Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God. —1 Corinthians 4:5, NKJV
When we think about God revealing the dark things and the hidden counsels of our hearts, we think rebuke and immediately recoil. “Oh no, not the hidden counsels!” we say, assuming that hidden things are dark and ungodly. But God says the opposite. Hidden within our hearts are not just shameful things but many good things, like the deep cry to be totally God’s. Deep inside we fight to be fully His against all opposition of the enemy. Only God fully perceives the depth of this longing of our heart. And the good news is that on the last day He will reveal it and give us praise for it. The yes in our spirit is an imperfect yes, but it is a yes. It is the very work of God Himself in us. It is His supernatural activity in our inner man. He perceives our willing spirit in the struggle. While we may define ourselves by our failures, God defines us through His grace and by the sincere movements of our hearts, which we may not even fully understand.
{ PRAYER STARTER }
I am defined by Your awesome grace, dear Jesus. You see the deep cry of my heart to be like You, and You will someday praise me for it. Thank You for Your grace and mercy to me.
God is pleased with the longings of
sincere believers to be fully His.
