Have you let down your guard?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
(Proverbs 4:23 (NIV))

God has called people to stand guard, to be watchmen against the attacks of the enemy. Anyone who professes a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior is called to be ever vigilant and warn others of the lies and deceitful tactics of the enemy. We are to be the proverbial watchmen on the walls for our families, our churches, our communities, and our world. We are called to share the Gospel, but we are also called to stand guard for the sake of the Gospel in much the same manner as the watchmen posted on the walls of the old city of Jerusalem.

We are to be a warning of impending danger!

I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the Lord,
give yourselves no rest,
(Isaiah 62:6 (NIV))

We have a responsibility, but we must also stand guard over our own hearts. We do not want to see any lies of the enemy change what we treasure as the truth. We must stand guard against the thief that comes to steal, kill and destroy our love for the Lord which is our greatest treasure.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:21 (NIV))

What is the current state of your heart?

Is the Lord still your greatest treasure?

We must be diligent. We must be able to protect our own hearts from the attacks of the enemy.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
(Ephesians 6:11 (NIV))

We must make sure that we are fully girded and ever vigilant. We don’t want to ever have to answer this following question.

Have you let down your guard?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Is it worth forfeiting your soul for it?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
(Mark 8:36 (NIV))

What do you possess that has the most value to you?

Does your answer reflect a worldly point of view or an eternal, spiritual point of view?

I hate to say this, but each of us, even those who profess a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, still have worldly things that we desire. Even if it is as simple as desiring enough to live off of, this is a worldly desire and a worldly focus. We forget what Jesus taught His disciples when they asked Him to teach them how to pray.

Give us each day our daily bread.
(Luke 11:3 (NIV)

I do want to clarify that desiring enough to live off of versus desiring riches are far apart. With that said, back to my original question. What do you possess that has the most value to you? Are you so focused on your bank accounts, your homes, and your cars that you have completely neglected your spiritual soul? To put it another way, there is a saying that we are not physical beings with a soul, but rather, we are eternal beings with a temporary, physical body. How you see yourself will determine what you desire to gain.

The passage in Mark is not the only passage that tells us to not focus on the world!

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV))

What is it that you treasure? If it is not the things of God, I have one important question to ask you. Be truthful with your answer. Your eternity depends upon it!

Is it worth forfeiting your soul for it?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Where do your possibilities lie?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
(Matthew 19:26 (NIV))

Most people recognize this passage and claim it when they feel that they are up against a wall and cannot possibly win. These are very encouraging words, but we often take them out of context and try to apply them to our desires and not God’s will. Jesus was not implying that God is a genii who will grant our every wish. They have taken this passage and completely ignored the discussion leading up to these words.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
(Matthew 19:23-25 (NIV))

It is a matter of priorities. It is a matter of where your treasure lies.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:21 (NIV))

In other words, Jesus was implying that salvation is always possible with God. It may take time, but it is possible.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
(2 Peter 3:9 (NIV))

Too many people place their hope in the treasures of this world, but these things fade and rust. Too many people place their hope in things that are impossible instead of placing them firmly in the hands of God the Father. If He can create everything that was created in seven days, then His plan for salvation is more than possible.

Have you lost all hope?

If this is the case, then you are looking to man for your hope, for God is the only possible source of hope. He gave us Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We could never save ourselves. That was and is an impossibility. He gave us Jesus as our salvation hope!

Where do your possibilities lie?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What have you set your mind on?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
(Colossians 3:2 (NIV))

We all have those things that we constantly think about. These are the things that fill our thoughts when we are not being distracted by other things such as work, family, sporting events, and other such worldly pursuits. What we think about is a choice! In all honesty, it is so very easy for these very things that I just listed to become what we set our minds on, for we often choose to think on these things and completely neglect what we are truly called to think about.

My son, keep my words
     and store up my commands within you.
Keep my commands and you will live;
     guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers;
     write them on the tablet of your heart.
(Proverbs 7:1-3 (NIV))

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:21 (NIV))

God knows us all too well. He knows that what we think about is what we hold in our hearts. He knows the sinful, fallen human nature all too well. He knows that we are driven by desires. He knows that our sinful nature is what we will think of by default. I love the message in Colossians for it tells us distinctly to abandon our sinful nature and think only of the things of God.

