Acts 24:16  ‘And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men.’

• DAILY READING     James 2; Jeremiah 23-24; Psalm 130

The police in Tokyo Japan, recently arrested a man for harassing  a professor with incessant phone calls. The man’s reason for the phone calls was because he was upset over being denied entrance to graduate school 14 years ago. Since that day, he has averaged about 10 phone calls a night, between the hours of 8 p.m. and 2 a.m; to the former professor whom he blames for his lost opportunity. Those 14 years of annoying phone calls totaled up to over 50,000 calls. Eventually the professor reported the harassing situation to the police. Consequently, the man was arrested for his actions.

Imagine staying angry for 14 years. This man was so angry and couldn’t let go of what happened to him that he allowed that offense to dominate his mind and life for 14 years.

In John Bevere’s book ‘the bait of satan,’ he says the Greek word for offense comes from the word ‘skand’ which originally referred to the part of  a trap to which the bait was attached. The word signifies laying a trap in someone’s way.

Truly, in our journey of spiritual growth, we must carefully guard our heart against the trap of offense.

Prov.4:23 says ‘Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.’

As we go through life, there is always going to be reason to take up an offense. Jesus said in Luke 17:1 that ‘offences must come’. So offense is a part of life. But no matter how offended we may sometimes get, we have to learn to quickly let go and move on. We cannot live in offense and live in victory, joy and peace. Whatever offends you seeks to block your access to God. Offence is the bait the enemy throws at you when seeking to cut off your communication link to God. Therefore refuse to bite. Rather ensure at all times that your heart is free from anything that can hinder your communication with The Lord, especially during times of prayer.

Acts 24:16 says ‘And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men.’

We must keep our hearts free of offense. The heart is the place of communion between God and man. It is the altar upon which the sacrifice of praise and the incense of prayer are offered. The heart is what matters to God and it is what He looks at when relating with us.

I Samuel 16:7 says: “The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”.

The state of your heart determines God’s response to you. It takes a pure heart to approach the presence of God. It takes an open heart to experience an open heaven. The purer the heart, the more the Heavens will open up to you. Therefore determine today, that no matter what anyone does, you will keep your heart offense free, so as to maintain access to God’s Presence.

PRAYER:  Lord please help me to keep my heart continually free of any offense. No matter what happens around me, please keep my heart always dominated by Your love in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

The tests you are going through in life today is not for your destruction, it is for your testimony.  Wordbite 222