"I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity." 1 Chronicles 29:17
After David has prayed the dedicatory prayer for the generous gifts of God's people to build The Temple, he says these words in verse 17 as he goes on praying about the people of God and about himself and their relationship with the Only One True God. At this juncture in his soul-searching prayer, it gets very personal. You see David, although he is the leader, he can never escape this sense of personal responsibility for his own life and wants to make sure before God of the integrity of what he is doing and saying. Just the first four words are an amazing sentence starter for all of us to do some soul searching. Say it with me... "I know, my God.." First thing that comes to me is how much I do not know. Second thing that comes to mind is how much I appreciate that He knows me and yet loves me. That is really about all I know for sure sometimes.
Then comes the kicker. David says in his prayer that he knows that God tests the heart. That is good news and bad news. The good news is that even though my actions or behavior don't reflect or represent how I really believe and feel about God, He knows my heart. My heart is often right, even when my actions and behaviors are not. On the other hand, the bad news is that no matter how good your actions and behaviors may be, if there is not sincerity or genuineness that is motivating the heart, He knows what our true motivations are. However selfish, however ambitious, however sneaky, however duplicitous, however phony. Wow! And David is a man after God's own heart and he still feels this conviction. Maybe that is why through all his failures and shortcomings he is described that way, because God knew his heart.
David desires to please God. Even when he doesn't he really wants to. No, I mean sincerely that is his heart's desire even when he is weak or even when he sins. His conviction comes quickly and it is genuine and sincere. David would never describe himself this way, but he is a man of integrity. By definition, integrity is honesty, rectitude, honor, righteousness, morality, virtue, decency... you know the list. But also by definition the dictionary states that integrity is "the state of being whole and undivided." This describes David's heart. He loves God with his whole heart and does not have divided loyalties, even when he is weak. Let us search our souls and hearts this day and ask ourselves about our integrity. Ask ourselves about our motivations, knowing that God knows our hearts and loves us anyway. Let us seek to be sincere and genuine, wholly committed to Him and not divided. After all, we all desire to please God. We just need to want it more than pleasing ourselves or others.
In Him,
Pastor Fred
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