God Sees the Heart

What a beautiful piece of music, beautiful words, beautiful instrumental, beautiful scenery. God certainly blesses us with abundant opportunity to praise His name, praise His creation, and all that He's given to us to enjoy. It's a blessing to have that music. Nice to be here with all of you.

And as I think I mentioned earlier, such a beautiful day outside. I got out this morning and thought, you know, I wouldn't mind just having church outside today. Just such a glorious day, and here at the end of November, it's probably not going to be a whole lot more like this. I hope we take the opportunity to enjoy it.

As a minister of Jesus Christ, one of my favorite activities, frankly, over time has been baptism counseling. There's a number of things that I get to participate in, different types of counseling, different types of ceremonies. All are important, all are necessary, but for me, baptism counseling has been one of my favorite activities as a minister because it's a special time. It's a time I get to sit down with people who are desirous to make a covenant relationship with God.

And as you maybe can imagine, people are assessing their life. They're thinking about maybe where they came from. You know, some people grew up in the church, had certain experiences. Others did not grow up in the church, had other experiences. And yet it's a time where life is considered and a relationship with God is considered. And different aspects are covered, repentance, obviously being a key critical point. But what's interesting is oftentimes during the course of counseling, there are some deep and personal matters that come up for discussion. And depending on that person's, again, life experiences along the way, there's real issues of the heart that are often included in that mix as well. And so as you can maybe imagine, some of the conversations can be quite intimate. But in some ways, I find it rewarding to be able to have a very deep and personal connection with someone in that way. Now, one of the important concepts that usually will be covered, and I bring that up probably either the first or second Bible study baptism counseling that we'll have together, is God's ability to see the heart. It's such an important point. God's ability to look at us, look beyond the exterior, and to see what is going on in the heart. And we discuss that issue because the heart and what is taking place there is of the utmost importance to God. The heart, as it's portrayed in the scriptures, is usually not just the beating of that mechanism in our chest that pumps blood through our circulatory system. In fact, that's generally not the reference to the heart as we see it portrayed in the scripture.

It's most often portrayed as a person's innermost moral and spiritual character. You know, it's their core. It's the inner essence of who and what they are and what motivates their thoughts, their actions, their words, what it is that's going on deep down inside, again, in the heart.

And in so many ways, our personal desires and motivations stem from the heart. And eventually what's happening in the heart is going to be seen on the external, again through our actions and our words. Jesus Christ brought this principle to light in Luke chapter 6, if you'll join me there, Luke chapter 6, and in verse 43, again, the principle of what's happening underneath is eventually going to be what comes out to the surface. Luke chapter 6 and verse 43, Jesus says, For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. You know, it's just you don't expect to find one type of fruit on another tree. What is going to be produced is what comes from that tree. Verse 45, he says, A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks. Again, eventually, the things that we say, the things that we do, they're driven by our inner impulses, by the motivations that we hold deep down inside in our heart, and they ultimately come out as outward manifestations, but again, of what lies at the inner core. And so the heart is so important. Proverbs chapter 4 and verse 23 admonishes us to keep your heart with all diligence. It says keep it, and that's a very important word, keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life.

In other words, guard your heart, stand watch over your heart, protect it, keep it, because life issues come forth from the heart. The decisions you'll make in life come forth from what is happening in the motivations of the heart, and ultimately it will direct the course of your life.

