“AS for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, AND SERVE HIM WITH A LOYAL HEART AND WITH A WILLING MIND; FOR THE LORD SEARCHES ALL HEARTS AND UNDERSTANDS ALL THE INTENT OF THE THOUGHTS. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever."
I Chronicles 28:9 (NKJV)
• God looks at the heart, the intent of heart, the motives behind whatever you do:
"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 AT THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT THE LORD LOOKS AT THE HEART" (1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV).
- A person's heart condition speaks volumes about the person in the sight of God—without the need for words.
- Do not look at any Man in whatever you do, but God:
"AM I now trying to WIN the FAVOR and APPROVAL of MEN, or of GOD? Or AM I SEEKING TO PLEASE SOMEONE? IF I WERE still trying to be POPULAR WITH MEN, I WOULD NOT BE A BOND-SERVANT OF CHRIST" (Galatians 1:10 AMP). - When some are doing wrong and it seems they are prospering and not being disciplined by God; know that He is only giving them time to repent (Romans 2:4).
- Do not imitate the negative things which other people are doing:
"BELOVED, DO NOT IMITATE WHAT IS EVIL, BUT [imitate] WHAT IS GOOD. THE ONE WHO PRACTICES GOOD [exhibiting godly character, moral courage and personal integrity] IS OF GOD; THE ONE WHO PRACTICES [or permits or tolerates] EVIL HAS NOT SEEN GOD [he has no personal experience with Him and does not know Him at all]" (3 John 11 AMP). - Those who seem to be progressing and prospering, in-spite of Sin in their lives, are on the slippery PATH:
1 TRULY God is good to Israel,
TO SUCH AS ARE PURE IN HEART.
2 BUT as for me, my FEET had almost STUMBLED; MY steps had nearly SLIPPED.
3 FOR I was ENVIOUS of the BOASTFUL,
WHEN I saw the PROSPERITY of the WICKED.
16 WHEN I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me—
17 UNTIL I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end.
18 SURELY You SET THEM IN SLIPPERY PLACES; YOU CAST THEM DOWN TO DESTRUCTION" (Psalm 73:1-3,16-18 (NKJV).
• God makes things possible for the faithful in His own time. Those who walk with God faithfully and diligently will never lose their Rewards: "... FOR he who COMES to God must BELIEVE that HE IS, AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THOSE WHO DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM" (Hebrews 11:6).
- The key to possibilities in Life is faithfulness in your walk with God.
- When you faithfully serve Him, unreservedly in your heart, He will surely bless you. You can deceive man by looking sanctimoniously, but you cannot deceive God.
• Are you faithful in your relationship with God?
(i) Do you walk with the consciousness that God watches all you do? "FOR THE LORD SEES EVERY HEART AND KNOWS EVERY PLAN AND THOUGHT..." (1 Chronicles 28:9 NLT).
(ii) If you are attending Church meetings, What are the motives of doing it?
(iii) If you are serving in God's vineyard, working in your local church, Why are you doing the work?
(iv) What are the things going on in your heart concerning your fellow believers?
IF your heart is not right about others, even as a professed Christian, God knows and will reward you accordingly.
- Work on your heart, desist from eyes service; your worship, whatever you do in God's Kingdom, and whatever you do for the people of household of faith, should be for God and for Him alone.
- It is God alone Who can approve you, thus, do NOT seek the approval of Men. WHATEVER you do sincerely with a right heart would be rewarded by God:
23 AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DO IT HEARTILY, AS TO THE LORD AND NOT TO MEN,
24 KNOWING that from the Lord YOU WILL RECEIVE THE REWARD OF THE INHERITANCE; FOR YOU SERVE THE LORD CHRIST.
25 BUT he [she] who does wrong WILL BE REPAID FOR WHAT HE [she] HAS DONE, AND THERE IS NO PARTIALITY" (Colossians 3:23-25 NKJV). - Let your praise come from God, do nothing to impress Man to receive praise (1 Corinthians 4:5).
• Admonishment
(i) Be faithful in your walk with God: "MOREOVER IT IS REQUIRED IN STEWARDS THAT ONE BE FOUND FAITHFUL" (1 Corinthians 4:2 NKJV).
(ii) Be committed to the assignment given to you:
15 Meditate on these things; GIVE YOURSELF ENTIRELY TO THEM, that your PROGRESS may be evident to all.
16 TAKE HEED TO YOURSELF and to the DOCTRINE. CONTINUE IN THEM, FOR IN DOING THIS YOU WILL SAVE BOTH YOURSELF AND THOSE WHO HEAR YOU" (1 Timothy 4:15,16 NKJV).
(iii) Be faithful and do not relent in the practice of the Kingdom principle of Giving:
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; FOR WHATEVER A MAN SOWS, THAT HE WILL ALSO REAP. 9 AND let us NOT GROW WEARY WHILE DOING GOOD, FOR IN DUE SEASON WE SHALL REAP if we do NOT lose heart" (Galatians 6:7,9 NKJV).
(iv) Be pure in your heart and walk circumspectly with Him. God wants those who walk with Him to be holy:
15 BUT LIKE THE HOLY ONE WHO CALLED YOU, BE HOLY YOURSELVES IN ALL YOUR CONDUCT [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage]; 16 because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY (set apart), FOR I AM HOLY" (1 Peter 1:15,16 AMP).
- There is danger in being crafty, and not being consistent with God. For God watches and rewards the intention or motivation with which you do whatever you do:
"THEN ... REPAYING EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO ALL OF HIS WAYS, SINCE YOU KNOW THEIR HEARTS—FOR YOU ALONE KNOW THE HEARTS OF ALL HUMAN BEINGS" (1 Kings 8:39 (International Standard Version). - Gimmickry cannot work against God, for He knows the heart of every person. Nothing is hidden from Him, everything is bare or plain!
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!