May 8 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

James 1:12–15

Devotional

I once read a story about a church father who was very rich. He was a godly man and wanted to concentrate himself solely on divine matters. To achieve this, he thought it would be good to sell everything he had and to give this money to the poor. He did this and subsequently went to live in great poverty at the edge of his town. He lived there alone for he wanted to concentrate all his thoughts on the matters of the Lord. But he had a difficult time doing this.

He found out that his thoughts went with him wherever he went and he experienced that he still had the same sinful heart. He learned the truth that sin accompanies you wherever you go, and in whatever you do it follows you. Although he lived alone, he had terrible dreams about sin. To relieve himself of his dreams, he went to live even farther away, in a cave. However, even there he could not be delivered from his sinful thoughts. His guilt was just as great as when he was living among people. The sin he struggled with was covetousness. James says, “When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” Covetousness caused Eve to lose Paradise. Lust cost Samson his eyes. It cost Saul his royal throne. And by his lust, Esau lost the blessing.

Let us now look at these matters from a personal perspective. Imagine what would have happened if you would have received everything you desired. Imagine what would have happened if your dreams would have become reality. Thanks be to God, so many lusts have not turned into deeds, and through all this, have you not learned to know your own heart? Do you have selfknowledge, which is really nothing else than knowledge of guilt? Look deep within your heart and recognize that you can no longer live outside of God.

No one who reads these words is without sin. For all of us, there is only one solution; there is only one way. God must live in your home and in your heart. The Lord is ready to enter in. He is standing at the door of your heart and He is knocking. He is willing to live with great sinners who not only commit sins but who have severe sins deep in their heart. Therefore it is necessary that our sins be nailed to the cross.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.