The Bible reveals to us that there are a number of things that can take place in the heart. The heart is where character changes and character growth happen for us all. The heart is a source from where love and compassion springs forth. Again, it's seen in the outward manifestation, but it comes from ultimately deep inside what it is that we have towards others in love and compassion. The heart is also where bitterness and anger can take root, springing into actions as well. And as the Bible says, those elements of bitterness and anger defile a person. The heart is also where the secret motives are hidden out of sight, because we can put on a good front, we can put on a display, and people can see who they think they see, but not necessarily always realize what is underneath in the heart. The heart is where sorrow is made manifest, leading to repentance. On the day of Pentecost, when Peter stood up and said, you crucified the Christ, those Jews who were gathered around were pricked in their heart, and they said, men and brethren, what shall we do? How do we make this right? How do we recover from this? And the answer was repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. It was the sorrow made manifest leading to repentance. From the heart as well is where the spiritual changes take place, taking us from the carnal man to the stature of the fullness of Jesus Christ, the righteousness of God. And I recently heard a sermon where the minister said, you know, the carnal nature never really goes away because we're human beings, but you learn to rule over it, that it should not rule over you. You know, by God's Spirit, we rule over the carnal nature that we struggle against all our life. And so the heart is very important. It's where God looks to determine the true nature of a man or a woman and to see who and what we truly are. And again, what is going on in the heart is what God is most interested in. And actually what he scrutinizes most intently. We can see this concept clearly brought out in the Bible at the anointing of the second king of Israel. You know, Saul, as you remember, was the first physical king of Israel, but he failed miserably in that position because his heart before God was not steady.

He was pulled to and fro. He always sought to serve the people first rather than serving God first. And as a result, he was removed in his position given to another. Let's go to 1 Samuel chapter 16. 1 Samuel 16. We see God sending Samuel to anoint the next king, the one who would replace Saul. And it's in this account we find a very telling statement regarding the heart.

1 Samuel chapter 16 and verse 1. It says, Now the Lord said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing that I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Go, fill your horn with oil. I'm sending you to Jesse, the Bethlehemite, for I have provided myself a king among his sons.

2 Samuel said, How can I go, for if Saul hears that he will kill me? The Lord said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.

3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell you what you shall do. You shall anoint for me the one I name to you.

So Samuel did what the Lord said, and he went to Bethlehem, and the elders of the town trembled at his coming. And they said, Do you come peaceably? And he said, Peaceably, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves. Come with me to the sacrifice. Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice. So it was when they had looked, excuse me, so it was when they came, he, being Samuel, looked at Eliab, and he said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him. You know, surely this is the one. He looked on him and made that assumption.

Verse 7, But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance, or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. The Lord looks out the heart. Very important principle for us to remember, because you see, as human beings, we tend to judge the worth of other people at a glance. Don't we? We sum people up so quickly. We see their outward appearance, and very quickly we determine whether they measure up to, you know, somebody that we think is worthy of our respect, right, our interaction, our admiration, whatever it might be. And if they're tall, if they're good-looking, if they're well-built, if they're dressed well, we tend to think, Now there's a respectable person. There's a good person. There's a person of character and a leader.

And that's essentially what Israel did with Saul. If you go back and read the story, Saul was head and shoulders above everybody else. I mean, he stood out as great stature in Israel. He said he was more handsome than anybody else on the block. So when people looked at him, they thought, This is the man we want to lead us. Tall, handsome, and, you know, why would you choose anybody else? And so that was their choice. King Saul, when he was a disaster, as we know the story, truly was a disaster from the heart.

The problem with evaluating the outside of a person only is that you can't discern their true nature. Samuel saw Jesse's eldest son and said, Surely this is the one, but God said, No, I see the heart.

I've not chosen him. Earlier in the book of Samuel, 1 Samuel 13, we'll come back to 1 Samuel 16, but let's just pick up quickly 1 Samuel 13 and verse 14. Here we see that God revealed to Samuel who he was looking for. What his character traits would be. 1 Samuel 13 and verse 14. Here is where Saul is now going to have the kingdom taken from him. Samuel, speaking to Saul, says, But now your kingdom shall not continue.

The Lord has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over his people because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. Tells us that God was looking for someone after his own heart, which meant he wanted someone who would be faithful, someone that would look to God, put God first, and trust in him in his ways, and ultimately had a heart that was desirous to be reconciled to God.

