him…” Do you see the picture? When we fall for the temptation, we are entrapped and bound. The enemy uses the temptation to lure us so that he can afflict us.

2 Kings 17:41 says that they feared the Lord, but served their carved images. What? They were divided, and a house divided cannot stand. We need to be very aware of our duplicity. It stresses our brain, which then causes physical stress. It is a domino effect that leads to disease. Disciplined thought patterns, based on truth, will keep us steadfast and unmoved in the face of any temptation.

The Lord singled out Achan as the perpetrator when Israel was defeated by Ai. Joshua asked him what he did. Joshua 7:21 says, “When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden…” Saw, coveted, took, and hid.

The Israelites were forbidden to take any of the accursed things. Achan took them and hid them so no one would know. The anger of the Lord was turned against ALL of Israel. One man’s sin affected the whole. So it is in the body of Christ when one hides their sin. The enemy gains ground.

Samson is another example. He was dedicated to the Lord in the womb. He was a Nazarite, meaning that he was to touch no unclean thing, nor eat or drink anything from the vine. He did both. He also saw, coveted, took, and hid his activities. He knew he was a Nazarite from the womb. He confessed that to Delilah the harlot. Yet he did not honor God’s call on his life. Duplicity.

Both men had undisciplined thoughts. Both men were told: Do not! and they did! When Samson saw the honey in the carcass of the lion, he took it and ate it. When he saw the harlot, he went in to her. God has raised him up to deliver Israel from the Philistines. Yet because of his sin, he was delivered to the Philistines.

When we see something we take it in with our eyes. We need to access what we see. However, when we covet what we saw, we cross the line. At that point we can still resist and turn away. Isaiah 28:6 says that God gives strength to turn the battle back at the gate. If we don’t turn away, we will move forward. Then we will take through because of our self-gratifying flesh-fueled greed.

Tomorrow I will give you God’s way to defeat the enemy who is trying to defeat you.

Proverbs 1:19 Amplified says, “So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; such (greed for plunder) takes away the lives of its possessors.” Our sin against another, or another’s sin against us is rooted in greed. It is self-gratification. How did the serpent tempt Eve? Genesis 3:6 says, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took…”

I want to go to the account of the man at the pool called Bethesda. John 5:3 stated the scene very clearly. It says, “In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed…” They all had one thing in common: they were waiting for an angel to come and stir up the water. Only one person could be healed at that time.

Jesus approached the scene and centered on one man. He had been bound by his infirmity 38 years! Jesus asked him a question in verse 6, “…Do you want to be made well?” Hmm. After all, the man was hoping he could get healed wasn’t he? Let me put a disclaimer: not all sickness is sin related. However in this case his infirmity was linked to sin. 

I want you to read verse 7 with a whinny voice. It says, “…I have no man to put me into the pool…while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus did not address his attitude. Verse 8 says, “…Rise, take up your bed and walk.” Verse 9 says, “And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked…” Verse 14 says, “…See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

Verse 5 in the Amplified defined his infirmity. It says, “There was a certain man there who had suffered with a deep-seated and lingering disorder…” As I read this I immediately thought about buried emotional pain. Though Scripture does not say what his sin was, it does say that his condition was the result of sin.

Here is an interesting aspect of his healing. 2 Timothy 1:7 says that we are given a sound mind. Neuroscientists say that the brain gets stressed when we think of two opposing things at once. Such as: I want, but I can’t have. If only, no it’s impossible. Consider your own thoughts. James 1:8 says that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. The Strong’s defines a sound mind as: good judgment, disciplined thought patterns, and the ability to understand and make right decisions.

James 4:17 says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” We are commanded to forgive AS we are forgiven. To hide our sin sets up an inner stronghold that continually opposes God’s way. If you have any disordered thoughts, I encourage you to go before the Holy Spirit and ask Him to reveal what their source is. Healing from something in the past can take place in the present when we confess our hidden sin.

