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600 | Finding Your Treasure · The Woman at the Well Ministries Podcast

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  Hello, friends, and welcome back to the Woman at the Well Ministries podcast.
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  With Kimberly Miller, where we believe that every man, woman,
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  boy, and girl must come to Jesus just like the woman at the well in John chapter 4.
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  Our highest priority is helping you experience the reality of God in your everyday life.
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  Whether you're listening in our app, on your favorite podcast platform,
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  are on our website at watwm.org.
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  We invite you to sit down with us as we open the scriptures to learn more about
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  who God is and to strengthen your daily walk with Jesus Christ.
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  The Bible tells us in Matthew 6, 21, that where your treasure is,
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  there will your heart be also.
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  It is good to take inventory of your heart from time to time,
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  determining what you are filling it with and where it is leading you.
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  Without regular checkups on the condition of your heart, you may find yourself
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  strained for what you know to be true.
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  Join Kim Miller in this podcast of Women at the Well Ministries as she walks
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  us through the scriptures, assisting us with our heart checkup.
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  Hello, and thank you for joining us in this podcast of Woman at the Well Ministries.
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  And we're going to just take some time out of our busy lives today in this few
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  moments that we are together to really look at what's important to us.
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  I think so often we get busy doing this and doing that, and sometimes even the
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  things that we're doing are amazingly good, but we don't take an opportunity
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  to really take inventory of the things that are important to us.
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  And when we don't look at what's important to us,
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  then we can find ourselves easily being swayed in directions that cause us to
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  spend time doing things that are not important to us, which that is at the sacrifice
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  of the things that are so important to us.
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  And so as we begin to look at our lives and what our future holds for us and
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  build dreams and hopes and goals and objectives for the upcoming year,
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  I think it's important for us to take a spiritual look at the condition of our heart,
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  of our spiritual condition.
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  Are you as close to God as you used to be?
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  Are you as close to God as you want to be?
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  Now, for many of us, the answer to the second question is always going to be
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  no, because we want to be as close to God as possible.
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  And so we want to continue to be growing in his word and growing in our faith
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  and getting to know him even better and even more greatly.
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  And so we would say we're not as close as we want to be because we desire to
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  be closer and closer and closer to him.
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  And that's an amazing thing. but in order
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  to make that happen we are going to have to make
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  some changes in our lives we're going
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  to have to make room for jesus you know
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  during the christmas season we talk about how he was wrapped in swaddling clothes
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  and lying in a manger because there was no room for him in the end and we often
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  neglect to admit to ourselves or especially to anyone else that we too have not made room for Jesus.
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  That in our day-to-day lives, we are not offering ourselves as a place that
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  he can come to and he can spend time with us and he can teach us and lead us and instruct us.
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  We often have such horrible thoughts about who would put baby Jesus or any baby
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  out in some stable-type barn.
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  But yet, the truth be told, many of us don't even make that kind of a commendation for Jesus.
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  There are days and weeks that go by that we have not had a decent conversation
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  with him. And the Bible says that he changes not.
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  And he says, if you draw nigh unto me, I will draw nigh unto you.
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  So we know that if you've gone this long without talking to him, it isn't because of him.
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  Because in revelations 320 he says that behold i
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  stand at the door and knock and if any man open up the door i
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  will come in unto him and i will sup with him and he with me so
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  we know that if our a relationship with god isn't what it should be that the
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  fault lies within us and i'd like to bring your attention to a passage of scripture
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  in matthew chapter 6 beginning in verse 19 and concluding in verse 21, and it reads as this,
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  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,
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  and where thieves break through and steal.
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  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
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  corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
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  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
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  When we look at the word treasure, we begin to see that it's something that
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  we keep carefully, something that we guard, something that has extreme value
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  to us, something that we cherish.
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  Something that we prize as having.
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  And so we carefully make sure that nothing gets a hold of it,
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  that nothing destroys it, that nothing takes it away from us.