Again, to put him first. Now, if we go back to 1 Samuel chapter 16, we're going to remember that that determination couldn't be by the outward stature because what God wanted was from the heart, the core inner motivations that determined who the next king would be. For Samuel 16, again picking up in now verse 7, it says, But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. The Lord does not see his man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Verse 8, So Jesse called Benadab, and man said, And made him pass before Samuel, and he said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. Then Jesse made Shema pass by, and then he said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one.

And thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen these. God could see the inner motivation and being of each one as they pass before him. Verse 10, thus Jesse again made his seven, the Lord has not chosen these. Verse 11, And Samuel said to Jesse, Are all the young men here?

And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep. You know, just the kid out in the field. Really didn't think it was that important to bring him in. After all, you're looking for a king, aren't you?

Samuel said to Jesse, Send and bring him, for we will not sit down till he comes here. Says, I can wait. I can wait. Verse 12, So he sent and brought him in.

Now he was ruddy with bright eyes, good looking, and the Lord said, Arise, anoint him, for this is the one. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose and went to Ramon. God had found his man. Right? He'd found the one that would be the next king of Israel, the one after his own heart, but he did not do so by looking at what was on the outside. He did so by looking at what was manifest in the heart of David on the inside.

Again, appearances can be deceiving. Goutward appearance doesn't really define a person's character, their integrity, their faithfulness. We do understand that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks, and by their fruits you will know them. So there are things that become openly evident from the heart, but again, really getting down into the deep issues of the heart is something that we really aren't qualified for in the way that God is.

Outward qualities are superficial. They're skin deep, but what God looks to is to the substantial and to the heart. In our lives today, God doesn't look at us in the same manner that we look at one another. You know, again, it's quick to look at somebody else and size them up and make a judgment, but God doesn't look at us in that same standard from the outward appearance, and for us that can be a great relief because we know that God doesn't misjudge us. God doesn't, you know, missusess or misunderstand what's going on. He won't misjudge our heart. So that can be an incredible relief to know that is true, and yet in the other sense, this concept can also be frightening because we do come to know just how clearly God sees us and how true and accurate His view into our heart really is. As it pertains to baptism counseling, the point I make clear is that God knows whether we're repentant or not, or whether we're submissive to Him or not as we come up to baptism, and the difference between receiving God's Spirit at baptism or just getting wet from head to toe, and that's it, depends on the heart, and it is God who sees the heart. And so again, this could be a bit frightening to us. It's interesting when you consider that the most intimate relationship you will ever have in this life is not with your spouse.

My wife and I have been married 26 years. I would consider us very close, but you know what? And there's a lot of things we know about each other, but the most intimate relationship you will have in this life is not with your spouse. You've maybe watched reality TV shows or certain stories where you had a person that had a family in more than one place, and the spouse didn't have a clue.

They said for 20 years I had no idea when he was gone or she was gone across the country on on these business trips, that there was a family over there. In cases that it's gone on 10, 20, 30 years, the spouse says, you know, I had no clue. The most intimate relationship you will ever have in this life is not with your parents nor your children. The most intimate relationship you will ever have is with your God because he knows you and he knows me and he can see us so very intimately. And you know what, brethren? That can be both encouraging and frightening at the same time. Let's notice a few scriptures that confirm this point. 1 Chronicles chapter 28. 1 Chronicles chapter 28. Just how deeply can God see us? 1 Chronicles chapter 28 and verse 9. This is David acknowledging Solomon as the one who will be the next king and the one who will build the temple for God. 1 Chronicles chapter 28 and verse 9 says, as for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your fathers. You know, get to know him. Establish that relationship and serve him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind. For the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent and the thoughts. He says, if you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. You know, God doesn't just sort of know our heart.

He searches our heart. He probes our heart. He looks into the deepest recesses of what is going on in our heart, and he searches us out. And it even says that he understands the intent behind our thoughts. And that's pretty deep. Because sometimes, you know, I've done it. I've stood around in conversation with people, and this thought pops into my head, and before I've headed it off at the pass, it's come out of my mouth, and it's sort of like, what were you thinking?