There is a difference between stubborn and tenacious. Stubbornness is rooted in a sinful inner stronghold. It is fueled by our rebellious flesh. Tenacity is a heart-conviction based on truth. Jeremiah 1:10 is God’s way of uprooting sinful habits. It says, “…to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.” Once we confess our sinful habit, He cleanses the area where the stronghold was in our heart. That area is free to implant God’s word that will keep us free. 

Let me give you an example. The grumpy person received a fiery dart-lie. It was a suggestion: you were treated unfairly. They built a case out of it and erected a grudge. It became a heart-idol that they served. The mole hill slight became a mountain of offense. All they can see is the mountain. They go before the Holy Spirit and ask why they are always grumpy. He reveals the lie. They confess it as sin, and forgive the person who slighted them. That is the ‘root out’ part. The next part is to build and to plant. That takes specific Scriptures that address the heart.

The ways we have tried to change have been in our own strength. Anything we do independent of God is futile. Here is His way. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” Here is a weapon-verse for the formerly grumpy person. Proverbs 4:23 says to guard our heart with all diligence. 

Diligence is like tenacity. They must tenaciously guard their heart by ignoring satan’s future suggestions. They don’t give them another thought. They implant God’s word by memorizing a verse in the opposite spirit of grumpiness. Throughout the day they meditate on what it means to them. They add other verses to help them walk in truth.

Psalm 100:2 says, “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.” Their heart sings with praise to the One who they believe in. Their new motive is to worship and glorify Him. Their thoughts become partakers of His nature. Their attitude reflects Him. The Holy Spirit uses the word to help them form a new joyful habit. Grumpiness was taken out and joyfulness was planted in its place. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, which is fruit that glorifies the Lord.

Habits are patterns established through repetition. Our brains love repetition. I took piano lessons when I was young. Last year I took up piano again. I have had to practice the same scales and chords over and over. Why? I need to groove them into my brain. Autopilot comes with repetition. Let us consider that good habits are grooves, but bad habits are ruts. 

Here is a progression I would like you to consider. Our motives are backed by what we believe. Behind every thought is a motive. Our thoughts precede our actions. Our actions carry an attitude, which forms habits. Do you know any habitual grumpy folks? It all goes back to what they believe about themselves, others, or their circumstances.

The root of stubborn practices is rebellion. 1 Samuel 15:22-23 were Samuel’s words from the Lord to Saul regarding his disobedience. It says, “…Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord…”

Hosea 10:12 says, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you. You have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own way…” These verses spell out the crux of stubborn habits. They are sin patterns. How do we cast out the old and bring in the new?

First, look for stubborn practices. They are usually things about your character that you have tried to change, but you have failed time and time again. It is a rut. I encourage you to go before the Holy Spirit and ask Him these questions. Where is the hidden rebellion in my heart? What lie have I believed? What motivative is behind this stubborn habit? When He shows you then confess them as sin.

Tomorrow I will give you an example of casting out the old and embracing the new.

Things in our homes get out of order when we fail to keep them organized. We had a junk drawer in our kitchen when I was growing up. Miscellaneous things were haphazardly thrown in there. They had no other place. When I moved in with my parents to take care of them 24/7, they still had a junk drawer.

Sometimes we have junk drawers in our heart. We throw emotional feelings in there because we don’t know what to do with them. It is called stuffing. This is so true with children who are traumatized. They do not have the understanding of what has happened to them, nor the maturity to process it.

Years ago I read a book called “Organizing Genius.” It was about solving enigma type problems collectively. The input of each was crucial for the success needed. I am taking that analogy into our daily reading. As we systematically read the whole counsel of God, aspects of truth reveal where our heart-beliefs collide. God’s word is collective truth. It is His whole counsel. We cannot take one part and ignore other parts. Each verse, precept, principle, or command is an essential part of the whole.

The Lord gave Solomon extraordinary wisdom. His book of Proverbs is a great book to read. He understood enigma’s. He wrote Proverbs 1:1-6 to help us understand his intent. Verse 6 says, “To understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles.” The emotional pain that we stuffed continually seeps into our thought process. We may ‘think’ we have banished it from our life, but that is a lie.

