I USED TO WANDER OFF UNTIL YOU DISCIPLINED ME; BUT NOW I CLOSELY FOLLOW YOUR WORD
(Psalm 119:67 NLT).

I used to wander off, following the voice of temptation.  For a long time, I did not understand where the voice of temptation came from.  Who was tempting me…and why?  But, I have come to understand that the voice of temptation comes from the father-of-lies. His bait? Thoughts of condemnation, abandonment, rejection, and shame. His goal? Drawing us into hopelessness, hatred, and hard feelings.  Why? The father-of-lies knows that if he can get us to the place of hopelessness, hatred, and hard feelings, we will wander off, away from God’s Presence, to find our own escape routes of relief.

THOSE WHOM I LOVE I REBUKE AND DISCIPLINE. SO BE EARNEST, AND REPENT. HERE I AM! I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK. IF ANYONE HEARS MY VOICE AND OPENS THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN AND EAT WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME. TO HIM WHO OVERCOMES, I WILL GIVE THE RIGHT TO SIT WITH ME ON MY THRONE, JUST AS I OVERCAME AND SAT DOWN WITH MY FATHER ON HIS THRONE
(Revelations 3:19-21).

God disciplined me.  He taught me to stop wandering off in pursuit of my own remedies to heal my heart and fix my life. Instead, He taught me to overcome the temptations of the father-of-lies through His Presence. He showed me that He was constantly standing at my heart’s door, knocking. Whenever I heard His Voice and opened the door, He Himself would come into my heart to defeat the thoughts of shame, to conquer the thoughts of condemnation, and to subdue the thoughts of abandonment and rejection. He Himself would bring me out of the place of hopelessness, hatred, and hard feelings, if I let Him.

I bless you to listen carefully when you are tempted—when you are lured into hopelessness, hatred, and hard feelings through negative thoughts of condemnation, shame, and abandonment.  Pause!  Pay attention, and you will hear another Voice knocking at your heart’s door—the Voice of God Himself. He is asking to come into your heart, just the way it is, so He may spend time with you, moment-by-moment. If you let Him in, He will show you how to overcome the voice of temptation. He Himself will heal your heart and fix your life.

How far have you wandered away from God’s Presence in pursuit of escape routes of relief? Are they working for you…or are you ready to try something, or rather, Someone different?

PRAYER: Lord God, I admit that I have been wandering off on my own in pursuit of finding a way to heal my heart and fix my life. But, I hear You knocking at my heart’s door, today. Come in, Lord Jesus, and make Your Presence known to me. Discipline me, so I may closely follow Your Word, instead of the voice of temptation.