1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: You're listening to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stangey, 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:23,760 Speaker 1: and today's devotion is inspired by Jeremiah chapter seventeen, verse nine, 5 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: which says the heart is deceitful above all things and 6 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 1: desperately sick. Who can understand it? Frequently people use the 7 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: phrase just listen to your heart. What do you think 8 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: about that statement? Is that good counsel for someone who 9 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:49,239 Speaker 1: wants to live in faithful obedience to Jesus Christ. Scripture 10 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: teaches us that by nature we're sinners. Sin impacts all 11 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: areas of our lives, including our intellect, emotions, and will. 12 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,959 Speaker 1: By nature, our heart has the capacity to deceive us 13 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: and lead us astray. It isn't a reliable voice to 14 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:11,639 Speaker 1: listen to. When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, 15 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: we're in dwelled by the Holy Spirit. We're cleansed of 16 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: our sin and given a brand new nature that exists 17 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: alongside our old nature. We're also granted the counsel of 18 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit to help lead us in the direction 19 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: He wants us to go. When you're being tested and 20 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: when you're making decisions that impact your life and the 21 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: lives of those you love. What voice are you listening to? 22 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 1: Are you listening to your heart when it's deceiving you, 23 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: or are you willing to listen to the counsel of 24 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will never lead you astray, 25 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: and he will never tell you to do anything that 26 00:01:54,480 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: contradicts the Word of God. Let's pray. Lord, we thank 27 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: you for your word, and we thank you for the 28 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: privilege that it is to be able to read it 29 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: together today and to think about this portion of scripture 30 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: from the Book of Jeremiah. Lord, in this portion of 31 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: your word, you reveal to us things that we need 32 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: to hear. So often we're given the counsel to just 33 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 1: listen to our hearts. And then we look at this 34 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: portion of scripture where you tell us that our hearts 35 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: have the capacity to deceive us, and that naturally speaking, 36 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 1: our hearts are desperately sick. Lord, We're grateful that even 37 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: though naturally speaking that's the case. We're grateful for the 38 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: supernatural work that you do in our lives through your 39 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: son Jesus Christ, and through the power of your Holy Spirit. 40 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: You've given us new life, You've given us a new heart, 41 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: and you've enabled us to live in obedience to you 42 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: and to listen to the counsel of your word. Lord, 43 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 1: we pray that we would not listen to our old, 44 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: sinful nature. We pray that we would listen to your 45 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: counsel and obey the teaching that you've revealed to us 46 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 1: in your word. And we're grateful, Father, that your spirit 47 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: is guiding us and directing us and counseling us to 48 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: listen to what you've revealed in your word. We're grateful 49 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,799 Speaker 1: that your spirit doesn't contradict your word. He points us 50 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,119 Speaker 1: to the very things he inspired the writers of scripture 51 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: to pen down. And that's the standard you've given to us, Lord, 52 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: So by your grace, we pray that we would put 53 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: it into practice and that we would joyfully live it out, 54 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: because that's your calling on our lives, and you're empowering 55 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: us to do so. So we thank you, Father for 56 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: this helpful reminder from your word today, and we commit 57 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 1: ourselves to you now, and we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.