Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The best way


"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

 Psalm 139:23,24

As Christians we know that God looks beyond our actions and sees our heart.   No one else can truly know our hearts.  No one can know our motives and anxieties but this is what David invites God to do.   In addition he ask God to point out his offensive ways and lead him in the way everlasting.  

 Our Bible verses for today would truly be a life changing prayer for all of us don't you agree?   Wouldn't it be amazing if every Christian opened his or her heart to God each morning for God to search and to test?  But more than that wouldn't it transform our lives if each person set their minds and their motives in alignment with God's everlasting ways?

We've all heard the saying "but at least his motives were good."  This is said when we mess up accidentally.   Like when we give money to a person who goes off and uses it for alcohol instead of food to feed his children. Yes sometimes our motives will be good and we will end up doing the wrong thing but if our mind is in tuned with pleasing God first these incidents will be much less.

Most of us however get in trouble with sin when our motives are not pure.

We yell at someone because we want revenge and we feel we have been violated. We venture onto a less than appropriate web site not because "oh.. I don't know how I got here...?"   The problem is our motives which lead to our actions.  

Behind all of these motives is selfishness.  This is the biggest battle of our heart.

Our daily moment by moment battle is whether God and serving others is first and foremost in our heart or if we are most important.  This is the real battle of life isn't it but who wins that battle is going to determine our smallest actions and ultimately our life.

David also asks God to know his anxious thoughts.   These are like our motives but a little different.  As a person we might really want to do the right thing but we are anxious and afraid.  These anxieties can easily effect our actions.   I think David wants to trust in God so much and to love God so much that he will act with integrity each and every moment.

God can be trusted.  God is all powerful and God loves us and God is our great protector.  So if we are praying and asking God to lead us and if we act with integrity and the fear of the Lord (which brings wisdom)  than we can act in full confidence.


To ponder:  Are your actions tainted by your anxieties and selfishness or are they inspired by your unselfish love and trust in God to care for you.  

If your not sure or if you waver back and forth, Perhaps our text for today would be a great prayer. Commit it to memory.  May our love and trust in the Lord rule all of our motives, comfort our fears and lead our actions.  

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