How can we ensure our motives align with God's will when seeking guidance? The Scene in Ezekiel 20: A Motive Checkpoint • “In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to consult the LORD, and they sat down before me.” (Ezekiel 20:1) • The elders looked sincere, yet God exposed their hidden idols and refused to answer on their terms (20:2-4, 31). • Scripture underscores that our approach to God matters as much as our request. Signs Our Motives Have Drifted • Hidden idolatry – Ezekiel 14:3: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts.” • Self-advancement over God’s glory – James 4:3: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives.” • Selective obedience – Luke 6:46: “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” • Restlessness when God delays – Psalm 106:13: “They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel.” Practical Steps to Realign Our Hearts 1. Invite God’s searchlight • Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart… and lead me in the way everlasting.” 2. Confess and forsake concealed idols • Proverbs 28:13: “He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.” 3. Submit intentions to Scripture’s scrutiny • Hebrews 4:12: God’s word “judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” 4. Surrender outcomes before asking • Luke 22:42: “Yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 5. Seek counsel from humble, godly believers • Proverbs 11:14: “In the multitude of counselors there is victory.” Scriptural Promises for the Pure-Hearted Seeker • Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” • Psalm 25:9: “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.” • John 7:17: “If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God.” A Daily Heart Audit • Begin each day asking, “Whose kingdom am I advancing—mine or God’s?” • Measure plans by whether they honor Christ, serve others, and align with revealed Scripture. • End the day reviewing choices, thanking God for corrections, and recommitting every motive to Him. |
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