I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. (1 Chronicles 29:17)
God cares more about your heart than He does about your actions. Christ’s death on the cross made it possible for us to be made right with God in spite of our actions but not in spite of our hearts.
David was called a man after God’s own heart, and this title was given to him even after his sin with Bathsheba and the assassination of her husband, Uriah. David paid dearly for his sin as he lost the child who was born to him through the affair, and his own family was in turmoil as his son, Absalom, attempted to overthrow the king. However, David’s heart was till turned toward God.
God does not seek perfection out of His followers – He seeks a heart of integrity. Flowing out of a heart of integrity will come actions that are pleasing to the Lord, but as Paul said in Romans 7:25, there are moments in time when our actions don’t align with the desires of our hearts. Deep down, we know that temptation always falls short when it comes to delivering on its promises.
So where is your heart? Is it a heart of integrity that is surrendered to the Lord? Do you have hidden motives and secret agendas that you’ve kept in the dark? God knows what they are. You cannot hide your heart from Him. When we approach God with a pure heart of integrity, He accepts us even when our actions are less than perfect. If we could be perfect, then Christ wouldn’t have had to die.
Father, purify my heart, and remove any offensive ways in it. I want to have a heart of integrity before You. If I have secret motives or hidden agendas, please bring them to light so I can remove them. Let my heart be pleasing to You.
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