He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
(Acts 11:23)
A WORD ON CLEAVING TO THE LORD (2)

Observe, they are exhorted with purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord. A distracted heart is the bane of a Christian. When my heart is filled with Christ, I have no heart or eye for the trash of the world. If Christ is dwelling in your heart by faith, it will not be the question, “What harm is in this or that?” Rather, Am I doing this for Christ? Can Christ go along with me in this? Do not let the world come in, and distract your thoughts. It makes many promises it cannot fulfil. The fact is, your hearts are too big for the world, it cannot fill them; they are too little for Christ, for He fills heaven; yet will He fill you to overflowing.
Observe again, it is to the Lord they were to cleave: not to duty or law but to the Lord. He knew how treacherous the heart was, and how soon it would put anything in His place. You will have to learn what is in your heart. Abide with God and you will learn your heart with Him, and under His grace; else you will have to learn it with the devil through His successful temptations. But God is faithful, and if you have been getting away from Him, and other things have been coming in and forming a crust around your heart, and you want to get back again, God says, I must have you deal with it, and get rid of it.
However careless you may have been, however far you may have got away from Him, return to Him. Doubt not His joy in having you back; count upon His love; look with horror at the sin which led you away, but do not wrong Him by distrusting His love, any more than you would wrong an affectionate husband or wife, by throwing a doubt on their love. Hate yourself, but remember how He has loved you, and will love you until the end. Mistrust not His work: mistrust not His love.

J.N. Darby

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Culled from The LORD is near daily devotional 2013.
www.dailydevotionalsonline.com