Day 4: Defining Love {31 Devotions in 31 Days}

"Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:39

Many of the negative emotions we are bound to usually stem from a desire. This desire is either to be loved to or to show love. It could be a young adolescent daydreaming about prince charming, a housewife secretly wanting her marriage to go emotionally deeper or a mother's heart aching as she raises her children. While none of these situations are wrong, often times they provoke the wrong emotions. These can be guilt, shame, lust, depression, anxiety and so on. These are the emotions we are trying to cut ties from. These are the emotions that we are seeking deliverance from. These emotions that haunt our nights and consume our days...stealing our joy and happiness. That's what this challenge is trying to accomplish. To break the chains and set us free, for good.

When the word "love" comes up, it can spark many different definitions for different people. Memories and thoughts will flood our minds, which in turn showcases what we think love is and what love is not. In order to find the proper definition, we must go to the One who has defined love: The Lord Jesus Christ. For it is His demonstration of love that defines what it is in the greatest measure and who He is in the greatest depth.

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

1 Timothy 3:16

When we are in a relationship, the most important thing is knowing that person's name. It is second nature for us to call the names of our friends and family who we see often or have an association with. We don't have to think twice. It is engrained into our minds and when we see that person, that name will come into our thoughts. It is the greatest identification system ever created.

However, when we think of God, there is confusion as to what to call Him. What is God's name? When we hear of God, we usually hear of three main titles but we rarely hear of God having an actual name. These titles are the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost (or Spirit).

"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

Ephesians 4:4-6

The Bible tells us that God is one, not three separate beings. Though God is the Father, and He is the Son and He is the Holy Ghost, He still needs to have One name. And that name is Jesus Christ!

Think of it like this. As a lady, you are someone's daughter. You may also be someone's sister and someone else's cousin. Those are three different titles: daughter, sister and cousin. Does that mean you are three different people? Absolutely not!

Those are your titles but they are under one name: yours! Your name may be Mary, for example, but you can be Mary the daughter, Mary the sister or Mary the cousin, depending on what you are doing and where you are. 

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Our great big God made Himself known to His creation by becoming a man and sacrificing His blood for us at Calvary. Our Father loves us so much, that He was willing to put limitations on Himself in order to be the pure Lamb, so that we have an opportunity to be cleansed of sin. How amazing is that?! God is the source of true love because He IS love! Love was defined at Calvary and can still be found when we humble ourselves and submit to Him. 

"Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God."

Isaiah 43:10-12

"Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 

Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."

John 8:54-58

"And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."

Exodus 3:13-14

"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 

And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ."

1 Corinthians 10:1-4

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Great I AM! He was that spiritual Rock in Moses' day and He is still that spiritual Rock for us. His love knows no boundaries, no time frames, no limitations. Even though God took on physical limitations as a man, it never changed His Identity, Character or Person. He was always One and His Name was always the same. He was and is the Deity who thoroughly loves His children.

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8

Reflection:
This world has truly perverted and distorted the real definition of love. Love is not wrapped in a hot night of passion. Love is not googly eyes from across the room. That is lust and human emotion. True love is defined at Calvary, where the Lord Jesus Christ died to cleanse you and I from sin, which includes unhealthy emotional bondage. Love is action and God demonstrated that in the highest form.

Action:
Now is the time to put aside our own thoughts, mindsets and desires to better understand the love of God. In order for us to love others, we must first love God and to do that, we must know Him. It will be through this knowledge that His truth will spring forth and consume the darkness that it holding us. The Bible says in Him is no darkness at all and that whom He sets free, will be free indeed!

Prayer:
Father, You are truly magnificent. Your power is infinite and Your abilities are astounding. I'm thankful for Your Plan and that it included salvation for us. We desire to know true love, in You. Lord Jesus, please show us who You really are, that we may understand the depth of Calvary. So that we may be washed clean from false teaching and idolatry. That we can receive a real revelation and be transformed. Thank You for becoming a man, for humbling Yourself and being obedient to the cross. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Who do you love in your life (besides God)?

