“The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.” Proverbs 16:1
This scripture should be a special blessing to every Christian on the earth. As Christians we are so blessed of God, He has brought us from spiritual death to spiritual life. As Christians, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are the Children of God, what a thought, what a blessing to be a child of the King! God, the Creator of the heavens, the universe, of the earth and all that exist, sent His own Son to this sinful world to give life to His people. Without Jesus, His life, His death, His blood, His resurrection, we are assured the eternal flames of hell for eternity. But God, who is so wonderfully gracious chose to save our souls and bless us with innumerable blessing’s. Our hearts should jump daily with praise to God the Father, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, for their wonderful gifts that never stop coming to us. God does not stop at our salvation, we are His chosen servants, no matter what you do for God, your chosen. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Oh, Blessed Lord thank you for making me what you want me to be in this life! We are His creation because God created us to be as He chose and ordained before the world was created, Wow! Think on that, just take a minute, and hour, a day, a year, or a lifetime to think about that. The world is full of preachers, assemblies calling themselves churches that do nothing less than degrade God and His powers, but here we learn God is the reason we are what we are. The Apostle Paul, one of the most wonderful creations of God’s power. As Saul of Tarsus, he was very evil, hating Christ Jesus, hating Jesus’s disciples, hating His church in Jerusalem that He Himself had created. Persecuted Jesus Christ through persecuting His people and church. “…Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Acts 9:4b That’s right believers, we are one in Christ and one with Christ Jesus, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ...” Romans 8:17a. The blessings just keep being revealed in every point we make, oh thank God. But the Apostle Paul who once hated Jesus, His people, and the church, as Saul of Tarsus became one of the greatest men in the bible, and servants of God. But not because Saul turned around, not because Saul repented and chose to be saved, but because God changed his old, wicked heart. Old Saul met Jesus, “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do…” Acts 9:6 What a turnaround Saul of Tarsus had made, not because of his glory or power, no, it was God’s glory and power, “…created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Oh, God’s goodness to us all, our salvation, our life, our works, our walk in Christ Jesus is all God’s work and power. Any preacher that preaches that God cannot change a persons will, gives God no glory, he needs to visit with God and receive God’s blessings. Look at Paul’s life as a Christian, all he accomplished, all the Christians, churches, and people who was enriched with scriptural knowledge because of his writings, and at the end Paul took his final bow with these words, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain…” 1 Corinthians 15:10a Saul who God named Paul knew that no glory was due him, all glory was God’s because all he was as a Christian was God’s glorious works. God’s work on us started before the world was created, it’s called eternity because it has no beginning or no ending. Time only exist on this earth and once God destroys it time dies with it. Solomon wrote in the Proverbs these words, “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.” Did you know that word “preparations” means - mental disposition – in the Hebrews? God, please forgive the fools who claim you cannot “change mans will”. Paul was not being gracious to God in his words in 1 Corinthians 15:10a, he was thanking God for making him what he had become, because if God had not changed him, he would be in hell right now, and so would I if God had not changed me. God speaks all through His word about changing us for the good, we have no power to change ourselves, no, not one chance. God has created everything to please Himself, everything even evil praise God. “The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.” Proverbs 16:4 God did not create anything or anyone that He does not control, not did He create anything that does not bring Him glory. Satan is not a competition to God; he is a servant to God’s power and will. Only a depraved being like Satan could believe that God doesn’t have the power and control over any created being. However, any Christian that does not recognize God’s blessings in their life, needs to search the scriptures. They need to get out of houses ran by the blind because their heading for the ditch. Jesus said, “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Matthew 15:14 God promised that those that come to truth He will bless them, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, (18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18
If you cannot standup and give God all the glory for your Christian life than you are not in step with God’s word. The greatest blessing in a believer’s life is to give God all glory through Christ Jesus and accepting not praise for himself. “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.” Psalms 22:22 Because God hath saved me from the evils in my own heart, from the grip of sin, and the power of Satan, oh praise thee my gracious God! “Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. (13) And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.” Hebrews 2:13
