Matter Of The Heart
'A king’s heart is like streams of water in the Lord ’s hand: He directs it wherever He chooses. All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord evaluates the motives. Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. '
Proverbs 21:1-3
As church leaders and pastor’s, I believe these verses are very important to us. It’s of the greatest importance for us to make sure that our hearts are in the hands of the Lord. When we do that, then we are letting God do as he pleases. We are allowing Him to direct us wherever he wants to. Only the Lord knows our motives and why we are doing what we are doing.
When the writer talks about doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable than sacrifice, I hear him talking about obedience. God wants obedience before he wants sacrifice. Obedience to Him is the most important. We can sacrifice our time, money, material possessions, and even our family, but are we being obedient to God?
David ask God in Psalm 139 to search his heart, to know his anxious thoughts, see if there is any wicked way in him. Why would David do that? He knew that only God knows are heart. Only God knows our intent and motives. We don’t know our hearts. Remember the Proverb 21, “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord knows our heart.” David asks God to see if there is any offensive way in him. We too need to ask God search our hearts. We need to ask God to lead us just as David did. I believe when God is leading us, then and only then can we lead others. Many times we may believe we are doing what is right, but are we? Is our motivation pure? Are we being obedient?
Church Revitalization will only happen in our churches when we as pastors and leaders put our hearts in the hands of God, allow him to do with us as He pleases, search our hearts, and lead us. How can we expect our churches to change unless we are allowing God to change us? All of the successful revitalization stories that I have heard, begin with the revitalization, renewal, and transformation of the pastor. Are we asking God to renew, refresh and revitalizes us? Or are we spending more time asking God to change our churches, but not allowing Him to do in us what he pleases?
I pray that we as pastors and church leaders will place our hearts in the hands of God, allow Him to do as He pleases, ask Him to search our hearts, and lead us. That’s how church revitalization will happen.
'Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.'
Psalm 139:23-24
'A king’s heart is like streams of water in the Lord ’s hand: He directs it wherever He chooses. All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord evaluates the motives. Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. '
Proverbs 21:1-3
As church leaders and pastor’s, I believe these verses are very important to us. It’s of the greatest importance for us to make sure that our hearts are in the hands of the Lord. When we do that, then we are letting God do as he pleases. We are allowing Him to direct us wherever he wants to. Only the Lord knows our motives and why we are doing what we are doing.
When the writer talks about doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable than sacrifice, I hear him talking about obedience. God wants obedience before he wants sacrifice. Obedience to Him is the most important. We can sacrifice our time, money, material possessions, and even our family, but are we being obedient to God?
David ask God in Psalm 139 to search his heart, to know his anxious thoughts, see if there is any wicked way in him. Why would David do that? He knew that only God knows are heart. Only God knows our intent and motives. We don’t know our hearts. Remember the Proverb 21, “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord knows our heart.” David asks God to see if there is any offensive way in him. We too need to ask God search our hearts. We need to ask God to lead us just as David did. I believe when God is leading us, then and only then can we lead others. Many times we may believe we are doing what is right, but are we? Is our motivation pure? Are we being obedient?
Church Revitalization will only happen in our churches when we as pastors and leaders put our hearts in the hands of God, allow him to do with us as He pleases, search our hearts, and lead us. How can we expect our churches to change unless we are allowing God to change us? All of the successful revitalization stories that I have heard, begin with the revitalization, renewal, and transformation of the pastor. Are we asking God to renew, refresh and revitalizes us? Or are we spending more time asking God to change our churches, but not allowing Him to do in us what he pleases?
I pray that we as pastors and church leaders will place our hearts in the hands of God, allow Him to do as He pleases, ask Him to search our hearts, and lead us. That’s how church revitalization will happen.
'Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.'
Psalm 139:23-24
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