If love is action, how do you show it?

Tomorrow's Devotion Topic: Our Expectations
For a full list of daily devotional topics & more information about 31 Devotion in 31 Days: Breaking The Chains, go here to read the original post.

UPDATE!! GET THE "BREAKING THE CHAINS" DEVOTIONAL EBOOK >>

Obedience + Submission = Wife Curse Words

"Oh no, she didn't?!" I can just hear that little voice in your mind right now. You know, the one that talks back to your husband even when your mouth stays shut. Or the one that criticizes your pastor after he preaches something you didn't like. Ouch, feel that? I did. It's a pretty big nerve too, I might add.

If you couldn't tell already, I'm not here to feed you fluff. I've struggled {am struggling} with these words daily. So why do I want to act like I got it all together? I don't and probably never will. However, today I had a turning point. I can't explain how, it was a spiritual shift. My focus had been on the wrong target for so long, that the false became truth and vise versa.

The truth is this: it's not about me. Or you. Sorry. Actually, no I'm not. It's about Jesus. It's about others. It's about His will and His kingdom. I'm not saying we are insignificant. I'm talking about order. And the Lord Jesus Christ is definitely all about order...{1 Corinthians 14:40}

These words are in place for a reason. For correction but mainly for protection. And I don't just mean from that red guy with the horns. Sad how you knew who I meant based on the world's image of him. I can bet he looks nothing like that. The point is, there is a battle. Good vs evil. Man vs nature. Men vs women. Uh, wait, that last one doesn't seem biblical. And yet we somehow think it is.

I'm not going to talk about the history of women's rights, equality, the liberation movement or anything like that. I'm going to talk Bible talk. It seems to me that is where understanding and knowledge {two very different things} make the best marriage. Oh, did I say marriage? Ha, we'll get to that...

Obedience and submission are very similar. To obey an order or a rule, you must submit. In order to submit, you must obey. They go hand in hand like candy and sunshine. Only we don't feel as warm inside. Or outside. Or anywhere, really. Why is that? Have we been programmed so much by society's definition of these words, that now as a Christian wife we seem to allow that definition to trump the Word of the Almighty? To be obedient, we must be submissive by complying with orders. This usually means denying how we feel and what we want. I mean, who wants to do that?!

Soldiers. Soldiers are obedient. Soldiers submit themselves everyday, doing things they don't want to do, fighting fights that aren't even theirs, never knowing more than their leaders. They are only told specific details attached to the job given. They must trust in their leader. Trust that they know what they are doing. Trust that they are plugged into the overseer of the entire operation.

Why? Their very lives depend on it. An order is given and they don't have time for questions. It's time for action because there is a battle and one hesitation can mean life or death. If they wait, it could be the last thing they ever do. If they rebel and disobey the orders, not only can they get hurt or worse, but the ones around them are in danger as well. Side note about orders: life revolves around them. Orders don't have to be looked at as negative. Orders bring, well, order.

As Christian wives, we are soldiers of the home. I'm not trying to feed you any 1950's tv commercial slogan.
Check out Titus 2:5 KJV:
"To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

A few months ago I read a book called Pursuit of Proverbs 31 by Amy Bayliss. My brain has been spinning since then. When you read her words, you can't help but feel like they aren't really her words. She allowed the Holy Spirit to pen these truths:

"All are equal but one takes on more responsibility than the rest."

"If your country were being invaded by terrorists and a soldier knocked on your door and said, "Follow me" you wouldn't hesitate to go. You have a reverent fear and awe of those serving your country and know that they have your best interests in mind. He is reporting to his commanding officer who is ultimately  reporting to the highest of authority in your country. You trust those sent to protect you by this higher authority. God placed your husband there to protect you and keep your best interest in mind. He is your soldier. He is reporting to the highest of authority. You should have reverent fear and awe of him.

When you submit to your husband you are submitting to Christ. This submission is for your protection. It is not to strip you of who you are or your full potential. That is a lie from the pit of Hell."

