make me know – Praying Pint

5.p. For he knows the secrets of the heart.

Job 13:23 How many are my iniquities and my sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin.

Psalms 44:21    would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.

Ecclesiastes 12:14   For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Romans 2:16    on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 4:5   Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12-13     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.  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

Psalms 139:23     Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Do you sincerely and intently want to humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow, and obey Jesus Christ? If the answer to this is yes, then we must want to know when we are not humble, serving, honoring, glorifying, following, and obeying. We should want to know how we are sinning against Him. We should want to know those thoughts that are not in line with honoring Him. We should want to know what self-serving actions we so easily do without thought to Him. We should want to know those times we choose to be deaf to His leading in our life. We should want to know exactly how we are sinning against Him. Job said “Make me know my sin”, and David said, “search me and know my heart”. It is good for us to desire to know how to walk blameless before God. It is good for us to be intentional about this.

I would think most would say they want to walk worthy of the gift of redemption and salvation but do not have the commitment to spend time in His Word and allow it to speak into their heart, mind, and soul. Saying yes to wanting to know and actually walking in the presence of Jesus Christ without an intentional choice to humbly seek His Word each day is like saying you want to be a great farmer but never cultivate or plant your ground, or like a fisherman who never casts his line into the water, or a Christian who does not spend time in His Word.

We will be judged by God for those secret things hidden in our hearts. We will be judged for neglect and complacent lives. We will be judged for living self-serving, self-centered, and self-reliant lives. Today, commit to and intentional choice to seek to have Jesus Christ expose your heart, mind, and soul.

Being Ready

“And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Psalms 90:12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Psalms 39:4 “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!

Deuteronomy 32:29 If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Luke 12:35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

John 9:4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

Ephesians 5:16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Proverbs 2:2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Proverbs 4:5 Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

Proverbs 7:1 My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend,

Proverbs 8:32 “And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

Proverbs 16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

Proverbs 22:17 Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge,

Proverbs 23:12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.

Proverbs 18:1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.

Jude 1:19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.

Being ready at all times is much different than thinking about being ready. Being ready and living ready is putting the Word of God into action in our lives. Thinking about being ready is just that, stuff moving through our head and no action to follow it up. God’s will must be a desired and sought after presence in our lives. This desire and seeking keep us actionable for His purpose and plans. Reread these verses and as is says in Proverbs 22:17 Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge,

Teach me

“True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.”

Psalms 86:11 Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.

Psalms 5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.

Psalms 25:4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.

Psalms 25:12 Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.

Psalms 27:11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

Psalms 119:33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.

Psalms 119:73 Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.

Psalms 143:8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD! I have fled to you for refuge. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

Job 34:32 teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?

Jeremiah 32:38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them.

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Having the right mindset is key to fearing God and seeking His way for your life. How many times can you give stories on people who have the mindset they can figure it out themselves and do not ask to be taught? It is easy to fall into the trap believing the current amount of biblical knowledge and understanding is all that is needed when things seem to be going fine and without many issues. This easily leads down a path of complacency and neglect. Note these scripture references; “Teach” me – let me “Hear” – make me “Know” – give me “Understanding” – “lead” me – He will “Instruct”. The heart, mind and soul of these people were humbly seeking God. They did not necessarily set time aside to give thought to God and about God, but rather this was their mindset foundation and permeated every second of their life. With this foundation their mind, heart, eyes, and ears were open and actively seeking to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey God’s purpose in and through their life. Trying to please God with our own purposes on our own path takes us further away from God rather than closer. Desire, seek, and choose to be led by Him.

Let me Hear

“No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.”

Psalms 25:1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Psalms 143:8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

Psalms 31:1 In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me!

Romans 10:11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

1 Peter 2:6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Psalms 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Psalms 37:40 The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

Psalms 13:2-4 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

Sometimes this walk of faith seems hard to bear. Look at what David said: “I lift my soul to You”, “I trust in You”, “In You I take refuge”, and yet David also says: “How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?” This walk with God will encounter trials and issues. Some of them are brought on by our own doing and other times they are the result of others. God did not promise us we would not have no trials, troubles, or issues but He did promise: “To never leave us or forsake us”, “He would be ever present in times of trouble”, “He would protect us from evil”, “He would guide us”, “He would give us peace of mind”, “He would bless us”, “He would be our strength”, “He would make known His path for us”…… What kind of faith is it that is never tested and refined? Hebrews says “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is built on God’s word, His promises, through Jesus Christ. How much of our faith is built on things of this world or on what others say? If it is built on anything less than God’s word, His promises, through Jesus Christ it certainly will fail to sustain us in times of trials and troubles of this world and most definitely in eternity. How do we grow in our faith? Is it possible to grow without knowing and feeding on God’s word? Read His word with expectation of Him opening your eyes, ears, and heart to His leading. Commit to humbly serving God more and more each day.