ESOCS Devotional 26 June 2023
MEMORY VERSE: “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff necked.” Deuteronomy 10:16
TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 10:11-22 (KJV)
1 And the Lord said unto me, Arise, take thy journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give unto them.
12 And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
13 To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
14 Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.
15 Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.
16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
17 For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:
18 He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
20 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
21 He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.
22 Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
socshave to leave to reveal that which is needed. This is likened to the physical circumcision as also commanded by God, communicated through the father of faith – Abraham. The circumcision of the heart is more than confessing to be born again. It is more than being called all sort of religious titles. It is a sincere and intentional decision to present oneself with a renewed mind befitting of the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. It involves eschewing disobedience to the commandments of God. It is about having a mind of Christ.
The sovereignty and mightiness of God is undisputable as clearly illustrated in our text today. This is supposed to be fully and freely enjoyed by believers just as the Children of royal blood. We live in a world with so much expectations from God, having come into the body of Christ, but most often than not, most persons (believers) feel frustrated and disappointed when it seems these expectations are either delayed or not forthcoming. This is largely as a result of us failing to meet the requirements for experiencing this great God.
The perfect nature of God makes it expedient and consequently leaves us with no better option than to reflect same at all times. Sadly, man still finds it difficult to attain that level of uprightness, but we are reminded through today’s devotional that the Holy Spirit do not dwell in polluted hearts. Therefore, we must shun all limitations that hinder us from enjoying the unquantifiable goodness and greatness of God.
The proximity of one to the Church or having the privilege of serving in the Church is not is not enough to guarantee the experience of the overflow and supply of God. Rather, it is highly expected that we have heart purged from all forms and manifestations of ungodliness. This is what attracts God’s benevolence translated in the release of his abundance on us, for the Lord delights in a broken, and does not despise a contrite heart.
As you face your endeavour today, ponder on this: The cutlass sheds off while being sharpened. Without this shedding off, the cutlass becomes useless.
Determine to be a Man and Woman with a circumcised heart!
- How right is your heart with God? All actions, good or bad are first incubated in the heart. Be intentional to live a righteous life with a pure heart.
- Dear Jesus, I repent today of all forms of ungodliness. I rededicate my heart and life for the Holy Spirit to take over, in Jesus name, Amen.
FURTHER READING: Ezekiel 37:15-end; Luke 1:1-25; Acts 10:1-16
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ESOCS Devotional 26 June 2023
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