Joy in this Journey By: FaithLine

Apply Thine Heart

• Roy Grayson • Season 1 • Episode 20

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Dive into a transformative exploration of navigating life with divine guidance in our latest podcast episode! We center on Proverbs 23:12: “Apply thy heart unto instruction and thy ears to the words of knowledge.” This compelling discussion unpacks the importance of truly engaging with God’s instructions and the profound impact it can have on our daily lives. 

We delve into the natural tendency to disregard instructions, often mirroring our spiritual practices. How many times have we thought we knew better than the divine creator? Join me as I share personal anecdotes and relatable examples that illustrate the consequences of disobedience. From cooking mishaps to life's more significant decisions, ignoring directions can lead us astray. 

The conversation encourages listeners to transition from merely hearing God's messages to truly applying them with sincerity. I emphasize that God desires a genuine relationship with us, where our hearts are aligned with His teachings. A heart that earnestly seeks to know and obey His will opens doors to joy, peace, and purpose.

Are you ready to take the next step? Explore your relationship with divine guidance through the insights shared in this episode. Listen in for empowering discussions on how to surrender control, embrace trust, and live joyfully according to God’s best instructions. Tune in and be inspired to apply God’s instructions sincerely and wholeheartedly. Remember to subscribe, share, and leave a review as you enjoy this journey with us!

Thank you for listening! Please follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Youtube @myfaithline to stay updated about our weekly episodes. Let us help you Find Joy in Your Journey Today!! To support our journey please visit our web page at www.myfaithline.com God Bless!

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Joy in this Journey podcast by Faithline. Join us as we bring you weekly episodes on Bible devotionals to empower you to live in faith. By faith, through God's grace, Find joy in your journey today.

Speaker 2:

Hello everyone, god bless grace. Find joy in your journey today. Hello everyone, god bless you. This is your brother, roy, and welcome to another episode of the podcast, joy and His Journey. I thank God for His mercy and grace giving me this opportunity and privilege to read His Word and speak. Praise God, because I know it is a privilege and honor. People say it a lot, but I am grateful because I know where god is taking me, from where he brought me, from how he's intervened, hallelujah, how he's healed and forgiven and blessed and helped me so much. I'm truly grateful and blessed and, uh, grateful that he's given me opportunity to read his word and I pray you guys, been blessed and ministered through his word because his word is powerful and glorious to do all things. Praise god, hallelujah.

Speaker 2:

So we're going to read in the book of proverbs, verse 23. I'm sorry, book of proverbs, chapter 23, verse 12. It's right named the father, the son and the holy spirit. Amen. Apply thy heart unto instruction and thy ears to the words of knowledge, praise God. Read one more time Apply thy heart unto instruction and thy ears to the words of knowledge, praise God. This is Proverbs, the book of Proverbs, written and inspired by the Lord, using the wise man Solomon. Praise God.

Speaker 2:

The first thing that pops up when I read this verse. It says apply thy heart unto instruction. The first thing that came out to I read this verse this is apply that heart into instruction. The first thing that came out to me was instruction. My head started going crazy instruction instructions. And many examples came to mind. For example say uh, we go buy appliance or furniture, um, it comes with instructions. A vehicle comes with instructions. Um, whatever you purchase has instructions how to use it, has instructions how to use it, how to maintain it, how to clean it, how to build it together. You have to like furniture, you have to put together. So it comes with instructions.

Speaker 2:

But most of us majority of us, I would say what we do with those instructions? We throw it away, we put it in a drawer, we don't read it for the most part. Right, it might have warranty or specific information that we need to know, but what we do with it, especially, I will say personally, I don't read it, I put it to the side. And that's what we do a lot with these instructions that are given to us to help us use this appliance or this furniture or this material that we received to keep, protected it, to build it safely, uh, properly, so the equipment is used in a safe and well manner. Well, here, so when I read, apply their heart into instructions, right away, god was telling me well, I've given you instructions, right, we know what we should and should not do. Uh, his word, the word of god, gives us clear instructions and things we should do and should not do. Um, but, like many of us do, we think we know more than god.

Speaker 2:

Like, when the instructions come from that package, or, uh, that furniture, that appliance or whatever it is you purchased or received, you by you, putting that instructions or a manual to a side, you're basically saying I know best, I know more than the manufacturer they invented, they studied it, they tested this product for a period of time, but I know better than these engineers and these guys and women that made this product. I got it. It's a lack, it's a lack of obedience and it's a form of ego and pride saying I know better when we don't. We didn't build a product, we didn't build the furniture. We didn't build the product. We didn't build the furniture. We didn't build the appliance, we didn't build it. The companies and factories built it and it made mass produce amount of it that they know the weak point, the strong point, how heat or cold or different temperature elements will affect this product. Um, if it's electrical, how to charge it, uncharge it, uh, how to take care of it so it can last a long time. And it has warranty as well, maybe one-year warranty, two-year warranty? The list goes on and on. You get the gist.

