Dear SCC & Friends,
He weighs our motives. ~Proverbs 16:2
Reflection #185
Our motives, whether hidden or obvious, reveal the internal issues of the heart. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight. O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. ~Ps. 19:12 I once shared with a friend how bad I felt about “inadvertently” hurting my wife’s feelings. She had asked about a Christmas budget… we were broke, and my reaction made her feel bad for even asking. I explained to my friend, “That’s not my heart, and I had no intention of making her feel bad.” We were walking and he stopped, looked at me and said, “Too bad your heart doesn’t do her any good.” That word hit me like a ton of bricks. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives. ~Prov. 16:2 When I got home, I apologized, and she graciously forgave me. We prayed together to have a great Christmas regardless of money or circumstances. Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. ~Ps. 19:12 The following day an unexpected check came in the mail from my brother in South Korea. It turns out we were never broke… I just thought we were.
God will meet you where you are in order to take you where He wants you to go. ~Tony Evans~ Outward conformity and visible performance can be a far cry from inward reality and integrity. It’s always been a problem for the people of God and is addressed throughout Scripture. This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. ~Matt. 15:8 Modern life and the drive for success make it easy to have mixed motives… how to get ahead or “be a winner” … a quid pro quo mentality in life… “You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours” … An overly pragmatic approach to life and relationships will emphasize fairness over sacrifice and love. Our upward call is to know, love and serve God with all our heart, mind strength and soul and to love our neighbor as ourselves. The Lord sees it all and works from the inside out… as deep calls unto deep… a call to truth in our innermost being… Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. ~Prov. 4:23 Keep up the good work!
He is with us always,
Kevin