And somebody else might think, yeah, what were you thinking? Well, the question is, what were you thinking? But you see, the answer is God actually knows the motivation behind what were you thinking. He's back a step even beyond that. And that's an intensely intimate relationship.

And I say it could even cause us, perhaps, to squirm in our chair a bit, to know that God knows us that well. And yet it's for our ultimate good.

First Kings chapter 8, verse 38. First Kings 8 and verse 38. This is now Solomon's built the temple, and now there's the prayer of dedication at the temple before God. First Kings chapter 8 and verse 38. Here, Solomon says, whatever prayer, excuse me, this is, yes, this is Solomon, what whatever prayer, he says, whatever supplication is made by anyone or by all your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart and spreads out his hands toward this temple, he says, then here in heaven your dwelling place. You know, God's presence, the glory of God resided in the temple in the holy of holies, but the presence of God was in heaven on his throne at his dwelling place. So he's saying, whenever anybody prays towards this temple or repents or acknowledges anything towards this temple, verse 39, that here it in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and give to everyone according to all his ways, notice whose heart you know, for you alone know the hearts of all the sons of men. Verse 40, that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers. We come back again then to God alone knows the hearts of all mankind.

And we think we know other people, and to a degree maybe we do, if we've had a long-term, intimate, deep relationship with them, but there are things in the deepest recesses that I would say only God knows, and only God can make that judgment, and we might wonder why. Why would we be aware of that? Why would we know that? God can see me in a way that no one else can.

Well, the answer was that they may fear God, that you and I may fear God, that we would reverence Him and acknowledge His greatness and our insignificance, that they may know that God knows.

Again, to me, I'm looking through this this week, and I'm thinking, well, this is kind of an uncomfortable subject, to be honest, to know that God knows what nobody else knows, as God sees us, to know that God knows, and that would motivate our ways to change, again, not just in appearance or lip service, but from the heart, from the inside out. If the heart of a person is proud and lifted up, God knows it. If the heart of a person is meek and humble and desires to serve Him, God knows it. And in fact, God knows us even better than we know ourselves. Jeremiah 17, verse 9.

Kind of an incredible concept. Maybe I could say, you know what? The most intimate relationship I will ever have in life is with me. Is that even true? I would say God knows us better than we know ourselves. Jeremiah 17, verse 9. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

Who could know it? You know, who could know it? Can you know it? Can I know it? As human beings, we can oftentimes deceive even ourselves as to what our true motivations are, because we're very good at justifying things in our own sight. Right? We're very good at making excuses for why, well, maybe something's okay. This isn't really a problem because of X, Y, or Z, or consider the circumstance. And in our own head, we can kind of do this runaround to justify why what we're doing isn't wrong or whatever it might be. I'm not just trying to paint a negative brush on this, but the fact is, we can even fool ourselves with our own thinking. But there's someone who will not be fooled. Verse 10 says, I the Lord search the heart. I test the mind even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. So God searches us in order to be fair. In my mind, that's another way of putting this. If he's searching us to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings, God is searching us in order to be fair, in order to allow us to receive that which we deserve. The Hebrew word for mind in verse 10 literally means kidneys. It might seem a little strange to us. Why would we read from God, I test the kidneys? And what's the kidneys have to do with anything? Well, mind is a good English translation to kind of give us the concept, but the fact is kidneys is a reference to our most, in that sense, secret parts. Those parts of us that are hidden deep down that nobody sees. It's the concept of peering into the depth and the innermost parts of our being to see what's there.

So God is going to search out the hidden motives of our innermost being before he hands us the just reward of our ways. And again, that can be encouraging or frightening, depending what's happening within our heart. Ultimately, eternal life is what he desires to give us. And the blessing of his Son, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and what we come under under baptism, my point isn't a grace sermon today, but we understand upon recognition of these things and repentance, the blessing that God's extends. But this is kind of intrusive.

