It's What's In Your Heart that Counts

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Genesis 48:1–49:33
Matthew 15:29–16:12
Psalm 20:1-9
Proverbs 4:20-27

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Proverbs 4:23 "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

It doesn't take long as we read the Bible before we realize that God cares deeply about our hearts. Over and over the Scriptures make it clear that God doesn't simply care about what we do – He is very concerned about what's going on in our heart when we do it.

Our words and actions can allow us to pretend to be something that we are not. Our hearts, if they were fully exposed, would reveal precisely who we are.

That's why God likes looking beyond our actions and into our hearts. He wants to know who we really are.

1 Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'"

Our verse for the day says that we should guard our hearts. We should keep the impure out and only dwell on the good and holy. We should spend much time in God's Word so that it begins to change our thinking.

Why? Because we tend to act like who we really are. Our words and actions will tend to be consistent with what we are dwelling on in our innermost being.

Do you want to be more like Jesus? Do you want to experience God's blessings? Then focus on getting your heart right. Your actions will follow.