Already There

Mark 7: ¹⁴ When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: ¹⁵ There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. ¹⁶ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”

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Seeing the new clothes on the mannequin stirred up something inside me that said “I want that.” As I surveyed the handsome garments, a salesperson immediately came over. “You would look great in this” she said to me, batting flirty eyes. “I have to have this!” were my new words.

• Sometimes I think I am tempted by what I see.
• Sometimes I think I am drawn to temptation by what I hear.
• Sometimes I think it is the situation that is holding me down.

“If it weren’t for that, fill in the blank, I would not have fallen into temptation” were my words I would use to justify my actions. JESUS negates my excuses immediately.

• JESUS says to me “Fortify your heart on a daily basis.”
• JESUS says to me “Guard your heart daily before you go out.”
• JESUS says to me “Seek ME and you will find ME daily.”

Some of the temptations I found did not happen by chance; rather it was because I was looking to be tempted. In other words, it was already in my heart before I left the house. GOD wants me to understand my weaknesses and ask HIM to fortify my senses before I go out into the world.

GOD gave me smell, touch, sight, hearing and taste as wonderful, pleasurable sensations that I can use or abuse this day. GOD says “Ask and I will guide you to use your senses to MY glory today.”

• Are you easily tempted?
• Do you think you were tempted by chance or was it already in your heart?
• Can you admit what you easily fall for and ask GOD to handle that for you?
• Will you allow GOD to flow from your heart instead of defilement today?