And as Americans, we have a right to privacy and we'll demand our right to privacy. And all I can say is when I look at the Bible, many of the rights that we live under under physical governments, and I'm glad we have certain rights under physical governments, but they sort of tend to all go out the window if we're standing before God trying to claim our rights. This is intrusive, and yet God intends this process to be intrusive. It's all out there before him. It's in the open, nothing hidden from his sight. And so none of us can escape that examination. None of us can hope that maybe God isn't looking, or just kind of keep your focus over there. God, I'll work on it. I'll get it back in order, and then you can pay attention to me again, and we kind of hope that he forgets the check on us. Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 13 tells us that there is no creature hidden from his sight. No creature hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Naked and open. That's pretty exposed. When I was a kid, I used to have this reoccurring nightmare. Maybe you've had something similar, and I think it lasted into my early adulthood. It's probably been 25-30 years since I've had this dream, but I used to have this dream that I was naked in a public place, and there was nowhere I could go to hide. It was usually like, you know, a coliseum or a circus. You had the inner ring, and I was out there, and the stadium was full of people, and you're kind of... I'm kind of going along the edge just looking for the exit door, but there was none. Just out there and exposed, nothing hidden. Nowhere to hide. Likewise, brethren, there is nowhere that we can hide who and what we are from God. It's all there in the open for him, and again, it's an intimate, intimate relationship which may at times cause us to squirm, to be a little uncomfortable, but it is a blessing, and it is for our good and ultimately our salvation.

So what is God looking for when he scrutinizes us, when he probes, when he searches so deeply? What is God looking for when he searches us out? What is he hoping to find? Why does he want to find it? Well, again, I would say just as the case of King David, God is looking for men and women after his own heart. That's what he's searching for. That's what he's probing for. Is this a person after my own heart who will do my will, whom I can give my spirit to, who will fulfill my purpose?

God created mankind in his own image for a very special purpose, and ultimately God intends that we develop a heart like his. That inner nature, that inner character. And I hadn't really thought of it in this context until working on this message, but you know, God has a heart.

It's not a physical beating, pumping blood we know. God is spirit. But God has innermost motivations, desires. There's things in the core being of God that come back to his nature and his character. And what he is looking for in us is that we would be as he is.

And the blessing is that he gives us the help and the ability to be as he is, and to get there as well. For those who have come under the sacrifice of Jesus Christ through baptism, God has given us his Holy Spirit. And by that spirit dwelling in us, God interacts with us, helping us to develop the same kind of heart that he has. The book of Peter refers to what we have allowed into our life by God's Spirit. It refers to it being partakers of the divine nature. Right? The divine nature being God, the partakers being us. And the point is, it's partaking of that nature which God is, and allowing it to come and live within us by his Spirit, and to change us, and to mold our heart to become as he is. Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 33 tells us that through the New Covenant relationship, God writes his laws on our minds and on our hearts, making us his people, and him our God.

And the sign of that covenant is what?

It's the giving of the Spirit, but it's also ultimately a circumcised heart. It's being cut to the heart. It's having that change in our innermost being. So in light of those things, brethren, who better to trust with the work of our heart than the one who knows best our heart in the first place? It can be easy to turn and run away, easy to want to withdraw and hide, or kind of shut God out, but what God is doing is heart work unto salvation. And I would just ask again, who better to trust with the work of our heart than the one who best knows our heart in the first place?

Who won't be fooled, who best understands what it is that we need?

Notice King David's prayer in this regard, Psalm 139 verse 23.

Psalm 139 verse 23, David, again, a man after God's own heart, wasn't perfect. Right? We know David made some pretty big mistakes.

Using his position as king to commit adultery with someone and then having her husband killed is a pretty big mistake. We might say, well, how could it be a man after God's own heart?

He wasn't when he was doing those things, but I would just say that something about David was, he always desired to be right with God. And when he was willing now to acknowledge his sin, yes, it was a big sin, but David repented big as well. Never desired to be cut off in that relationship with God. So let's notice David's prayer, Psalm 139 and verse 23.

David says, Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxieties. And see if there's any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. This is a bold prayer.

