Speaker: Ben Sigman

Theme: Unresolved Conflict

Weekend Music links on iTunes: The Time Has Come, Let God Arise, Strong Tower, Come Thou Fount

Read: Psalm 139:23-24; Proverbs 21:2; 1 Cor. 4:4 

Think: Have you ever questioned someone’s motive? It’s so easy to judge or discern what we can see or touch but so elusive to judge someone’s intent. In fact, truth be told, many times we convince ourselves of our own righteous intent only to discover our motives were possibly not as pure as we originally thought. Think about it, haven’t you ever been in a situation that you thought you handled correctly at the time only to be filled with regrets later and left wishing you had done things differently? We can be so good at convincing others (and ourselves) that our motives are right when we want something badly enough.

For instance, did you really need to buy a new car?

“Yes but why would I want to buy someone else’s junk? I need reliable transportation. I can’t be having to pray over whether my car will start each morning…”

Was it really necessary to “put them in their place” when you talked so harshly to that person?

“We’ll they had it coming to them and if I don’t speak up they are just going to take advantage of me, or worse yet, someone else down the road. They needed to be taught a lesson!”

Did you really try your hardest to get that homework or project done?

“Wow, I was up all night and just didn’t have enough time to finish…”

(Forget about the fact that you had two weeks leading up to the deadline.) 

Did you really do something special for that significant person in your life just because you wanted to, not because you were expecting anything in return?

(I know, now I am meddling.)

I, like you, always try to make decisions and interact with people with integrity and with right motives. However sometimes, even though I think my motives are pure, I am totally blinded. I recognize that I am a work in progress and that there needs to be more of God and less of me for any significant progress to occur. I have been taught that having a private devotion time (time in prayer and reading the Bible) was essential to growth. I was taught that you go to God’s Word (the Bible) to find answers to life. Then I heard a pastor the other day share something that has me even rethinking my motive for devotion time. He said, “I used to study God’s Word to get a Word from God, now I go to God’s Word so it can study me.”

Psalm 139:23-24 NIV

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Do: Take a minute to reread today’s scripture verses and ask the Lord to open your eyes to areas and motives He wants to address in your life.

Pray: Lord search my heart and show me the areas where I need to change. If there is anything in my life that is offensive to you reveal it to me and then grant me the courage necessary to make the changes that need to be made. Amen

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

4505 236th Ave. NE • Redmond, WA 98053 • 425-869-4400 • info@timberlakeonline.org