59 Don’t let your heart deceive you

Don’t let your heart deceive you

 

 The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely,
mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]
Jer 17:9 

Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that our hearts are deceitful.

What does that mean? It means we are prone to lie to ourselves and also believe lies that serve some part of ourselves. We must be alert for this trap. But what are we watching for? Look for these three symptoms that go along with deceit.

General wilfulness
Our self (or our flesh) always insists on seeing things its own way, much like a spoiled child. If we want a certain thing, we can come up with all the reasons we must have it – NOW!

If we want to believe a certain thing, then we can see no other ‘truth’ but our own. When we believe a lie, it becomes truth to us even though it is not at all true. When we believe something that is not true, we are deceived. Satan loves to lead us astray away from our destinies through false reasoning that is contrary to the truth.

Emotions intensify deceit, leading us into deeper attachment to our wills. At first the deceit may be something very innocent, but if it doesn’t agree with the Word of God, it should have no place in your heart.

Fear of man
Fear of man leads us into deception. We all want to be accepted, admired and pleasing to others. At times this can cause us to yield to this desire, and become deceived as a result. People also can be intimidating. If you allow yourself to be intimidated by others or are overly concerned with their opinions of you, you may find yourself agreeing with something contrary to what God says.

Conversations and confessions
Unchecked, deceit slips into our conversations and confessions, and before we know it, the lie has become a stronghold in our minds.

Here’s an example.
My husband and I were in a conversation with a friend who kept saying that youth rebel against their parents at a certain age. He kept asking us to agree until my husband spoke up and said: “No, they don’t. We just expect them to because the world tells us this.” Our friend was shocked that my husband would disagree. The man didn’t know what to say. My husband recognized that our friend was expressing a view that does not line up with God’s Word. By repeating what the world says over and over, we can program ourselves to accept ‘truths’ that are contrary to God’s Word and thus totally false.

The remedy
Pray against deception, for Satan is the great deceiver.
Set aside regular times of waiting in God’s presence, asking him to show you areas that you may be deceiving yourself. Don’t become anxious or fretful about being taken in by deceit. He will bless your humility and desire to root out and discard what is not of Him.

Don’t overly rely on your reasoning. Be willing to humble yourself if you discover that you are not in agreement with God’s will. Be willing to go beyond the first impulses of your soul – beyond what you want, what you think, how you feel, and what others say or believe – and live by the Word of God.

Don’t let your mind run rampant. Because our thoughts flit rapidly through our minds, it seems very complicated to identify self-deceit. God has given us the power recognize lies and to stop them. But it will take digging deeper than the superficiality and shallowness of our minds, wills and feelings.

Will you choose to hold your peace and remain at rest, because God can easily lead us when we are not frustrated and anxious. Now, that’s the choice-driven life! 

 

Today’s Bible Reading:

Deut 19-22; Luke 10; Psalm 6

 

 

 

 

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The Most Important Choice You Can Make:

Prayer for Salvation:

God in Heaven, I come to You in the name of Your Son, Jesus. I confess that I haven’t lived my life for You. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that He died on the cross and rose again from the dead so I might have a better life now and eternal life in heaven. Jesus, come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. From this day forward, I’ll live my life for You to the best of my ability. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

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