Monday, June 23 || CONSECRATE YOUR HEART, PURIFY YOUR THOUGHTS

Honey Drops for Every Soul
Jun 23
2 min read

Read : Mark 7: 1-15

“... First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” - Matthew 23:26

During the days of Moses, the Israelites had the practice of consecrating themselves before approaching His holy place. When the Lord instructed Moses to construct the Tent of Meeting, He commanded him to keep the bronze basin with water between the inner Holy place and the outer altar for burnt offering. The priests and Levites were to wash their hands and feet with the water of the basin whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting. (Exodus 30:17-20) Such ceremonial washing and rigid orthodox practices were followed even by the Scribes and the Pharisees during the time of Jesus. Not only that, they also observed strict cleanliness patterns every time before eating their food. And when they saw Jesus and His disciples eating without washing their hands, a ritual they had been taught by their ancestors, they charged them of “uncleanness.” Jesus told them that tradition is something external, while God’s truth is internal, it is in the heart. Tradition deals with ritual while God’s truth deals with reality. Jesus boldly declared that sin comes from the heart. Not following the traditions or eating with unclean hands or eating unclean food did not corrupt a person. He said that whatever enters the mouth eventually goes into the stomach and comes out. Food never touches the heart. But what comes out of the mouth begins in the heart and they defile a person. The human heart is sinful and produces all manner of evil desires, thoughts, murder, adultery, and the like.

Dear friends, unless our hearts are purified by the blood of Jesus, no amount of external washing and rituals will matter anything.  Of course cleanliness is next to godliness, but cleanliness is not godliness!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, let me not allow traditional practices to rule over me. Let me realize that even if I am clean outside, when my heart is polluted with sin, I will lose my fellowship with You. So cleanse my heart with the blood of Jesus every moment. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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