Regarding Iniquity

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear." - Psalm 66:18 NKJV

What an interesting passage. 'Regard' is the Hebrew word ra'ah (Strong's H7200). It means to perceive or observe. 'Iniquity' is aven (H205) and it means trouble, vanity or idolatry.

The picture is one of a person who sees something out of place but just leaves it there even though they have the power to remove it. In this case it's not dirty dishes in a sink. The place is the heart which is the center of a person's being.

Here is the verse in context.

"Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!" - Psalm 66:16-20 NKJV

This is a person who is aware that God has already done something great for them and lives with thanksgiving in the center of their being. They weed their garden and iniquity is removed as soon as it is seen.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." - James 1:5-8 ESV

Do doubts arise? Of course they do. But the person who weeds them out and dwells on the finished work of Christ is asking and receiving. They see their heart as a stewardship.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." - Philippians 4:4 ESV

This person commands their soul like a gardener commands a garden and has power because God's mercy is a good water source.

"In that day, "A pleasant vineyard, sing of it! I, the LORD, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest anyone punish it, I keep it night and day;" - Isaiah 27:2-3 ESV

"A garden enclosed Is my sister, my spouse, A spring shut up, A fountain sealed." - Song of Songs 4:12 NKJV

God help us. Help us to quickly weed blame out of our life and live a life of thanksgiving for what you have done. We all deserve Hell but You have given us grace. Make us quick to pull weeds as we see them so they do not multiply.

Thank You God. You answer prayer. We live now in what You have done and we know that your mercy is turned toward us and not away from us. Thank You God.

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Two Mysteries

"Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." - 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 ESV

"For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way." - 2 Thessalonians 2:7a ESV

There is a mystery that transforms but there is also a mystery that corrupts. The mystery of iniquity involves the emotions. The emotions can get corrupted to the point where people form ideas that go against reason. We see that happening in the world. People betray friendships. They abandon marriages and children. They hurt themselves and others because of hate. It is a mystery. They unite in a hopeless cause against what is good and right and call evil good and good evil.

Then there is the mystery of love and transformation. It is the mystery of redemption. In truth it is the mystery of the resurrection. Christ's resurrection was the first domino to fall in a long string of dominoes. Yet this great coming alive is hidden and misunderstood.

People can live their lives baffled by both of these things. Apart from God there is no explanation.

When Christ is revealed then these mysteries begin to be revealed also. These things don't baffle us. We may not like what we see but we know enough about it to identify it as spiritual and not just natural.

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Grumble, Stumble And Mumble Or Behold And Ask

"Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear." - Isaiah 59:1-2 ESV

"But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." - 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 ESV

Two directions... moving away from God with muffled words and facing God humbled and transformed.

"Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old" - Lamentations 5:21 ESV

Something about grace restores us. It turns us. Instead of wallowing in emotional rebellion it gives us an exit and shows us something marvelous about God. If we allow ourselves to be captivated we behold glory and in that face to face orientation we enter into communion.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." - James 1:2-8 ESV

We can grumble, stumble and mumble or we can face grace and get wisdom from God knowing that the situation is going to be used to do something in God's plan.

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