Heart Memory

Thursday, ‎August ‎11, ‎2022 Good morning, Lord Verse of the Day: Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Memory verse: Romans 12:1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Today's reading: PSALM 81-83 ROMANS 11:19-36 Heart Memory In Psalm 86, King David prayed: "O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set you before them. Psalm 86:14 Consciousness and unconsciousness are terms we hear a lot around medical facilities. Folks can be unconscious due to injury or illness or those who are in a medically, induced-coma. Unconsciousness causes a total lack of feeling and awareness. There is a spiritual unconsciousness in our world of which we all should be aware. Many in the world would argue that this cannot even happen. 2 Corinthians 4:3>Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. Who, among you, would choose to be spiritually blind or in a state of spiritual unconsciousness? This is a choice. This is a choice of those who have heard the truth and reject it. But what about us when we sin? When we sin, we have consciously chosen a disconnect from our God-consciousness. We say, "What was I thinking?"-do we not? Or, we say, "I wasn't thinking". We were thinking. We were choosing to sin. But we, for that period of time, choose to be unconscious of the leadership of the Holy Spirit. We choose to 'black out' and act as if God is not watching. We choose to be those King David prayed about in Psalm 86-"...they do not set you before them". What David means is that they have chosen to ignore God or to black God out or to be spiritually unconscious-a 'choice, induced-coma'. This unconsciousness is all on us when we sin. We choose to 'not set God before us' and go against His will. We encourage 'practicing the presence' of God. This is to practice continually enjoying our consciousness of God-to cultivate a 'God-consciousness'. Our challenge is to sit down and write it out. What mental and spiritual motions would you go through to be totally aware of God? Prayer, meditation, mind-clearing-what does it take for you? In what physical position would you need to be to promote your best focus on God. Would it be silent or with quiet music in the background? Is it light or dark? Kneeling or on your face? Outside in nature or in a small enclosure? Reading or listening to scripture? Define for yourself what it takes. From here, then, we can move on to be conscious of God when we move and drive and work and interact with the world. John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Psalm 27:13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Here is a thought: We cannot put God before us, really...He is always there. If we are determined to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, we will-because we have put ourselves in a place to see Him. We must put ourselves in a place where nothing can take our minds off Him. It takes a lot of work for some of us. We have, for so long, been occupied by the attractions of the world. We have to 'clear' it all out and meditate on Him and His unending glory. It takes a heart of full surrender and, yes, you can learn-no matter how old or how young and how busy. Plan your work before God and work your plan. Ask God how. He will define it in your life. Plan God consciousness until it is like 'muscle-memory' but is 'mind/heart memory'. ...because He loves us... Father in Heaven, I confess, I go mindless of you into the world a lot. Grow me into this-make my heart and mind desire You all the time. Great God of purely, righteous-thought... In the name of Jesus, Amen