And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Each month I give away a $10.00 gift card to someone who posts on my blog. This month's card comes from Starbucks, so share a story or an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend! 

Before I get into my topic, I have a quick question for you. As most of you know, I've been doing this weekly blog for some time now. Recently I've been advised that I should blog more often. What do you think? Would you rather see a shorter devotional thought or insight a few times a week, or keep things the way they are? I really want to hear from you!

Do you have a few weeds in your yard? Aren't the little ones easy to ignore sometimes? Even if we keep a close watch on our lawn, those nasty buggers pop up and diminish the overall health of the lawn. Our hearts are the same way. Unless we keep short accounts with sin and we regularly bring ourselves before the Lord in humility and repentance, weeds WILL spring up in our lives. 

As we go through life, it's easy to develop a bit of an attitude towards this person, or a judgment about that situation, or an un-forgiving heart towards someone who has hurt you. These feelings come in different shapes and sizes and some are easy to ignore. But the enemy watches us, studies us, even. And he knows how to leverage our sins and weaknesses against us. 

The Bible says that the pure in heart see God. Embracing a pure heart before the Lord is our immunity against the attacks and schemes of the devil. We must take seriously our call to regularly pray, "Search me, O God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts, and point out ANYTHING in me that offends You! (Psalm 139). 

And when God answers that prayer, may we humbly bow, repent, and respond to His voice. 

Have you ever tried to gently tell someone how they hurt you only to have them fall into a heap and become a victim of the confrontation? And instead of responding to you in maturity, you have to pick them up off the floor because they can't handle confrontation?

Or, have you tried to address someone who hurt you only to have them stiffen up, tell you that you shouldn't feel that way, and then walk away as if your feelings don't matter? 

Obviously, neither of those responses are healthy or mature. But don't we do the same thing to God sometimes? If He tells us what we don't want to hear, we stiffen up and get busy doing something else. Or if He points out our missteps and holds us accountable, we may fall into a heap of condemnation and completely miss His point. I know I've done that a time or two. :)

What's the healthy response?

Let's read from Hebrews 12:4-6