Question Of Motives

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!—Romans 11:33

Memory of the Month: John 10:27-28

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Today's reading: 2 CHRONICLES 15-16 JOHN 12:27-50

Question Of Motives

I have fought this question for years-ever since God had this scripture jump off the page at me:

Matthew 22:37-39

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

I stopped and prayed: "Lord, I do not love You the way this scripture tells me to. Show me how-lead me into this".

The questions are always there. Do I love God? Why do I love God? Do I say I love God and do what I do out of a feeling of obligation or do I really act out of love?

The Jewish people would go astray and come under God's judgement and horrible things would happen and they would return to God and repent and He would forgive them and restore them. Did they do this because they suffered so much or because they were really sorry for their sins against God?

God judges motives and He would not forgive unless someone was really sorry for their sins-not just because they got caught and suffered. They had to really return to God in repentance. How can I know this?

In the New American Standard and a few other translations, in 2 Chronicles 15:4,15 it says this: "He let them find Him; and they knew He would let them find Him".

If they knew God would let them find Him, their hearts did not condemn them. But even if our hearts do condemn us, we must know that He is greater than our hearts:

1 John 3:20 ►If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

We must persevere and keep seeking if our hearts condemn us. We must know God will get us to the point where our trust is greater than our doubts:

1 John 3: 21Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God, 22and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.…

The Old Testament believer 'knew God would let them find Him'. In Christ, we must know-no matter how bad we think our sin is-that God will let us find Him. He will let us live in His reality that Christ died for all sin and paid the price. If our motives are pure, He will let us find and live in His reality. His reality lets us live in His peace as we know our love for Him grows-no matter how weak we may think it is.

We are to love God with all we are. If we are truthful(and this is what He wants-our truth before Him)we know we could never love God enough until this life is over and we are with Him. But, we can love him with all we are right now and, with pure motives, we can know that God can always be found-in the middle of our hearts.

So, no matter how bad you think this sin is-the one that haunts you-the secret thing of which you have never spoken-God knows it and and He knows you. Return to Him and know He will let you right into His presence. He knows the burden you carry and wants nothing more than your heart to be free in Him.

Galatians 5:1, NIV: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me God for holding back in fear. Help me each day to be truthful about my motives and to know that you will always welcome me-all the time.

Sweet Lord and kind Father,

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen