TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds. (Jeremiah 17:10 ESV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• I finished the book of 1 Samuel this morning and I’ve observed something through this particular read-through— how often David asked the question, “What have I done?”
The first time it happened was when he went visited his brothers at the military camp where Goliath was nearby, taunting the Israelites. 1 Samuel 17 records David’s big brothers giving him a hard time and David’s response is in verse 29, “What have I done now?”
The second time is in 1 Samuel 26 when David was being pursued by King Saul. After being chased for months, David confronted Saul and asked, “For what have I done?“ (1 Samuel 26:18).
The third instance is in 1 Samuel 29 when David was living in Achish’s kingdom. He was preparing to join Achish in battle when Achish asked him to go back and not participate. Again, David asked, “But what have I done?” (1 Samuel 29:8).
David seems to like this question. In each situation, we find that David and his motives are misunderstood. His brothers thought he was being nosy and presumptuous. The king was threatened by David’s very existence. And while Achish didn’t have a personal issue with David, the army did.
I can relate to David. As I ponder all the “What did I do?” scenarios, I better understand some of David’s calls for vengeance in the Psalms… He was venting because of how misunderstood he was.
Do you ever find yourself asking the question, “What did I do?” Do you ever find that people question you and your motives when you know in your heart that your intentions are both good and honorable? Can you relate to David’s feelings?
In Jeremiah 17:10, God said, “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” With that in mind, if your conscience is clear before God, and you are confident before Him with your motives, the assumptions of others won’t matter. We answer to God, not people. You may still ask, “What did I do?” but God knows your heart. Ask Him to search it according to His standards (Psalm 139:24-25).
And thankfully, at the end of the day, it’s not about what we did anyway. Everything about us—from our lives to our salvation—It all points to what He did.
Today, as you pray, thank God for knowing your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to keep your motives pure and help you pursue His will, even when others question you. Ask Him to mold you to be more like Jesus so that like David, you can be a person after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22).
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