God’s Specialty
Jesus told the disciples to go into Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. (Luke 24:49)
As we wait, God shows us our hearts. Generally, we do not see ourselves as He does. We must depend upon the Spirit to show us our selfish ambition and arrogant attitudes.
Dr. Pamela Reeves said, “Only the Holy Spirit can open our eyes to point out to us where pride, where self-glory is entering our service, our reactions, and thinking. When we aren’t given credit for what we have done, when we are overlooked for advantages, or when place is given others, our reactions to these and similar situations are red flags the Spirit may use to signal pride at work.”
If we allow Him, God will expose what He sees in our heart. When our son Gregg was a boy, his thumb got infected. He decided to take care of it himself, and he carefully kept it bandaged for weeks. One day this badly infected thumb got so painful Gregg decided to show it to his dad. His dad is an infectious disease specialist, so he easily cured it once Gregg allowed him to see it.
God is a specialist in purifying hearts. We are prone to want to keep our sinful nature covered and act as though other people are the problem. When we give Him access to our heart, we will begin to realize what a stench our selfish nature is to God and to see how utterly bankrupt we are of goodness and our inability to always desire His will above our own.
I praise You, dear Father, for responding when we ask You to change our hearts.
“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away.
“Test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:1, 2, 23, 24 NLT).