Speaker 2:

And so, putting that to the spiritual, apply that heart into instruction. God's given us clear instructions what to do, because on this path to heaven that's where we're going, in the name of Jesus Christ, we're going there we must apply instruction. God has given us instructions through his word. He's told us what to do and not do, what he likes and doesn't like, how to act, how to dress, how to speak, how to live, how to conduct as a Christian, as a Christ-like person. Praise God. And we say, oh, I got it. I know Lord, I'm good, we know what to do. He preaches to us, he speaks to us, to his instruments, to the leaders, to the people who've chosen and prepared to minister to our lives. That God uses and we listen to it, we hear it, and then we go ah, I got it and I know better. Thanks God, but I'm good on this part, I'll take care of it. We put the manual away. We put the instructions away.

Speaker 2:

And Solomon is saying here in Proverbs 23, verse 12, apply thy heart unto instructions. Pay attention and read the instruction that God has given you. You know what God has told you to do. You know what God has told you not to do. You know what he has told you to press forth here and let go of this. Grab this, hold this, trust this and don't believe in this. Don't go there. Don't do that. We know, because, if we're being honest with ourselves, we know what's right and wrong. Right, we have a conscience, automatically. At birth, god has given the conscience that we grow and, as Christians, god is telling us what he likes and doesn't like. His ways are higher than ours understanding the higher knowledge, but he knows the best for us. So our job to hold on to his instructions and not just hold on to it, but to apply, like the word says, apply is doing something that's been told.

Speaker 2:

For example, my mother tells me hey, I left the pot of rice on the stove. I have to leave, but it's on low heat. Pay attention in three minutes and you turn it off. Check, make sure it's good, the water is not too high, um, it's boiled down, that the rice is soft. Those are instructions I have to apply to it. If I don't listen to my mom, I turn it off within five, seven, ten minutes, longer than the time she's giving me. The rice could burn, it could be hard, it won't taste good and so, uh, or the contrary, I turn off too early. Um, because I still gotta go outside, I gotta do something. I don't care about this rice, for example. Uh, the rice meat comes off, it's not, it's not fully cooked, it can be so raw and it's not good for my stomach and cause issues health-wise, for example. So when God is saying what you've heard, what you know, I told you to do, now I want you to apply it now.

Speaker 2:

I think you think you know best for your life. But God knows tomorrow, he knows the future, he knows what we don't know, he sees what we don't see and he's telling us to apply it. Let's obey God, obedience. What is he asking for? So, what he's told you to do, apply it, to live by it.

Speaker 2:

It's very it sounds like very simple, but we as human beings, we easily astray from what God has told us to do. I can personally say God tells me, roy, do this, do that and that, and I'm like, yes, I'm on fire on Sunday, amen, praise God. In a couple of days I'm like, oh, no, no, I don't know. Let me think twice about this. We're questioning what God has told us, the instructions given us. When it's clear as day, you say yes in church, or when you speak to us, we're on a spiritual high per se. But then afterwards you're like I don't know. And God's saying no, even when you think you know or you don't understand, apply my instructions and trust it. And then great, that's the first thing came to mind instructions, for example, um material things that come with manuals, um instructions to take care, to build and fix things, whether it be furniture, like I said appliances, so even vehicles, right. But then I said apply thy heart unto instructions. The heart, okay, there's no mistake in god's word. So I apply that heart. He could have said this apply to my instructions, and that would be simple enough in my head. But god is greater and smarter, wiser than me. He's my creator, our creator. Apply that heart.

Speaker 2:

When we do it, we have to do it sincerely, we have to do it honest. For example, um, in the old testament, god gave the law to his people of israel to do certain things. There were laws that they must follow, but it became like mundane, it became routine. We do it, we don't want to do it. We do the sacrifices, we do the sabbath, we do all these things that we're supposed to do, but in reality we don't want to do it. That's how a lot of people in israel said uh became that way, it was just like a routine. Now it was part of the life, but it wasn't from the heart, it wasn't sincere. And god said it I don't want sacrifice anymore, obedience, because it's not coming sincerely, it's not coming from the heart. And god's saying when you apply that heart into destruction, do it sincerely, do it honestly, do genuinely.

