Bible Reading: Genesis 20-22; Matthew 7
Memory verse: “But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife” Genesis 20:3 (KJV)
The coming of Jesus Christ to the earth really helped give us a clearer perspective of God and how He behaves. Before Jesus came, until a person is caught in the act of adultery only then can he be charged guilty. However, when Jesus came He told us in Matthew 5: 28 (KJV), “But I say to you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
God looks at the heart. He sees what we are saying and doing in the heart and deals with us accordingly. Remember, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). Such was the situation with Abimelech, King of Gerar, who hosted a prophet named Abraham, with a beautiful woman, named Sarah, whom he says was his sister. Immediately, Abimelech came and took Sarah, and God saw in his heart what he intended to do.
Even though in the physical Abimelech had not done anything wrong yet, coupled with the fact that Abraham says she was his sister, but God who sees the heart and has taken Abimelech for an offender already. “But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife” Genesis 20:3 (KJV). Although Abimelech gave strong reasons why he acted and thought the way he did seeing He was deceived, but God cannot be deceived and was prepared to carry out justice.
Please be careful about the intents of the thoughts of your heart. Your heart has a voice and God hears you clearly. Psalm 139:1-2 (KJV) tells us, “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. [2] Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.” No wonder 2 Chronicles 25:2 (KJV) tells of king Amaziah, “And he did that which was right in the sight of God but not with a perfect heart.” Can you imagine? Your works are not enough! God looks at the motive behind the works!
In this year 2024, let your words match your thoughts and your actions. But always think about what you think in your heart first.
Prayer: Dear Father, my heart is all yours! Teach me how to think aright even from the heart.
Bro. Worthmore Aghanenu