Heart Ties

Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” (Isaiah 29:13, 14 NKJV)

There are times where life drags you from the day to day and throws you into upheaval, in everything from your daily routines to your daily devotions. Someone may call needing a hand, dragging you away from your ordinary day to soak up all of your time; arriving home late to collapse in bed at night with nothing more than a briefly murmured prayer. It may be a holiday season with a houseful of aunts, uncles and cousins, where you haven't even seconds to spare for some quiet time. Either way, we all have those periods where the world kidnaps us for a ride on its rollercoaster circuit of confusion and it is during these times of spiritual depravity that our heart before God fills in.

The above verse tells about a people who say all the right things according to the Lord; do all the right actions such as reciting Scripture and going to church, yet are without hearts that are closely communing with Him. These people are ones who wither and die spiritually when life takes them for a whirl. They conform to men's standards of righteousness by works, rather than cultivating a heart that is passionately on fire their Saviour.

Work on strengthening the heart ties you have between yourself and God rather than falling into the trap that merely good habits will make you acceptable before Him. This is not to say that spending ample time in His Word and in prayer are not important, but when times come that you are without devotions to read or a Bible to study, your heart relationship with the Lord is the ground you will be standing on, so make sure it is firm.
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