It's a bold prayer. It's an honest prayer, and I would say it's a necessary prayer, as difficult as it may be. David asked God to search his heart to try him, to test him, and to see what's there. And I would just ask, how anxious are we to pray that prayer?

To ask God to actually try us to see what's there, and how ready are we to respond when God actually does that and reveals something to us? How ready are we to take what he reveals and then act on it?

That's the deep and difficult heart work that we've been called to.

Now, in one sense, this prayer is asking God to go ahead and reveal something which he already knows.

Right? Nothing escapes God. David knew that. So this is actually a prayer, asking God to reveal to us what he already knows about us so that we understand it clearly. And then we can go to work making that change. David knew God already knew all these things. Back in verse 1 of Psalm 139, David says, O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down. You are acquainted with all my ways, for there is not a word on my tongue. But behold, O Lord, you know it all together.

Again, God already knows everything there is to know about us. And so in light of that, we should never come to the point that we're afraid to come before God and to seek his intervention and to actually open up to him of our acknowledgement of those things. I think sometimes it can be easy to say, well, you know, I've messed up and I really don't feel like I should... I'm not good. I shouldn't go before God. He's a holy God. And I'll just kind of work on it over here. I'll straighten it up. And when I'm in a little better standing, then I'll go to God. And I would just encourage us all the time that maybe we feel like turning and running from God is actually the time that he wants us to draw near to him. Don't ever think that. God doesn't know if I don't tell him.

God knows he's waiting for us to acknowledge in our heart and to seek the help he has to offer.

And so David understood these things. The fact is, you and I are blessed beyond measure to be in a covenant relationship with a God who knows what goes on within our hearts and minds and stands ready to assist us in the heart work because he knows what needs to take us from here to a man or woman after his own heart. And he says, I've given you my spirit and my presence is in you that I might help you to reach that potential. It's such a wonderful thing.

As God's people, we should be praying for God to help us see our own heart as clearly as he sees it.

Because we can deceive ourselves once again, we can sort of just turn to blind eye to certain things, but God sees those things and part of a bold prayer is to ask God to see, help us see our heart as clearly as he sees it. We should be praying for the guidance and the help and the continual heart work that never stops. That is always an ongoing process. I've spent a bit of time over the last few weeks, I keep thinking about Mr. Pendergast's sermonette a few weeks ago that is good good enough that we say, okay, I've reached a point, I'm good. That's good enough.

Or is not in fact God working with us to not just be good, but to be great and excellent in his family and in his kingdom. And it's a continual process until we come to the stature of the fullness of Jesus Christ. And I'll admit, I'm not there. So the work continues.

David, who was a man after God's own heart, knew the importance of relying on God for that continual heart assessment. Psalm chapter 26 in verse 2. Psalm 26 in verse 2, if you research the word heart, it's mentioned more in the book of Psalms than any other place in the Bible.

David understood the heart work that God desired him to do, and ultimately all of us as well.

Psalm chapter 26 in verse 2, David said, examine me, O Lord, and prove me. Try my mind and my heart.

Again, he's asking God to put his heart to the test to see what he finds.

I don't know how much bolder a person could get on their knees before God.

The New Living Translation puts this in even stronger terms. New Living Translation, Psalm 26 verse 2, says, put me on trial, Lord. Put me in the hot seat. Put me on the witness stand.

Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart.

How strongly do you think you or I could feel comfortable approaching God with that? You know, God, give it your best shot. Take a look. See what you can find. Put me in the hot seat. Test me. Try me. See if you find any wickedness within me.