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  And in fact, in many cases, we really take careful attention and pay real close
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  attention to get more of whatever it is that we treasure.
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  And so, if you really want to know the condition of your heart,
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  we can begin to look at the things in our lives that we guard most closely.
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  Are you guarding your relationship with Jesus?
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  Do you protect your eyes from seeing things that are ungodly?
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  Do you keep them from seeing things they shouldn't see?
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  Do you close your ears
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  to conversations that are
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  not of god do you close your
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  ears to conversations that are
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  of the world perhaps that
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  use filthy language do you
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  allow yourselves to read and watch things that
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  enter into your home by either the
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  book you were reading or the tv show or the movie that
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  you're watching that you would never otherwise let in you let language into
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  your living room or wherever you are that you would never let in if someone
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  came to your door speaking that way yet we let it in through what we consider harmless.
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  Avenues. But the reality of it is, is what we let in through our eyes and what
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  we let in through our ears, those are the things that are beginning to shape
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  our heart because that's what we're filling our heart with.
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  So the Bible says in 2 Timothy 2.15 that we're to study to show ourselves approved
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  unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
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  And that means we need to know how to divide the word of truth in times of trouble,
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  what we need to use whenever it comes time for us to fight the devil,
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  that we know which pieces of scripture to throw out and when to throw them out.
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  And yes, it means we need to know what the Bible says correctly,
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  but we need to know how to use the Bible with skill and effectiveness.
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  And that only comes from studying his word.
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  When we think about our treasure, it says, For where your treasure is,
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  there will your heart be also.
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  Think about what it is you spend your time and your energy on.
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  I had the privilege of a child, as a child, growing up and playing competitive sports.
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  And I played tennis, and tennis was incredibly important to me.
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  And as a result of that, there was time for it in every day.
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  I rested most generally on Sundays, but every other day, there was time for it.
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  And it took priority over many things in my life, like going out with my friends or staying up late.
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  See, because I wanted to be a well-tuned athlete, and because I wanted to be
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  successful, I was willing to sacrifice other things for it.
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  I learned very quickly in my life that if I want to be close to God,
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  I'm going to have to sacrifice the pleasures of my flesh.
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  That means I might have to give up some stuff that other people think is okay.
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  See, but the Bible says to whom much is given, of much is required.
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  And if I want to have a close, personal walk with Jesus Christ,
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  then I am going to have to offer myself a willing vessel, take up my cross daily
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  and follow him and learn of him.
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  See, I need to know who he is. I need to understand his characteristics.
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  I need to understand how he answers
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  in certain situations, because as a Christian, I am to be Christ-like.
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  As his child, I am to have a relationship with him that knows him and loves
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  him and hears him and reveres him and follows him and listens to his instructions
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  and follows his directions.
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  I need to make room for Jesus.
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  So what I decide to spend my time on will show somebody else what my treasure is.
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  And that treasure is going to be what my heart is committed to.
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  So quickly take an assessment in your 24-hour day.
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  What is it you're spending all your time on is it to sleep every spare moment
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  every opportunity are you sleeping.
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  Is it your work? Is it you've made $100 today? How can I make $101?
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  Oh, I made $110 last week. How can I make $120?
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  See, we often go beyond what our work is and begin to just try to find ways to make money.
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  What can I sell? How can I hustle?
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  What gig can I take on? All that's taking us away from our family.
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  All of that is taking us away from our study of the word.
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  All of that is taking us away from being available for God to use us.
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  Now, that's not to say that God won't use you in your work, but then you'll
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  be trying to give every available time to the Lord.
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  It won't be for the money that work gives you. It'll be for the reward of knowing
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  Jesus and being used of him.
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  It'll be a nomenclature thing. You'll speak of God instead of money.
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  You'll speak of God instead of work.
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  You'll speak of blessings from God instead of rewards.
