Sins of the Heart

"The fool dreams only of sin." - Proverbs 24:9

Paul said in the letter to the Romans that he does the evil he hates and not the good that he wants to do. Even a man like Saint Paul struggles with his tendency to sin, so we must struggle all the more. God knows this and His grace gives us strength, but we have a problem that needs serious correction if our sin comes from within. We might lose our temper or face temptation and fall, but sometimes we never planned to do these things. However, there are those that plan to sin. Examine your own conscience right now - where are your thoughts? What do you dream of? Is revenge in your heart? Are you hoping to see someone's downfall? Are you planning someone's harm? Even if you never carry these things out, you are a sinner and need to reconcile your relationship with the Lord. One might think that if one doesn't go through with these things, they don't count, but they do. God sees what's in your heart and your evil within is enough to condemn you. You are a fool if you entertain these thoughts. You have evil in your heart and you stray from the Lord who is good. It really doesn't matter who has hurt you, who has betrayed you and sparked the anger because God is just and will take care of those who have wronged you. For your part, turn to God. Cleanse your heart and be at peace with God so that He can heal you and bring you peace.

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, have mercy on those who are far from You and entertain sin in their minds. Have mercy on those that seek revenge and harbor hatred because of their pain. Let them know that Your love is so much bigger and Your mercy heals and soothes all things. In Your Name we pray, amen.