God sees the heart behind the works

I write a letter today to the heart. The inner me that cannot be seen by people.  Why do I do what I do for the Lord?  When we speak of giving in the house of the Lord, or to the poor, I find myself counted among those who rise up on their feet to give. Every man around me can see my giving hand and might name me among the top givers in the city, but who sees the heart behind my giving? Am I giving in honour of God and His Word, or just to be counted as the top giver?  When gathering for prayer with fellow Christians oh heart, and I pray out loud words sounding so profound that others tend to listen to what I say, and always choose me to do the closing prayer, why oh heart, do I pray? Is it so others can see that I am a powerful child of God, or do I really yearn for fellowship with the Father?

Let us go out, oh heart, to the streets and hospitals, where I lay hands on the sick and pray for them, where I shout out loud the Name of the Lord Jesus and tell people to come to Jesus. How exciting it is when the people give their lives to Christ, and how exciting it is when the sick is able to do what they couldn’t do before I prayed for them , but why oh heart, do you I do that? Is it so I can go back to the brethren and flash around the number of people that have been born again under my name, or is it to truly save the lost, regardless of whether people know about it or not. The desire to do things this way, breeds a spirit of competition, where quantity of what is done for the Lord, is better than quality.

  Let us leave the people out, my heart, and talk about the things I have done seemingly for God’s glory, but you and I knowing that it is to satisfy my own personal ambitions, to prove to MYSELF that I can do it. It is very easy to see when something is done to please people , but how many things are done to please self and not God?

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”—(1 Cor 3:13)

“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: AND THEN(only then, after the heart is tried) shall every man have praise of God.”- (1 Cor 4:5)

Oh how sad it would be, on that day when after doing all these wonderful works on earth, after being well known for being the greatest giver, the one who rose the dead, and evangelized 24/7, how sad it would be , when the works are tested and to be found to be rubble, works of the flesh, and not of the Spirit and a pure heart.  Notice how it is the sort of work, and not the quantity of work, that will be tested. I thank the Lord, for He Himself has given me to do His good works of His Spirit, and I thank Him that His Word is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. I thank Him that His Word, through His Spirit, purifies you, oh heart! For the quality of the Work I will do, will be seen in the motives of my heart and the power of the Holy Spirit. So, I will hide His Word in you my heart, I will fill you up with His Word, and allow His Spirit to teach me, for His Word, shall make you pure, and all the works I do with a pure heart, shall bring glory to our God!