What's In Your Heart?

1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Just as God does not look simply at how much we give, but rather at whether we give out of our plenty or our necessity, neither does He look simply at what we do, but rather at why we do it. Each comes from the heart, and will either make the gift acceptable, or unacceptable, to God.

Acts 5
v.1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.
v.2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
v.3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?
v.4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

The move of God was sweeping the city of Jerusalem and people were giving out of a spirit of compassion for the members of their new-found family of God. The apostles were at the heart of things, so they became the de facto center of authority, as Moses did millenia earlier, until others could be selected and assigned given tasks.

We know the story here: Ananias, as well as his wife, Sapphira, both agreed to follow the same action that others were taking, but did so with the motivation of looking good in men's eyes, not from the compassion of the Father's heart.

Acts 8
v.21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
v.22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.

Philip was a ground-breaker. He preached the gospel in a city in Samaria, and people started believing in Jesus as the way of salvation. Word went back to Jerusalem and the apostles sent Peter and James to look into whether this could actually be happening. It turns out that it was indeed a move of God, and the apostles prayed for the new converts to receive the Holy Ghost. One of the new converts, Simon, a former sorcerer, wanted to be able to impart the Spirit of God to others as well, but Peter rebuked him because of the state of his heart. It was not for what he wanted to do, but for the reason he wanted to do it.

1 Chronicles 29:17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.

The events of the day, the circumstances you are in, will bring thoughts and feelings to our awareness. Don't react as Adam and Eve did when they drew from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and feel shame, trying to hide. Draw instead from the tree of life, understanding that we all share these same thoughts and feelings, so you are in good company, and that God already knows them all, so you have no image to keep up, and the Word made life by the Spirit, is what gives us the discernment to know what to bring to God as a burnt offering.

Hebrews 4
v.12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
v.13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Father God, thank You for Your grace and love which does not draw back from the work of cleansing and separating and renewing in our hearts and lives that we require. Thank You that You valued us enough to make a way for our salvation, before we were willing, or able, to return Your love. Thank You that when Your work in our life “stirs up the pot,” You are not afraid of what surfaces, nor are You offended, nor do You draw back in disgust or embarrassment. Help us to stand and give You permission to separate those things that are unlovely and unloving from our heart, so that we are cleaner, more transparent, and more capable of, and willing to, show the coming of Your Son, Jesus, Who bears Your nature, to the world around us. Be glorified, Lord, for You are worthy!

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