Almighty God Knows Our Hearts and Our Deeds

I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.  Jeremiah 17:10

Our Savior and LORD knows our hearts.  He knows whether we serve out of our love for Him or if we serve out of selfish motives and selfish desires.  In Revelations 3:7-11, we see Jesus Christ addressing the church in Philadelphia.  He tells them in verse 8 - "I know your deeds."  We may be able to hide our true motives and deeds from others, but never will we be able to hide our true motives and deeds from our Savior and LORD.  Scripture reveals to us that our actions flow from what is truly in our hearts.  What does Jesus see in your heart today?  

Our motives, efforts, and works should flow out of our love for our LORD and our desire to bring Him all honor, glory, and praise.  We must at all times keep our hearts in check and keep ourselves humbled before our LORD or pride will enter our lives.  Prayerfully ask God to reveal your true heart.  Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it - Proverbs 4:23

When we see Almighty God for who He truly is, "holy and true" - verse 7, we are able to see ourselves as we truly are; nothing without Him; a sinner saved by grace.  Without the anointing and strength provided by our LORD, we will be unable to send treasures to Heaven.  Matthew 6:20 - But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  Our motives, efforts, and works which we do out of our selfish desires and for selfish gain will be worthless and will never enter Heaven's gate. 

We read in Revelation 3:10 Jesus commending the church in Philadelphia for "enduring patiently."  This church was able to endure patiently because they had built the foundation of their lives on Jesus Christ.  Where have you built your foundation?  All earthly things will pass away.  The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever - 1 John 2:17.  When we build our lives upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, we will be able to endure patiently the many things which we will encounter as we travel towards our Heavenly Home.

There will come a day when all our motives and all our deeds will be brought to light.  They will be revealed as done unto our LORD or for selfish gain.  When the day comes, will your motives and your deeds reveal that your ultimate desire was to bring honor and glory to Almighty God?  1 Corinthians 4:5 - He will bring to light what is hidden in the darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.  At that time each will receive their praise from God. 

Just as the church at Philadelphia kept the commands of Christ and continued to endure as they traveled toward their Heavenly Home, we must do the same.  Let us set our minds on things above, on eternity.  We must place Heaven's priorities into daily practice.  Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things - Colossians 3:1-2.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Words and Your guidance.  Help us LORD to desire to place our minds on things above - things of eternal value.  Anoint us to serve You out of our love for You, precious LORD.  I pray that our words and our deeds bring You honor, glory, and praise.  In Jesus Name I Pray...Amen.

Distracted By Acts of Service

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!"  Luke 10:40

In Luke 10:38-42, we read the account of two women and the choices they made when Jesus visited their home.  Martha chose to be busy with her acts of service and Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus.  She desired to listen to the Living Word.  Scripture tells us that Martha was distracted.  She allowed her busyness (acts of service) to take away from precious time she could be spending with Jesus, the Messiah.  She wasn't doing anything bad, but she had allowed other things to take priority over spending time in the presence of her LORD.  Prayerfully search your heart. Have you become as Martha and allowed your acts of service to take priority over spending intimate time in God’s presence?

When you and I become distracted by our acts of service, we will miss divine moments with our Savior and LORD.  He desires an intimate, personal relationship before all else.  God has things He desires to reveal to us when we spend time in His presence.  The busyness of our acts of service can drown out the voice of our LORD if we are not careful to place our time with Him as a priority in our lives.  Our acts of service must have the anointing of our LORD, and without spending time in His presence, we will not have the anointing and the strength which Almighty God provides for His children. 

Examine your life today.  What are your priorities?  What Martha was doing wasn't bad, but it wasn't what was best.  Jesus told Martha, "Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" - Luke 10:42.  Nothing or no one can take away what Almighty God provides you during the intimate time you spend in His presence.  Lamentations 3:25 - The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.  As you spend time in the presence of your Savior and LORD, you begin to grow in your faith walk.  The fruit of the spirit becomes evident in your life.  This enables us to carry out our acts of service in a worshipful manner that will bring honor and glory to our Savior and LORD. 

We demonstrate our love and devotion for our LORD by spending time in His presence.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength - Deuteronomy 6:5.  Spending time in God's presence, reading His Word and praying, provides us with a peace that is unexplainable.  Spending time in the presence of Almighty God will increase our faith and provide us with joy.  We will never come to a place in our faith walk where we will regret the time we spend with our LORD. 

I encourage you today - do not choose just what is good.  Choose what is best.  First spend time in the presence of your Savior and LORD and then allow everything else to flow from your intimate, personal relationship with Him.  Make sure your relationship with your Heavenly Father takes precedence over your acts of service. 

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that our personal time in Your presence will be a priority in our lives.  Help us LORD to choose what is best.  Anoint us to live a life that brings You honor, glory, and praise.  In Jesus Name I pray.....Amen.