CLEAN HANDS, PURE HEART

MEMORISE: ‘And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.’ (Act 24:16)
READ: Psalm24:3-6

If you go to visit a friend and thrust out your hand to shake his, and then you see his outstretched hand is covered with feaces, what do you do? I am sure you will not need anybody to advise you to withdraw your hand immediately! Why then do we expect anything less from God? Scripture says that we are created in God's image and likeness. In other words, there are certain things God does which we find ourselves doing naturally, because He made us to be like him.

In our reading, God desires that, having come into His kingdom, we should seek after His righteousness. He wants us to draw nearer to Him daily so that His blessings, power and glory can continue to radiate towards us. But when our hands are defiled, we cannot come any further. Defiled hands refer to a situation where our public actions - words, deeds, plans, transactions - are not aligned with God's revealed will, the Bible. For instance, you use your hands to work and fend for yourself and your family. How do you make money? Are there certain, hidden things about how you make money that you would not like people to know? By such things your hands are defiled.
In Acts 24:16, Paul says: 'And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.'

Can your conscience exonerate you of shady deals in all activities with your fellow man? Besides this, God expects your heart to be pure. You should shut your heart to all defiled matters. You should think no evil. God looks at your heart. If he sees it stained, he cannot come and dwell with you, those who must ascend the hill of power, anointing, and miracles must first ensure they are clean outside and inside. this means you must take time to cultivate all the fruit of the Holy Spirit first (Gal 5: 22-23) before the anointing comes. Fruit of the Spirit plus anointing equals power, miracles and heaven. Anointing without fruit of the Spirit equals power, miracles and hell fire. Which do you choose?

ACTION POINT
Have you. in your bid to succeed in life, engaged in methods that contravene God's Word? Ask Him to help you to straighten things up.