Isaiah 35:8 The unclean will not journey on it

• DAY 22 BIBLE READING

Galatians 5- Ephesians 6


• DAY 22 PRAYER DEVOTIONAL

Isaiah 35:8

CLEANSED FROM IDOLS

Tim Keller in his book ‘Counterfeit Gods’ says “What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give. A counterfeit God is anything so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living. An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts,if I have that then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure. There are many ways to describe that kind of relationship to something, but perhaps the best one is worship.”

Are there any things in our hearts that are holding us back as we pursue him. If we have been worshipping other things we need to repent of submitting to those idols of the heart.

What is REPENTANCE ?

Repentance is not an invitation, it is a command . Acts 17:30,31 God commands all men to repent. Repentance is forsaking all known sin. Repentance is :-

THOUGHT - conviction of past sins - The word repent literally means to change one’s mind. It is different from condemnation. Conviction is specific not general.

WORD - confession of past sins - verbal confession requires identifying them and accepting responsibility for them. It means speaking the same as God.

DEED - correction of past sins - restitution -This is necessary for the sake of justice and for the sake of personal guilt . It is also a roadblock to future sin.

As we journey on the highway of holiness the promise of scripture is that it is possible to be cleansed from all unrighteousness – every idol in our hearts. I John 1:9 says ‘ If we confess our sins , he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’


• Lord show me those things, those counterfeit gods that have had the affections of my heart, that have been holding me back in my pursuit of you. I choose you Lord Jesus. I turn from every idol. As you have convicted me of….. so I confess that to you now. Thank you for your forgiveness and your cleansing. I follow you on your highway of holiness.

Keller, T. Counterfeit Gods, xviii