Whoa, right? I urge you to get this book if you have not already, right here on Amazon. This isn't a paid sponsored post. I'm not getting paid to talk about this topic or her book. It has truly changed my life and I can say my marriage is better because I am better. There is still so much I am working on but I find peace knowing I'm breaking those lies; the mindsets that have taken root in my heart and are poisoning my soul. Because, honestly ladies...when the wife is dying, the entire house dies.

We are both soldiers, fighting in the same battle. There is a Divine order given that we both must follow. Just because you have someone leading you, doesn't mean you are not important. Having "reverent fear" is not being scared or terrified. It's having a deep respect for someone that you don't want to go against them or displease them. Soldiers need to remember who their battling. It should never be their fellow soldiers.

Here are some scriptures that I urge you to pray over and study on your own. Remember: don't make decisions by how you feel or what you see. Go by what you learn and what you know. That's what all soldiers do. If every soldier went by feelings, we'd have to surrender because no one would be on the battlefield.

It takes more strength to follow, obey and submit then it does to disobey and run away.

{The Lord}
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

 {Marriage}
"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." Ephesians 5:22

{Leadership/Pastor/Elder}
"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. "Hebrews 13:17

"Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5

Sunday Devotion: The Heart of God

A Heart. Everyone has one but that doesn't mean everyone knows how to use it.

We were given a heart for two main reasons. The first is the most obvious because we need blood to transfer throughout our body, so the heart pumps it around for us. Amen for that! The other reason is not a physical purpose. Rather, our hearts were created in such a way that there is also a spiritual, emotional side to it...and God wants in. I talk about this a lot in my book since it is about the purity of the heart. Our hearts need to be guided by the Lord. This is the other purpose of our hearts yet the most important...to love God with it all.

 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thine heart, 

and with all thy soul and with all thy might." Deut. 6:5

Recently, I was listening to one of our camp services online entitled "The Heart of God."
{You can listen to it for free here} 

The speaker asked the question "What is the heart of God?"  That made me think...what is the purpose behind all He does? Why does He do certain things? What drives Him? This scripture in Jeremiah leads us towards the right answer:

"And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart." Jeremiah 24:7

One word. Relationship! Jesus craves a real, intimate relationship with His creation. He wants your heart! The Lord's main purpose is to be known by us; we must read His Word, pray continually and seek God with everything we have. God yearns for that relationship with His children; you and I.

Today {and every day after} connect with Him. Talk to Him, listen to Him, vent to Him. He is waiting for our hearts to return to Him, to know Him. Just like our relationships down here, when we are connected with someone, we find out their name, their dreams, goals, get to know who they are, their personality etc. God is the same way!
Many people may think that they cannot know God this intimately or that He is somehow this invisible cloud far above our eyes that it is impossible to connect with Him. These are false ideas from the enemy! He is among us, doing great things, all for the purpose of relationship...so that we may seek Him and know Him.

Our God CAN be known AND understood, even to our little human minds. This is possible because of His purpose, to be known...our main purpose in this life is to know Him. Everything points towards that direction. So take some time to do just that! Get alone, even if it's just in the shower {us moms have to multitask this way :)} and speak to Him. Ask Him to reveal who He is to you and what He expects from a relationship with you. Read His Word, hide it in your hearts. Meditate on it, pray about it.

The heart of God is not a hard concept to see when you read the scriptures...it becomes clear that He wants that bond with us, that His love is endless, everlasting, true and pure. There truly is no greater love than the love of Jesus!

What is on your heart today? Would you like prayer?

I don't need to know all the details, for God knows them already...

I'd love to pray for you. Please leave your request in the comments.

That feeling...{Weekend Recap}

Phew, another weekend bites the dust.

Is it just me or are these things flying by faster?

This past Saturday was pretty fun.

