Tag: Self-Examination

April 4, 2025 Devotional Post a Comment

It’s Not the Act, It’s the Intent

Opening Verse

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.”
— Proverbs 21:2 (KJV)

Introduction

Many people think that if their actions look good, that’s enough. But God doesn’t just look at what we do—He looks deeper. He sees why we do it. It’s not just the act that matters to God; it’s the heart behind it.

Devotional Story

There was a young woman who gave to the poor every month. She made sure to post about it online, tagging her church and using popular Scriptures as captions. Everyone thought she was generous, kind, and spiritually mature. But behind closed doors, her heart was far from God. She often mocked the very people she helped, seeing them as beneath her.

Across town, there was a man who quietly slipped envelopes of cash into struggling families’ mailboxes. He told no one. No hashtags. No photos. He even skipped church sometimes out of shame for his past. But every act of kindness came from a heart broken by his own sin and desperate to honor Christ in secret.

Which one did God approve of?

Jesus answered that very question in Matthew 6:1:

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.”

What This Means

God doesn’t just want our hands—He wants our hearts. You can do the right thing for the wrong reason and miss the mark completely. You can preach, give, or serve, but if it’s done for attention, praise, or guilt, it doesn’t please Him. But even the smallest act, done with a heart that loves Jesus, is seen and rewarded by God.

This is urgent—because many will one day say, “Lord, didn’t we do all these things in Your name?” and Jesus will reply, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:22-23). Why? Because their intent was never truly for Him.

Think About This

  • Are your actions for Christ or for credit?

  • If no one saw what you did, would you still do it?

  • What does God see when He looks past your deeds and into your heart?

Prayer

Lord, search my heart and show me the truth. Cleanse me from false motives. Let everything I do be for Your glory and not my own. Teach me to live with eternity in mind, not applause. I want to please You, not people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Closing Verse

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” — Jeremiah 17:9-10 (KJV)

March 13, 2025 Devotional Post a Comment

The Hidden Enemy

Opening Verse

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
— Ephesians 6:11 (KJV)

Introduction

Spiritual warfare is real. Many focus on protecting themselves from external attacks, yet the most dangerous threats often come from within. This is the story of a man who spent his life running from an enemy he could see, only to realize the true danger lay within him all along.

Devotional Story: The Chase

Ethan ran.

His breath was heavy, his legs burned, and his heart pounded like a war drum. Behind him, the shadowy figure pursued him with relentless speed. No matter where he turned—alleyways, abandoned buildings, open streets—the pursuer was always just behind him.

In desperation, Ethan fortified his house, double-checking every lock, installing cameras, reinforcing the doors and windows. He carried weapons, trained in self-defense, and mapped out escape routes. He was prepared for an external attack.

Yet, the dreams continued.

Every night, he found himself running, always chased but never caught. The terror was suffocating. One night, exhausted, he collapsed in his dream, allowing his pursuer to catch him. As the figure loomed over him, Ethan braced himself for the strike.

Then, the shadow stepped into the light.

It was him.

His own face, contorted with darkness, stood before him. A mirror image, but corrupted—his fears, his sins, his hidden compromises, all taking form. Ethan had been running, not from an external enemy, but from the unguarded doors of his own heart, where sin had crept in unnoticed.

He awoke in a cold sweat, the realization gripping him: He had spent years preparing for an attack from the outside, while the real battle was happening inside.

What This Means

Ethan’s story is a powerful illustration of the Christian life. Many believers focus on protecting themselves from external threats—the world, the devil, the persecution of man. But the most dangerous enemy often operates inside, hidden in the heart.

Jesus warned in Matthew 15:19-20:

“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man…”

No amount of external protection can guard against an enemy that has already infiltrated from within. Sin, unchecked thoughts, compromise, and unrepentant actions are the real threats. The devil doesn’t need to break into a fortified house if he’s already been invited inside.

Think About This

  • What are you guarding against? External threats or internal strongholds?
  • Are there sins in your life that you have excused or ignored?
  • Are you focusing more on defending yourself against the world rather than examining your own heart?

Paul exhorts us in 2 Corinthians 13:5:

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.”

It’s time to stop running from the truth. The real battle is within.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, reveal to me the hidden battles I have ignored. Help me not to focus only on external defenses but to guard my heart against the enemy within. Cleanse me of secret sins, renew my spirit, and strengthen me to stand firm in Your righteousness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Closing Verse

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
— Proverbs 4:23 (KJV)