2 Chronicles 1:7 In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. O Lord God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” So Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
1 Kings 8:18 But the LORD said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart.
1 Chronicles 28:2 Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building.
1 Chronicles 29:17-18 I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
What would God see in your heart that no one else can see or know? What do you think is hidden and only yours to ponder and think about? What occupies your thoughts that you think no one knows about? God for certain knows everything in your heart. He not only knows the thought but the intent behind the thought. We get tested by God. Deuteronomy 8:2 “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” Ecclesiastes 3:18 “I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.”
God alone tests us so that we will see the error in our ways, how we talk, how we think, how we act. It is because of His love for us that He does this. He wants us to grow, understand, and gain knowledge of Him through the grace and mercy demonstrated in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. In this gaining knowledge and understanding, we must be shown (tested) what is truly in our heart and mind so that we can freely repent from it and freely choose to turn away from it to honor, serve, follow and obey our Lord and Savior. If we are not tested I fear our growth will become stagnate and we will become complacent and neglectful.
Oh God, give us ears to see and a mind to understand the greatness and awesomeness of Your grace and mercy. Speak loud and clear to our heart so that we know Your testing and see clearly that from which we need to confess, repent and turn away from. Strengthen our understanding of scripture as we intentionally choose to each day to be in Your word for Your honor and glory.