I had a booth at our public library in Enfield CT for local authors. The fair was a Children/Teen/Youth event and it was so cool to meet other authors, speak to parents and young kids about my book, The Palace Keepers and the purity of the heart. Here is what my booth looked like:

There was one woman who approached my table and I felt that tug from God in my heart. You know that feeling. The feeling you get when you are behind someone in need at the supermarket and you feel this urge to pay for them, or that voice that tells you to pray/call/text someone out of the blue because you feel God wants them to know He knows where they are and is with them. Yeah...that feeling...

So she reads the back of The Palace Keepers and I start to tell her what it is about.

Her eyes lite up and though I sense some hesitation, she admitted that she needed to read this book, that she was going through relationship stuff at that moment. Wow, God is good!

This small little local fair made me realize what it's all about...reaching people!

Get out there, get connected and meet the need. I'm so blessed to have met some great people and I did learn some neat things.  

What did you do this weekend? Did you connect with others?

{JJ&M} journaling series: I Need Not Judge

 

{entries are edited to protect names & identities}

12/18/07

I must remind myself to thank God for everything, every day. I love the Lord and I need to focus my relationship with Him and not think of others walk with God. Of course I want to surround myself with people who are having a successful relationship with God, but at the same time, I have to remember that like every relationship, there are ups and downs.

I need not judge or analyze anyone's personal one on one with our Lord.

It's not fair.

I can, however, pray things are going all right and ask the Lord to bless them. 

I know my one true wish will come true and I need to concentrate on what God is doing in my life,

not other's. I only hope all is well and that they are doing what is necessary to giving our Lord the glory.

Amen.

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He's here!!

Wonder where I've been, blog world?
Oh just bringing a new soul into this world :)

HE'S FINALLY HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DAVID JONATHAN PULFORD

BORN APRIL 27, 2012 @ 8:43PM

6LBS 4OZ 19.75IN

Let the hunger games begin...lol

{JJ&M} journaling series: Pieces to the Puzzle

 

{entries are edited to protect names & identities}

10/18/07

I would be a fool to not thank the Lord every day for the blessings I have in my life.

Through the struggles and the fog, He has been my guidance and light. I have been revealed a lot about myself, my lifestyle and state of mind.

Something shifted and a good thing went into the right place. I feel somewhat whole now. There's a few pieces to the puzzle missing, but patience is a new thing I'm swallowing.

The best things that happen to people come with time. I want to do things the right way and that will make everything else feel right. I will have more appreciation for what happens in my life. I really am blessed, Though financially I might not be so great, that doesn't matter to the Lord. 

I am pleased because I know I'm pleasing Him and I will receive good things in His time. I already have many good things and I'm not asking for much. I can wait until it's time...it will be beautiful...

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It's Official...I'm a Self-Published Author!!

"Wow."

That's all I could say when I burst open the box of books that sat in my foyer. I couldn't wait to see all of the hard work, hours of study and prayer, compacted in 170 pages, bound in a glossy cover with my original artwork gracing it. Then I saw my name at the bottom...

You know, being a writer was always something I wanted to do. I just was so self-conscious as a kid, and used my writing mostly to journal and create poetry. Plus, my art skills were developed first so I was excited about that exceeding. Also, the "real world" usually tries to convince young minds that something as different and cool as being an author or an artist were dream jobs, but not realistically attainable.

Well I want to tell the "real world" that dreams are real and they can come true!! The awesome part of my story is that I didn't get to write what I originally wanted. Hear me out. I used to write mysteries and sometimes graphic stories. That all changed when one night, I had an experience with the The Great Creator and Author, the Lord Jesus Christ!

He let me know that He loved me and that He would deliver me from my sins. He gave me a vision and set me on a path that transformed my life, and heart. This is not just a book...this is a piece of my re-birth in Christ. You will find my entire testimony in the foreword...

It's called "The Palace Keepers" and it's about emotional purity, a subject that NEEDS to be addressed in this generation. Enough talking, here is the book summary and where you can pick up your very own copy! It's also available as a Kindle edition, which is compatible with the most popular electronic devices...

