I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. 1 Chronicles 29:17-18 (NIV)
God is pleased with the integrity of the heart of the saint. Yet, certainly our hearts can be easily deluded, Amen? Scripture tells us in Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NIV): “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? ‘I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.’” God is the great Searcher of man’s heart, investigating and determining the essential character of a person. He knows every motivation behind every action. Nothing is hidden from His all-seeing eye. Nothing.
The believer is to have a made up mindset in regard to honoring our word. God does not take deception lightly but desires for His children to have clean hands and pure hearts. When we honor our word – particularly if it is difficult - we can be trusted by others and we shine the light on God’s goodness as we seek to walk in a manner worthy of His Gospel. We must have a made up mindset here to desire clean hands, a pure heart and profitable words as these are all pleasing in God’s sight. We live our lives for an Audience of One. More often than not, when our relationship is right with Him all other relationships fall rightly from that. And if they do not, God always takes priority in the life of the saint and He will be no man’s debtor either. Remember, child of the King, we are His, purchased by His precious blood.
God often tests the saint in the area of integrity to demonstrate to the child of the King if they will be faithful when the pressure is on. He already knows. It is to demonstrate to us what is actually in our hearts as we can be so easily deluded. When we live our lives for an audience of One – not seeking to impress others or to build ourselves up but simply being His child and seeking to walk in obedience, our lives go much smoother. And His desire is for us to be a people of our word.
Honor your word to yourself as well by doing whatever it takes. The great Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9: 24-27 (NIV): “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
“‘I am like a green pine tree; your fruitfulness comes from me.’ Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” Hosea 14:8-9 (NIV)