Speaker 2:

God knows our intentions. He knows the intention of our heart. Jeremiah says it best Of all things, deceitfulness is the heart, foolishness Perverse. Who knows it? Who might think we're doing right by just doing it in routine. I'm doing this, going to church, I'm praying, I'm fasting. I'm not saying those things are bad. Continue doing it. Praise god if you're doing. Amen.

Speaker 2:

We need to sanctify ourselves and get closer to the lord, but we're doing it like not genuinely. He was doing okay, because I told you this. I'm going to do it like your parents or your um guardians or people that um take care of you, um tell you, do things. You do it like you don't want to do it. All right, all right, y'all want to hear my mom's, my dad's mouth, my uncle, my cousin, my grandma. I want to hear them. I do it. My dad's mouth, my uncle, my cousin, my grandma. I want to hear them. I do it. Okay, whatever, shut up, leave me alone, but not with the Lord.

Speaker 2:

He's saying when you apply these instructions, apply with your heart, do it genuinely, do it sincerely, do it because you want to Do it, because you're grateful that you know what God has done for you. We can never repay. Died for us on the cross. So, out of gratitude, we should do the things he asked you to do, because he knows best for us, and do it genuinely, do it sincerely, do it gratefully, gracefully. Hallelujah, praise god and thanking god for what he's done, and not just doing as routine.

Speaker 2:

Okay, church, I'm going to read the bible, I'm going to pray. I don't want to, but I do it, so you don't bother me. No, let's do it wanting to, and if, honestly, sometimes you may get caught up in there, I have, I'm not going to pretend I'm coming up. All right, I go to church today. I gotta go read the bible, I gotta pray and I don't want to. I got, but that's what god is so good out of many things. God is so good. He knows our heart already. Let's be honest, god, like I don't want to pray today, but I need to pray, give me the strength to pray.

Speaker 2:

God, I don't want to go to church, but put in my heart to go to church, help me. And he sees, he knows, he sees the efforts, the intentions, the sincereness of our hearts, and that's where he intervenes and helps us. We're human. We get tired, we get frustrated, we get bothered, we get flustered, whatever the case may be, but he's there to interject and help us through the situations. Praise God that he's there for us. He's not against us, but he's for us.

Speaker 2:

But let's be sincere when we apply our heart to instructions. When we do things god has called us and asked us to do, let's do it sincerely. I'm afraid I don't understand, lord. I don't believe, I don't get it. This makes no sense. Those things come across our lives. Those situations will come. But let's be honest with our heart. Sincerely, lord, I'm going to apply these instructions. I'm going to do what you say. Um, please help me to do it sincerely, not just to do it but people can see, not to pretend, but be honest. A genuine, uh obedience to god, not for man, but for god. He asked for obedience. Let's apply our hearts into instructions. Praise god.

Speaker 2:

It says in verse 26 my son, give me thy heart and let thy eyes observe my ways. And that, for me, that was huge. God's saying trust me and your eyes will see what I shall do. We try to do ourselves. How many times have I fought with that? I got it. I'm strong, I'm smart, I'm healthy, I can do it, I can make it, and I just kept hitting the wall, I kept getting nowhere until I finally said Lord completely. Until I finally said Lord completely, because it's very fearful to completely let go and trust in God and you say no, god bless you, I'm not there yet.

Speaker 2:

For me it was very fearful to let go, complete control and give it to God, because, as human beings well me personally I want to be in control of my, of my circumstance and my surroundings. I want to, I want to know what's the next step. I want to see it because I want, want to know. But that's when faith and trust comes in. We just gotta let go and give it to god, like the song says let go and let god, and we do that.

Speaker 2:

Verse 26 says my son, give me thy heart, trust in me, give me your faith, trust in me and your, let thy eyes observe my ways. You shall see what I'm going to do. You shall see my glory. Jesus said it if you shall believe, you shall see my glory. In front of the tomb of lazarus and those people saw the glory of god raised a dead man. Four days I was stunk and his body decomposing, and he saw the glory of the lord.

Speaker 2:

So apply our hearts into the instruction and trust god with our whole heart and believe in him, even when it's not easy. No one said it's going to be easy. There'll be days where you don't know which way to go and what to do, but you go to his word and to his instructions. You come before him sincerely and you will see his glory if you trust in him. Even when you don't understand and it doesn't make any sense In your eyes, in our eyes, in our mind, his ways are greater than ours. We serve an almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth.

