“If we will allow God to do His purifying work, we can experience greater joy.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – June 12, 2022
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
When I first started writing and speaking about Christ in 2003, there was nothing that could touch my relationship with my Creator. He was what I desired most and there wasn’t an accolade or a new book deal that could have rivaled my relationship with Him. But I confess it wasn’t always that way. Because I was so passionate about my calling, there was a season when my desire to succeed became greater than my desire for Him.
Looking back, I am grieved that the “pride of life” John described in 1 John 2:16 sometimes played a part in why I served. It was often borne out of insecurity, but wrong, nonetheless. I am thankful that God did not allow me to maintain impure motives. Instead, like a good father, he disciplined me by allowing many of my efforts to fall flat. And in this, He set me free from the burden of performance.
After that I was reminded that sometimes we begin our journey toward a God-given purpose with pure hearts and right love for Christ. He gives us gifts; we use them. We serve Him; we serve others. Our motives are right, our service is real. God blesses, and we are thankful.
But then somewhere along the way, the motivation of our hearts gets muddied. Fear takes over, pride runs rampant, and the lust of the eyes, and the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life moves into our hearts so that we lose the affection for our First Love.
This is when God will sometimes turn up the heat to reveal what is in our hearts. He may even allow trouble to come to skim off the impurities, because true love is always tested in the furnace of affliction (Isaiah 48:10). When this happens, like Paul we might despair of even life (2 Corinthians 1:8).
We may be convinced that nothing good can come from our difficulty and we may want to give up on what God has called us to. But remember this: if we will allow God to do His purifying work, if we hold on in hope, if we endure, our trouble will result in a purified heart which means pure joy!
Why do you do what you do? Why do you serve? What about motives? Do you love your life, your own comfort, or your own agenda more than God’s? These are questions that are answered in the furnace of affliction—and the result for the heart which passes God’s test is purified love for Him, and purified service.
“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).
Prayer
Lord, I am so very thankful that you will do whatever it takes to keep me close to You. Oh, how I need you to sanctify me and help me know your love throughout the seasons of my life. Thank you for loving me so tenderly and purifying my motives. Amen.
Application
Praise the Lord today when He has used trouble to purify your motives and draw you back to Him.
Related Reading
1 John 3:2-3; Psalm 51:1-2; Isaiah 1:18
Worship Resource
Jeremy Riddle: Purify My Heart
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