"In her debut, new author Jacy Lee Pulford brings forth “the most overlooked problem today” of emotional purity. This book features her personal testimony, thought-provoking questions and Biblical references to help us gain the right knowledge in keeping a clean heart. Learn about how a physical palace relates to our spiritual palace; our mind (The Gate), our thoughts (The Courtyard), our decisions (The Foyer), our hearts (The Throne Room) and our bodies (The Grounds). Find out who King Jesus really is, what He expects of us as our own Palace Keeper and equip yourself with the right tools, such as The Word, Prayer, Obedience and Discernment.
In a generation where sin in glorified and purity is mocked, protecting only your body is not enough. Purity is more than just sexual abstinence. Influences are trying to enter your palace, but King Jesus has assigned you an important job to take care of what goes in and out. He has called you to be a Palace Keeper…are you ready?"

FOR SALE NOW!

CLICK HERE for PAPERBACK

CLICK HERE for KINDLE VERSION

OR

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD AN ORDER FORM TO SEND IN WITH A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER

{JJ&M} journaling series: Let it go...and laugh!

 

{entries are edited to protect names & identities}

10/04/07


Thank you Jesus for another day. I am so thankful and hopeful, at least lately. I know I am blessed to have a relationship with the Lord and that He has given me things in my life that are meant to help me grow as a person and a Christian.
Jonathan is an awesome person, friend and companion. I know our friendship and relationship is a gift from God. We need each other and we love each other. I am so happy to have someone that really cares for me, and takes care of me. I know I'm a pain sometimes and I'm so gracious that Jonathan puts up with my antics or whining. I love him so much and every day it grows. It's going to be amazing when we hit those milestones that couple's have. I am so excited for those!
I need to stop worrying about if we are going to last or not because my gut feeling says yes, but my mind is messing me up. The only One who knows is the Lord, Jesus Christ. And I have confidence in my God and that He will do great things for us, as long as we serve Him.

I am closer to God right now then I ever have been. It's been a good four days that I have felt His presence and I am starting to understand things more, and not be so serious. Of course, there are some things we need to be serious about, but I need to just let it go sometimes, and laugh. I can't forget to do that and have fun!

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{JJ&M} journaling series: The Sea of Life...

 

{entries are edited to protect names & identities}

9/07/07


The sea of life.
Is it meant to have so many waves, or do we create more than are suppose to be? I believe when we try and do things our way, instead of letting things be, then we cause unnecessary things to happen. We are the ones that make life harder. Not the Lord.
Even though following His way can be hard, we know in our hearts it's the right thing. We don't always know if following our way is right. So why do we? Because we're human. Our own free will is just as much of a curse as a gift.  We love it and hate it, at the same time.

God's timing is everything. Our timing is nothing. We will always want "more" or "now"...but we will never know when or how things will end up. He does. He knows. So, we must trust the Lord.

I pray for patience. The patience that everything that I believe will happen, will in time. The patience so I can live for now, today, instead of dwelling into the future. The passion I have inside, I've never had before. So this love that I have is deeper than anything, and I can't help but crave the future and what this love can bring. I want certain things more than ever...it hurts when I think about it. And just thinking about how that love is returned, it's incredible.

I pray for patience...the day we want, will come... <3

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{JJ&M} journaling series: Thoughts in Poems, Part 2

 

{entries are edited to protect names & identities}

7/13/07

My Prayer
Since I don't know what to do,
I leave it up to you
Majesty of faith,
What is my fate?
It must be a good thing,
Look at all the joy you bring
Who am I or who will I be?
Majesty of charity,
I feel you near me
Can you open my eyes to see?
Restart my heart to breathe?
Suffocating for a world that turned it's back,
I keep spinning & losing where I'm at
Majesty of eternity,
Can you please stop me?
Before I hurt someone I love,
Before I lose myself...

Point Blank Range

 Pointed like a knife,

Sharp and right

Who turned off the light?

