Read Matthew 21:12-16
“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves” (v. 12).
Since my husband grew up in a builder’s home, we enjoy looking through model homes, finished or not. If it is furnished and decorated, the house tells a lot about the people living there. I especially remember a furnished one we toured that had a million dollar price tag. There were three levels of living space, two kitchens, and a guest house, all beautifully decorated. But what impressed us most was the fact that there were Christian mottos on the walls and an open Bible prominently placed on the office desk. We concluded that the family living there loved Jesus.
What would people conclude about us if they could see the furnishings of our “heart houses”? Would the decor indicate wrong attitudes and desire for things that would displease our Lord? Or would the beauty of a heart surrendered to God be evident?
What if Jesus came physically into our churches, what would He find? Is our church a place where truth is taught and careful living encouraged? Would He find evidences of love, peace, and joy? Or would He need to drive out strife, self-will, and pride? May we open the doors of our hearts and let Jesus drive out what is displeasing to Him. (Leta Witt)

Into my heart, into my heart, come into my heart, Lord Jesus;
Come in today, come in to stay; come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
— Harry D. Clarke.

Let us strive to decorate our lives and churches with a love that is evident.

This week's featured devotional is from the Thursday, February 5, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
Photo Credit: Cayman Brac Mission Home by Zenia Woods

Read John 4:13-19
“For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly” (v. 18).
It is a common thing in the news, especially in election years. This or that politician stands with head bowed, admits to an extramarital affair, and withdraws from the race. You might think that after having seen so many die political deaths over sexual misconduct that all those interested in public office would be especially careful to avoid it. The list, however, continues to grow. Why did these men even attempt a candidacy when they were behaving indiscreetly? They, like so many of us, forget that no matter how secret our sins seem to be, they will be found out.
God is never fooled by our attempts to hide sin. We may try to overlook it, explain it away, talk around it, or even lie about it, but God sees, He knows, and He prods our consciences until we either admit our sin or turn away from Him entirely.
Are you trying to hide sins in your life? Are there things about which you do not like to pray? Take time today to ask God to search you and reveal to you any hidden sins. (Karen Speak)

Search me, O God, and know my heart today.
Try me, O Savior; know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from ev’ry sin, and set me free. — J. Edwin Orr

“Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23).

This week's featured devotional is from the Wednesday, January 28, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Photo credit: "Just looking into the darkness" by Fabio used under CC BY 2.0 / Canvas expanded to 960 pixels wide.

Read 1 John 3:10-18
“Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (v. 15).
I do not know that I have ever heard a person actually confess they hated someone. So I began to explore a definition for hatred, and what it feels like to hate. What I found is that hate is as difficult to define as love. One person described hatred as “a feeling of very powerful continuous anger toward the person or thing that makes you feel like destroying or abusing it.” Someone else said that hatred is “the absence of warmth or tolerance in your heart for a person or thing.”
Perhaps it should not come as a surprise, but of the thirty-nine times the word “hate” occurs in the New Testament, over half of them come from the pen of John, known as the apostle of love. The suggestion is that we either love, hate, or are indifferent to those around us. When a person enters our life to the point that we can no longer be indifferent to them, either positive feelings — that is, feelings of love — or negative feelings — feelings of hatred, are going to arise.
One of the characteristics of hatred seems to be a desire for something bad to happen to the person in question. That suggests that a pay-back attitude actually involves hatred.
So think about those people in your life for whom you have negative feelings. Have those feelings become hatred? Do you wish something would happen to them that would set them straight? Christians want the best for each person they meet. Anything short of that borders on hatred. (Gordon Snider)

Choose to love the Lord

This week's featured devotional is from the Sunday, January 25, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Photo credit: "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ... hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love" by BK used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / Resized.

Read Ephesians 6:1-4
“That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth” (v. 3).
How to Enjoy a Family Fight is the title of a book I have in my library. The author, Will Cunningham, creatively addresses various issues that every family faces. Volumes have been written by authors from nearly every field of study, giving advice about how to build a successful home. Many of these may be good resources for helping establish a home, but we must never forget the primary source of guidelines for the home is God’s Word.
God created men and women with distinct differences and complementary responsibilities in marriage and the family. The New Testament reestablishes God’s purpose for men and women in marriage and the family. Husbands are the head of the family and are commanded to love their wives; wives are to submit to their husbands. Children are to obey their parents, and parents are to discipline and instruct the children in love.
If we respect and follow these principles that God has established, we can expect our homes to be successful and enjoy long life. (Harold Carpenter)

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
— John H. Sammis

God promises long life to those who respect His guidelines for the home.

This week's featured devotional is from the Saturday, January 17, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

Photo credit: "The Old Home" by Kool Cats Photography over 3 Million Views used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped.