Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

—James 1:21

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Isn't it true! When we find ourselves caught in the clutches of the moral filth of our culture, we can find the Word of God boring and irrelevant. Yet even in those moments when the evil one uses sin to harden our hearts, God's Spirit calls us to change at a level deeper than just the mere understanding of the words of Scripture. James, the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55; John 7:2-5), reminds us we've got stuff we must get rid of, even though it is all around us in our culture. We need to go back to the seed of faith, the good news of Jesus, that was planted in us. Through the Spirit, this seed calls us back to righteous living, and this repentance can save us! Thank God for his Spirit, who uses the Word that he inspired like a surgeon's scalpel, and does the needed surgery on our hearts (Hebrews 4:12-13).

My Prayer...

Holy God, with the help of your Holy Spirit, today I willingly and decisively give up the immoral habits in my life. I recognize that these not only offend your holiness and grace, but they also harden me to your will, pull me away from your character, and blunt my witness to others. Please forgive me, please sustain me, as I seek to live a life wholly pleasing to you, empowered by the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, I promise and pray to get rid of the moral filth that is so prevalent around me, and to humbly accept the message you have given me, and that calls me home to you. Amen.