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  You'll speak of knowing a holy God and being in his presence and having him
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  as your friend and your God and your director, instead of being able to drop
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  names of famous people or higher-ups in your company,
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  your heart will be fixated knowing who God is and allowing him to transform
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  you into who God planned for you to be so that you can live the life of abundance
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  in him that he has planned for you to prosper you and to give you a hope.
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  But it will all be because your heart is fixed. on Jesus.
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  You'll be committed to him and his ways. You'll want to spend money in his work and his service.
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  You won't be trying to figure out how to finagle half of your tithing money,
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  in order to buy the new boat.
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  Or God forbid you bought the boat, now you have to use half your tithing money to pay for the gas.
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  See, none of those things are wrong. Gas isn't bad. Boats are not wrong.
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  It's when they become more to you
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  than God, then they are wrong because he says that he is a jealous God.
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  And he said, thou shalt have no other gods before me. whatever
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  is standing between you and god whatever is standing
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  between you and the service of the lord that's your
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  god and it will never have the
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  power the might the satisfaction the joy
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  the glory and the peace that comes from
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  god almighty through jesus his son if you're trying to figure out what the condition
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  of your heart is is it joyful when you follow god and you follow his way you
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  have a peace that passes understanding and a joy unspeakable and full of glory. And you are joyous.
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  Oh, there might be some troubles and there might be some heartaches,
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  but you have joy unspeakable.
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  What's the last thing on your mind before you go to bed at night?
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  Is it how you're going to make money the next day?
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  How you're going to learn how to win that next game?
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  How you're going to be more popular with your friends? How can I get one more
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  Facebook like? How can I get one more person to follow me?
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  Or is it, what is God going to do with me tomorrow?
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  What will be the adventure as I buckle up with the Holy Spirit that God is going
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  to call me to and send me to tomorrow? sorrow, how am I going to be able to be used of God?
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  Lord, what can I do right now in these last few moments before I lay my head
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  to rest that will enable me to be more usable by you?
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  And do you spend all day long waiting to watch some series on TV?
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  Or do you have this gnawing inside of you, when will I get to read the Word of God again?
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  Are you sitting by a phone waiting for someone to call you
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  when you have at a moment's
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  disposal the king of kings and the
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  lord of lords who's already there knocking on
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  your heart's door wanting to speak to you wanting to be invited into your life
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  wanting to be consulted about what it is that he wants you to do today wanting
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  you to come to him and get your marching orders for the day wanting to bless
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  you and speak to you wanting to provide your every need,
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  wanting to give you companionship and comfort and joy and love and mercy and grace and forgiveness.
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  But yet you never be still and know that he is God.
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  What's the condition of your heart? What is it that you value?
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  You see, it takes more than words to treasure something or someone.
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  It takes commitment, real commitment.
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  It takes devotion and love.
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  If you love Jesus, you will put him in his rightful place, which is the center
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  of your life. you will put him first and foremost.
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  It is my prayer that you know him today and that he is the treasure you hold
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  most dearly, that he is the light of your life.
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  He's the reason you get up and the reason you go to bed.
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  He's the joy of your soul, the laughter of your life, the warmth of your heart
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  and your every dream is wrapped in knowing him more today than you knew him yesterday.
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  Serve Him today with all you have. Honor Him with your life.
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  Sacrifice your flesh for the blessings. Let Jesus control your thoughts,
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  your heart, and your mind.
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  Live for Him today, I pray. Remember you are loved. Jesus loves you.
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  Thank you for joining us for today's podcast. You can find quotes and scripture
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  references from this episode in the show notes.
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  We pray today's message has been a blessing.
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  If it has, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast platform.
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  Your feedback helps others discover the truth of God's word.
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  You can connect with Women at the Well Ministries through our app at watwm.org
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  and on Facebook and Instagram.
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  While you're there, learn more about Bible Bits, Kim's Daily Devotional,
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  delivered Monday through Friday by text message, and the Bible Bit Podcast.
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  Thank you for your prayers and support. Remember, Jesus loves you. You are loved.