Here is one great indicator of how close the hidden is to the surface. Present events trigger past history events. When our flesh reacts to something said, acted out, or an event, the hidden emotional pain from our past is exposed. That is the Holy Spirit reminding us right then that we have unresolved issues. It is prudent for us to stop and ask Him: why did I react? The Holy Spirit is so patient with us. He leads us into the truth we need to be set free from what has kept us bound.

As we read, we need to be present with what we are reading. We incline our ear, we stay alert, attentive, and ready to receive course correction. The Lord is All Present. He is never wandering in His thoughts. His thoughts are far higher than ours. His capacity is boundless. He is ready to reveal the lies that have entrapped us. His truth is designed to free hearts that are bound. May our hearts be attentive to the Holy Spirit when He highlights a verse in our reading. It is time to get rid of the junk drawer.

We do not speak independently of our thoughts. Our thoughts are ruminations of our beliefs about ourselves, others, and our circumstances. In Psalm 15:1 David asked, “Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?” His answer is our mandate as well. Verse 2 says, “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.”

The only way we can speak truth in our heart is if the word of God is hidden there. Thoughts, words, and actions are like a braid. Our thoughts lead off, our words and actions follow. They are indistinguishably intertwined. That is the power in meditating on God’s word. It becomes integrated in our thoughts, words, and actions. That is the ‘work’ of righteousness. Meditating is the water that softens the calloused flesh-areas, like a potter uses water to soften the clay so it can be worked.

A hard, callous heart is impervious to God’s word. Impervious means that it doesn’t allow fluid to flow through it. A duck is impervious to water sticking on their back. They dip into the water and fully immerse. When they come back up the water runs off. Anyone can change. The Holy Spirit, our Change Agent, dwells within us. He leads us into truth that will set us free.

Malachi 3:3 says, “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.” God’s word has been through the fires of time. When it is hidden in our heart, it will rise up to take us through our fiery trials. As the fire intensifies, our hidden dross is exposed. This is an essential part of our progressive sanctification. No child of God is exempt.

The work of righteousness conforms us to His image. It also purifies our words because it goes deep to permeate our thought processes. It is our heart that believes unto righteousness. Our mouth speaks what we believe. The Refiner watches for the dross of erroneous thoughts to come up. We confess them as sin and receive His cleansing. Then the Holy Spirit helps us renew our mind with truth that will take its place. May our heart-reservoir of thoughts please the Lord and bring Him glory.

Have you thought about where your words come from? Have you ever said things that you wish had not come out of your mouth? We eat the fruit of our lips. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” The question that I asked myself: do I love the words that come out of my mouth?

Our heart is our belief center. Every experience we have ever been through affects our heart. It is like an imprint. Therefore what we believe about ourselves comes from our experiences. It shapes our perceptions. When we have negative experiences from our past, we may have beliefs that are negative.

That is the power of renewing our mind. No mind is set in concrete. Ephesians 4:23 Amplified says, “And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude).” Only God’s implanted word can change toxic thought patterns in our brain. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…”

What are your thoughts about yourself? David wrote Psalm 139. If you haven’t read it lately I encourage you to do so. Verse 14 says, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” This is a truth that I stand in. I have learned a lot about how God has designed our brains through my multiple brain injuries. Luke 1:37 says, “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

It doesn’t matter what we have been through in the past. What matters is do we believe what God says about us? If we don’t, that is an indication that we have derived our identity through our experiences. That brings us to salvation. Before we accepted the Lord as our Savior, we were alienated from Him. Cut off. No connection. No interchange. Ephesians 4:18 says, “Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.”

Everything points back to your heart. God’s way is perfect. Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Your heart is designed to be a reservoir of God’s word. Don’t fill it with toxic beliefs against yourself.

John 7:38 says, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” We are surrounded by thirsty unbelievers. Let us be water carriers that dispense life giving words. It all starts with a renewed mind about God’s purpose: He has no desire for anyone to perish.