Just how do you go about setting your mind on things above?

It takes a commitment!

You must dive deeply into God’s Word and search the scriptures so that you can know God intimately. You must love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul. You must long for His truth above all else and you must recognize your own sinful nature.

That last one hurts! It is human nature to not want to admit that we are anything less than perfect. Too many of us think that we are masters of our own domain, our own destiny, and that anything that we do is perfectly acceptable. We don’t want to admit that we need help, let alone that we need a Savior to rescue us from our sin. That whole attitude changes when you recognize that you are a sinner in need of a Savior, and start focusing on the Lord and not on yourself. We soon realize that we are not the center of our own little world. It is a matter of perspective. How we look upon our lives will determine what we set our minds on. If you see this life as your chance to get all that this world has to offer, then you will think of the things of this world.

What have you set your mind on?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Why do You still love us?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

“What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him,”
(Job 7:17 (ESV))

It is often said that the Bible is actually God’s love letter to His creation.

Is that how you see it?

It sounds like Job saw it this way. He knew that the Lord loves those who love Him. He knew that God wants people to come to Him of their own free will. He knew that God desires nothing more than a personal relationship with each and every person who has ever or will ever walk this earth. From this passage, it is clear that Job was amazed that God cared so much for His creation. To be honest with you, God created everything from the planets and the stars to the microscopic single cell animals and plants. In all of this vast creation, man is the greatest love of God’s. Everything that He has done or ever will do is for His creation.

I have often stated that I love to read and compare various translations, for the subtleties truly bring things to life. The Complete Jewish Bible translates this passage in this manner.

“What are mere mortals, that you make so much of them? Why do you keep them on your mind?”
(Job 7:17 (CJB))

We are told that where our treasure is there our heart will be also. We are also told that what we think about is what we treasure. In reading these two translations, we are clearly told that we are in God’s heart and on His mind. We are His treasure!

With all that humanity has done, God still loves us.

With all the rebellion that is in our hearts, God still loves us.

In fact, He loves us so much that He devised a plan to bring us to redemption.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
(John 3:16-18 (NIV))

All that we have to do is accept this amazing grace for ourselves!

We know that God’s ways are far above our ways, yet, I often wonder what motivates God to do such an amazing thing for us even when we don’t deserve it.

Why do You still love us?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What flows from your heart?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Above all else, guard your heart,
     for everything you do flows from it.
(Proverbs 4:23 (NIV))

It is said that everything that we hold dear we hide in our hearts. The following passage confirms this.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:21 (NIV))

What do you typically do with things that you treasure?

It is human nature to want to protect the things that you treasure, so it makes perfect sense to guard your heart if what you hold dear, what you treasure, is hidden away inside your heart. We think of guarding our heart so that we don’t allow our treasure to slip away, but we also guard our heart to prevent something from slipping in and corrupting or stealing what we treasure.

Your heart provides a glimpse into what you treasure. If you love music, your heart will seek out music. If you love nature, your heart will seek the outdoors. Conversely, if you love sin, then your heart will seek out sin. Each of these examples had to be planted into your life. What do you allow to be planted? What do you allow to be nurtured? What do you allow to flow from your heart?

I realize that these are tough questions, but they are questions that you must ask yourself on a regular basis. And, you must answer truthfully. Sometimes your answers will shock you, but they will be evident to those around you. They will see what flows from your heart.

I realize that it is easier said than done, but we must all guard our hearts. We must desire for godliness and righteousness to flow from our heart.

What flows from your heart?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What do you find yourself doing?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
(Proverbs 4:23 (NIV))

What do you find yourself doing?

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:21 (NIV))

Is it just me, or does this look like it could easily become a self-perpetuating cycle? You treasure something, therefore you hide it in your heart. What you hide in your heart flows out into all that you do. You notice what is flowing out and you treasure it even more, and then you try to hide more of it in your heart, which then flows out even greater. What you treasure is what you will begin to hoard. It is what you will begin to hide away. It almost seems that once this gets started, it is not easy to change course, so we must be extremely careful to watch what we truly treasure.