Speaker 2:

If you believe that, if you truly believe that where you're living, the air that you breathe, everything exists because our creator, the God that we serve, created everything, what's the situation for him? Financially, physically, health-wise? What can he do? What can he do, I'm sorry? And then the second part of the verse in thy ears to the words of knowledge. So he wants to apply our heart into instructions. Do it sincerely, do it honestly, do it genuinely, gratefully to his ways, his words, and then to his obedience. And then it says in thy ears to the words of knowledge. So, um, there's two ways we can listen and hear. Right, there's a difference. One is, for example, your parents is correcting you and you're there, you're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, Okay.

Speaker 2:

But in your mind you're like I'm not paying attention, just I'm just here being respectful for the talking so I can go do my thing. And many people in church, many people, many Christians do that God speaks and you're like, yeah, yeah, amen, praise God, yes, okay, no problem, sure, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. But then we don't do it, we don't follow. God knows best. His knowledge, his words, his ways are best for us. Let us pay attention, apply and process. All this is trusting in the creator, our heavenly father, what he's spoken. He's coming to save us. He's coming to bring us to a place where there's no more death, no more sickness, no more pain, no more suffering. Please ask us to trust them.

Speaker 2:

And it's not easy. It's sometimes very difficult. We don't understand. Don't pretend it is. If it is hey, you got to that level, god bless, no judgment here and it's got to help me get to that level. Sometimes there are days that it's hard for me to comprehend. But that's when God says let go, roy, I got it, I'll take care of it. Just keep trusting me, keep following me, Keep holding on to me, even look scary all around, and it makes no sense in my little brain. He got me, he got us.

Speaker 2:

So let's listen, because he knows best. His knowledge is his wisdom, and the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God, revenge, respect and obedience and knowing that we have someone that we serve. The king of glory is there for us, he's here to help us, he's for us, not against us. My brothers and sisters, so, um, I just wanted to share these words in this verse, with you. Um, apply thy heart unto instruction, in thy ears to the words of knowledge. Whose words? Whose instructions? God's words, god's instructions. And his son, jesus, is here, through his spirit, to guide us and lead us always to make it to heaven. Let's not fight him, nor resist him, nor nor harden our hearts toward him, but let's, in the contrary, open our hearts and accept and obey and believe, not for man, not for anyone else, but for our, for our well-being. Even when it hurts, even when it doesn't make any sense and when it's very hard, there are moments like that we should have in our life, but on the other side of it it's blessing, it's peace, it's joy, and God's so good because once we obey him, something happens.

Speaker 2:

We can trust in him when you do something and you didn't get God's confirmation or blessing on it, you're like I don't know if's gonna come out well, right? Well, me personally, I do something and I'd ask guidance or permission for it and I'm like, oh, I'm crossing my fingers, I hope it comes out good, because I don't know if this is god's perfect world, but I want anyways, I'm gonna try for it. But when you know it's god's will and he says go through that door, do that. When something arises contrary to what god's told you, you can bring it to the bank and know God's going to respond and make a way, because he told you to do it. He told you go through that door. He told you do this and do that. And when something comes, he got your back because he told you to do it. You're obeying him and God is faithful to fulfill his word. His word will not come back to him void. His word is faithful and true. So let's trust in him completely.

Speaker 2:

Once again, I'm going to reiterate this and repeat it it's not easy, it may be difficult, it may be challenging, it may be scary for some. I don't know your situation or circumstances or what you're going through, but God does and his word is faithful. Not my words, but God's words are faithful. Apply thy heart unto instruction and thy ears to the words of knowledge. May these words be a blessing to your life, minister, to your life and to your trusting in the Lord.

Speaker 2:

My brothers and sisters, it's not in vain For those who trust in the Lord, who wait on the Lord, he shall renew their strength. He hears us, he sees us, he knows and he comes right on time. He's faithful. Trust me, I am a witness, I am a living witness of God responding and coming on time, even when I didn't like it, it made no sense, I didn't agree with it, but at the end, at the very end, I see God's glory and how he does it. One plus one for us is two For God. It's a million infinity, his way of hiring ours. So be blessed today. God bless you all and enjoy the rest of your day. You take care, god bless.

Speaker 1:

If you liked today's episode and find that our podcasts are helping you find joy in your journey, please leave us a review in the podcast app and tell us your story and how we assisted you in finding joy. Don't forget to reach out to us by taking a screenshot of any of our podcasts and posting it on your Instagram or Facebook, tagging us in at MyFaithLine, and we will comment back. Join us next week for more episodes on finding joy in your journey through faith. Until next time, remember to live in faith by faith, through God's grace. God bless you.