Day 1 - The Vision of Your Heart

Throughout history, people have claimed to speak for God while actually speaking from their own hearts. Jeremiah confronted prophets who did exactly that. God put this commandment in to help us see and recognize God as our Lord and not to be used for selfish gains. God knew the capabilities of man and desires our hearts. He states in Exodus 20:7 (ESV), “for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” Using God for your own personal gain is an action that God declared would have consequences if not adhered to. It is easy to recognize this misuse of God's name in someone else, but this command also invites us to examine our own hearts.Jeremiah 23 describes false prophets who spoke visions from their own hearts rather than from God's mouth, yet claimed divine authority; how can a believer today develop the discernment to distinguish between a genuine word from God and one that serves someone's personal agenda?

Can you take a moment and check your heart for any past moments that your motive was to gain power or control? Can you bring this to God this morning and ask for forgiveness?