With that said, do you guard your heart? Do you keep it from the things of this world? Do you keep it focused on the things of God? In essence, what do you treasure? What do you put into your heart? What do you find yourself hoarding away because you just can’t seem to let it go?

I am simply going to leave this in your hands and in your heart. Take a long hard look at what you hide in your heart. Take a long hard look at what flows from your heart. Just remember that what you try to hide in your heart will manifest itself in all that you do. With that said, I just have to ask this one more time.

What do you find yourself doing?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Is your heart in the right place?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:21 (NIV))

I’ve referenced this passage on many occasions, but it has been haunting me the last few days.

I’ve been looking at the current state of the world and my selfish side was longing for the things that I would love to be able to do again, like take my lovely wife on a long vacation. I would love to do this without the ever-present panic mode that has the whole world under various different phases of lock-down. To be honest with you, I have found my mind to be in a fog, in a state of disillusionment, because I was beginning to feel defeated and my hope was fading.

I know that I am not the only one who has been feeling this way because of the very unusual events of this year. I think that I can safely say that a large number of people, even believers, have felt this way at some point during this year.

What do you do when the weight of the world comes crashing in on you? It is human nature to give in to the pressures, to the stress, and slip into a state of mind that does not honor the Lord. What do you do to bring yourself back to Jesus when this happens? Each person is different. Each person who professes a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior has a unique relationship with the Lord. Each of us have a special something that God uses to get our attention. It is this special something, whether it is a Scripture passage, a song, or a sunset, that God uses to reach out to you to bring you back to Himself.

I want you to be able to focus on this aspect of your relationship with the Lord and make this your treasure. Nobody knows what the future may hold. The enemy is doing everything that he can to crush the faith of believers. No matter what may come, each of us must be able to focus on the personal treasure that is the Lord. We must make sure that our hearts belong to Him, for that is the only place that they belong!

Is your heart in the right place?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do you take delight in the Lord?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
(Psalms 37:4 (NIV))

Have you ever truly stopped to think about this passage?

If you delight in something, it makes you happy. It makes you joyous. It becomes the very thing that you value the most. It becomes your treasure!

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:21 (NIV))

If you treasure the Lord, He is where your heart will be. The Lord will be the desires of your heart! He will give you Himself!

I realize that this may sound overly simple, and in all honesty, it is. When the Lord becomes your treasure, when you take delight in Him, He is the true desire of your heart. He willingly gives you what you seek. He gives you a deeper relationship with Himself. He gives you a deeper longing for His heart and for His righteousness. The best part of this process is that He then gives you more of what you desire. He gives you more of Himself!

Do you take delight in the Lord?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Where do you find your heart?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Matthew 6:21 (NIV))

With everything that is going on in the world right now, I have a question for you that will help determine your true treasure.

Do you long for the way things were last year this time, or do you long for Jesus?

Take a look back at this same time last year. I will admit that things were not as stressful and unusual then as they are now. Still, they were far from perfect. In fact, if you look back over the last several years, you will see that things have not gotten any better. The political landscape has changed in the last few years, and is focused on following Biblical principles, but it is also evident that the opposition to this change is doing all in its power to bring down anything related to God’s Word as well as anyone who supports it.

It is possible to become so overwhelmed by the ever increasing troubles in this world that we fail to see that God is moving in and through all of the troubles. Is your heart burdened and fearful? If you think about this in relationship to where your heart is, then it is easy to come to the conclusion that it is possible for us to treasure the pain of this world. Have we become addicted to the point that we sit waiting for the next new information on the latest troubles in this world?

Where’s the peace when we worry? Where’s the faith when we worry? Where is our treasure when we worry?

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
(Matthew 6:34 (NIV))

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:7 (NIV))

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33 (NIV))

I have a favor to ask of everyone. It’s really quite simple. The next time that your heart becomes heavy because of the world, lift your eyes to heaven and remember that God is still on the throne. He is still in charge. Look to your eternal treasure and stay focused on Jesus!

Where do you find your heart?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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