Unexpected Response

Have you ever given a gift to someone and they respond coldly to the gift and to you? Or have you done something nice for a person, only to have them diminish your kindness? Sometimes we do something kind for others and the response we receive is not what we expect. Our good intentions can be poorly received.

Psalm 51:15-17 says, “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” God does not delight in religious practices or even good works without our hearts offered to Him. If we humble ourselves and offer Him our hearts, He will be delighted and will bless our good works.

Washing

We tend to think of cleaning our hearts like washing the dishes or the car. We put in a little effort and use the right ingredients and everything turns out clean. However, we can’t do the same thing with our hearts. There are no good works or right amount of good intentions that can erase our sins and clean our hearts. Once the toothpaste is out of the tube you can’t put it back in. When we are born we are born into sin, because the natural inclination to sin is already within us.

Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” No matter how hard we may try, we cannot make our hearts clean. No amount of good works or acts of kindness on our part can cleanse us from the sins we commit. We can only ask God to forgive us and to purify our hearts. Fortunately He has made the provision for our forgiveness by offering His own Son as a sacrifice. The blood of Jesus Christ washes away the sins of those who trust in Him for salvation and redemption. The sacrifice is complete and perfect. We just need to believe in God’s provision and turn away from our sins. When Jesus Christ becomes our Savior and Lord our hearts are made clean.

Wildest Dreams

If you knew that you could accomplish your wildest dreams, what would you dream? Would you dream about obtaining lots of money, finding the perfect job or spouse or both, finding success on your Field of Dreams, retiring on a beach somewhere, or visiting some exotic location? Our dreams are usually somewhat selfish and still require a lot of self-effort and determination.

Ephesians 3:20-21 says, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” The same power that created the universe through His breath is available to us in His Holy Spirit living in those of us who believe in Jesus Christ. What God wants to do in us and through us is more abundant than we have asked or even thought about. But this abundant power will be used for His glory and to accomplish good for people, not for selfish gain. There is no limit to what God wants to do in and through us for His glory. So let’s open our minds and our hearts to allowing God’s power through the Holy Spirit do great things for His glory.

Important Things

Somebody has once said, “Failure is finding out at the end of your life that the things you put your efforts into really didn’t matter.” As you examine where you spent your time and efforts last week, how much of this time and effort will affect eternity and how much was spent on things that have no lasting value? If you were to look at your checkbook or account online, how much have you spent on things of little importance and how much was spent on providing eternal value?

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” God has put eternity into our hearts so that we would desire the things of eternal value. Focus on these things and you will find joy and peace. Failure to seek eternal value will lead us into frustration and hopelessness. If we seek the things with eternal value, we will look back at our lives with satisfaction and joy at the value of what we sought and did in God’s name.

That’s Not What I Meant

I can’t tell you how many times I have been misunderstood. I would bet that we have all experienced this frustration many more times than we would like. People can’t help but judge our motives from what we say and do. But since they don’t know our hearts, their judgments of our intentions is far from infallible. The same is true of us when we try to judge the motives of others from appearances.

I Kings 8:39-40 says, “then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind), that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers.” God alone knows our hearts, so He alone can judge our motives and desires. Our actions may fool some people into believing we are doing good, but God knows and understands what is really going on inside of us. He alone can forgive us when we call upon Him and confess our bad intentions.