And then where are we in terms of how we would respond and what God would offer us to see? I think it's an interesting look into scriptures. There's a lot of scriptures I didn't put into my sermon, and I'll just say I kind of made my own self nervous, if I can be frank with you this week, as I prepared my sermon and looked at this just thinking, how deeply intimate our relationship with God truly is. If I were to ask God to try me, to test me, to prove me in that way, right now at this moment I'd probably say, God, let me go praying fast and get some things in order, and I'll be back. But He calls us to be at that state continually, or at least striving for it, and our purpose before Him. It's self-examination that we're engaged in. It's something that doesn't just happen at baptism or Passover. It's ongoing what God has called us to. It's important to remember that God doesn't peer into our heart in order to condemn us, and that's not His purpose at all. God actually peers into our heart in order to bring us to a point of salvation, because He is a loving Father, and we are His children, and He wants us in His family forever. God looks into the heart for the character that we must be building to be prepared, to be a part of His family. So again, what kind of traits does God want to find when He looks at our heart? I'm going to give you a very quick list.

Not all by any means, but I have seven here. Maybe seven is the number of completeness. We'll just keep it at that, and you can explore further. I'm going to give you one Scripture for each point, and you can look them up later. What kind of traits does God want to find when He looks at our heart?

Well, God wants to find a heart that seeks Him, a heart that seeks after Him.

And you can go look up 2 Chronicles chapter 15 verse 12 and 13, a heart that seeks Him.

Second point, God wants to find a heart that follows Him once He is found. If you're going to seek God, if He's going to make Himself known, are you going to follow what He reveals and who He reveals He is? God is seeking a heart that follows Him once He is found. 1 Kings chapter 14 verse 7 and 8. Number 3, God seeks a heart that is obedient to Him. Quite similar to following, but even more detailed, I would say. A heart that is obedient to Him. Deuteronomy chapter 26 verse 16. And as you look at these scriptures, they say things like, you know, a people who obey God with all their heart, with all their mind, with all their strength. It's from the innermost being outward. Number 4, God desires a heart that trusts Him.

Human beings can kind of stomp on the trust we might extend to one another, and yet we are in a very intimate and vulnerable position, I would say, in what God sees because He is looking. We need to have a heart that responds to Him in trust, that He is working out in us what He desires for our good. That's Proverbs chapter 3 verse 5 and 6. A heart that trusts Him.

Point 5, God desires a heart that fears Him in a proper way. Reverences Him, puts Him first. Psalm 86, 11. Number 6, God desires to find a heart that praises Him, that rejoices in this relationship, that desires it, that knows who God is and who we are by comparison, and our heart rejoices and prays before God. Psalm 86 verse 12.

And finally, number 7, God is looking for a heart that loves Him. He loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die on our behalf that we might be reconciled to Him, and He's looking for a heart that loves Him in return. Deuteronomy chapter 30 in verse 6. Brethren, God who knows the heart knows the good that is in our heart today, and He also knows the areas in our heart and our inner motivations that need improvement as well. But this isn't meant to be a downer sermon. This is meant to be actually an encouragement, because He is our Creator God. He created us for greatness in His family, and He wants us to be there. He's given us of His very spirit and essence so that we can. And He works with us along the way. Don't ever be afraid to come before Him, asking Him to show you the things that you need to see in love, and then be willing to take those things and go work on them and to improve.

And when we do stumble, don't be afraid to return to God for His help once again. Grateful for the opportunity to develop a heart that is more like His.

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life. I believe David's prayer in Psalm 51, verse 10, should be our continual prayer. It's a whole chapter of repentance following His acknowledgement of a sin with Bathsheba, and against Uriah, her husband. Psalm 51, verse 10, David says, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me. And renew a steadfast spirit in me. He was at the depths of despair over acknowledgement of what He had done, what that sin had done to hurt individual people's lives, and what it had done to create a breach between Him and God. And He just cried out to God, Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

It was a prayer of repentance, and it was a prayer that just laid everything out before the one He had the most intimate relationship possible with.

So, brethren, the God who looks at our heart knows how to answer that prayer in the life of each and every one of us in the most perfect way. Don't ever run from Him. Don't ever hide from Him. All things are open before Him. That is not a handicap. That is a blessing.

God who has called us to be His children in His kingdom desires a people who have a heart like His.

And God searches our hearts, and He searches our minds in order to bring us to a place that we are, His children, in the image of His very character in His heart. Have a wonderful Sabbath.