Old Testament Promises
A Five Minute Devotional
The video shown below is the devotional from January 26th, 2021. The full text of the devotional follows the video.
WELCOME
Hello! My name is Ruth and I would like to share with you Today’s Good News, Ladies Edition!
INTRODUCTION
I want to read to you a poem entitled Judge Not
I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven’s door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.
But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp–
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade..
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.
Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, ‘What’s the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How’d all these sinners get up here?
God must’ve made a mistake.
‘And why’s everyone so quiet,
So somber – give me a clue.’
‘Hush, child,’ He said, ‘they’re all in shock.
No one thought they’d be seeing you.’
PROMISE
The Bible promise we are studying today is found at the end of the verse in 1 Samuel 16:7.
The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
We tend to judge the character and worth of others by looking at outward appearances. If a person is tall, good-looking, and nicely dressed, then he or she possesses physical qualities that we generally admire and respect.
But God has the unique ability to see inside a person.
God knows our true character because He “looks at the heart.” Moral and spiritual qualities are far more important to God than outward appearance.
The heart in Scripture is a person’s inner moral and spiritual life. The heart is the core, the inner essence of who we are. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart. And the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
My hope and prayer is that when God looks into our hearts, He sees hearts that are seeking Him.
GOD’S HEART
But, how do we seek God With our Whole Hearts?
This is a work of the Holy Spirit. And I definitely don’t have it all “figured out”! So, if you feel me; like you’re lost in a sea of worldly distractions, and you don’t know how to seek God wholeheartedly, rest assured you are not alone.
There are three things we can do to seek God whole-heartedly.
OUR ATTITUDE
One is to approach God with an attitude of fear, reverence, awe and worship.
Do you ever stop and think about how amazing it is that God created you? That He knew you even before you were born? God created us for a relationship with Him, and He desires our full devotion and adoration.
The second thing we can do to seek God whole-heartedly is to cultivate a humble and repentant heart.
Since we know God is worthy of all praise and glory, we should seek Him with humble hearts. We have all sinned and fallen short of His glory, and yet He gave His only Son Jesus Christ to pay the price for our sins. So, if we’re to seek God honestly and openly, we need to confess our sins regularly, repent, and make a sincere effort to turn away from them.
This brings us to our last point; which is to lean on God’s grace.
As we’re seeking God, it can be tempting to try and accomplish things in our own strength, like trying to love difficult people, or being more generous with our resources. But at the end of the day, we find ourselves still falling short.
I can’t tell you how many days I’ve tried to pray continually, or love my neighbors, or stay focused on Jesus, but felt I was failing miserably. What I realized is that I was TRYING to do all those things, without seeking God. It’s only when I make a point to come to God first thing in the morning and throughout the day, that I can do these things. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And I can also rest in His Grace and not feel guilty for the areas where I fall short.
If our aim is to genuinely seek Him, we WILL find Him.
Philippians 1:6 says, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
And that Ladies, is Today’s Good News.