Tossing during the quiet night,

Uneasy is blessed with a guilty conscience

Deep in the chest of the innocent

Point blank range,

Corrupt and deranged

Need to start a new page, but their all full

Like a sheep with no wool

Out of the water, I guess I'm a fish

That doesn't mean I can't still wish

Curled up in a ball of love,

Praying to the One above

Feeling the familiarity

Notice the insecurity

Stab it in the center,

Then everything will

be better...

Naive

The power of persuasion,

Leave no room for compensation

It's a lose, lose situation

Feel the vibration,

Of the influential drums

Go with it,

Until you've become numb...

Spirit Parade

A wave

A spirit parade

Peace be with you

Inside the flesh grave

The wind blows

Slow, at first

Now feel the burst

Tears stream like a stream

Down the seam of an eye

Hold onto the night

As the warmth swarms up the arms,

and into the heart

He presents His presence

and it has yet to part...

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Mommy Changes & Fears

                        

Today, I feel like being transparent.

Not because my skin is pale or anything...that's another story all together.

I'm getting a little nervous and, well, scared.

I was okay the first two trimesters of my pregnancy, but now that it's getting down to the wire, everything is getting so real...real fast too.

My mind has been spinning with different thoughts and yeah, I know God will guide me through mommyhood....but truth is, my human mentality can't help but go over all of my weaknesses...

What if I drop him?

What if I teach him the wrong things?

What if I lash out at him with my temper?

Can I be the mommy he needs?

Can I show him what a Christian woman should be?

Can I teach him to love Jesus no matter what?

Will I be able to show him unconditional love?

Will I show him the right way to treat people?

Am I ready to be super selfless?

Am I ready to put his needs first?

Can I show him what it means to pray?

Will I know how to communicate with him?

  Source: Uploaded by user via Jacy on Pinterest

I haven't been up all night with my thoughts, but while I'm busy with my day {blogging, cleaning, designing} something will just pop in from the back of my subconscious and it makes me stop in my tracks...

 

I'm not even a "real" mom yet and I'm leaning on Jesus already! We need someone to guide us and teach us. We need that hope, that solid Rock, a place where our feet are planted as this world shifts around our child...if I'm unstable in faith, my son will be too...

The one thing that keeps me from going insane, is knowing that my Jesus doesn't change...though I will. I will have to change to be the mommy my boy needs me to be...I will have to change in order to adjust to this new schedule and life...I need to change for this new role...

Luckily no matter how much I change, He stays the same...and that thought is the best one yet!!

Sunday Devotion: Emotional Purity

"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."

Proverbs 4:23

In the past four years, the Lord has placed a message on my heart about, well, the heart. He used my own testimony to teach me something...this is what lead me to write "The Palace Keepers", a book about protecting the purity of the heart. It's also available in e-book form. 

The main thing God showed me is that purity is not only about our bodies but that true purity starts in the heart! Sometimes Christianity spends so much effort and time on telling young people that they must abstain from sexual sin, which is of course necessary and true, but they don't tell them HOW to do it.

We try and "reform" our ways, but since the main issue lies in our emotions, we tend to go back to the sin and never fully get over it.

Emotional purity is the clean state of our emotional health. If we know we have to keep our bodies clean and healthy, why don't we think that same way about our hearts?

Let's break down Proverbs 4:23:

"Keep thy heart..."

This means it's OUR job, to make sure it is following the Lord. But how?

"...with all diligence..."

Be responsible and accountable. Ask God every day how to guard your heart and obey Him at all times.

But why?

"...out of it are the issues of life."

Because our heart can create and lead us into different situations and we need to be ready now!

Jeremiah 17:9 tells us:

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" 

Today, think about your heart and it's health.

What sort of things are you pouring into it? What kind of music are you listening to, or movies you are watching? Who is your heart attaching to? Are they following the Lord or leading you astray?

Purity of your emotions is so important! If you don't protect your heart, you will eventually allow someone else to have control over it, and thus, they end up controlling your emotions.

Pray and ask God to reveal what you can do so protect the purity of your heart!