Honest Before God

Ananias and Sapphira tried to fool the church. They forgot that God sees what no one else can see: the heart.

The outside and the inside. When Samuel looked at Jesse’s sons, God told him, “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

What the heart is. In the Bible, your heart is the real you on the inside. It is what you think, what you want and what you choose.

Where lies begin. Peter asked Ananias, “Why have you conceived this thing in your heart?” (Acts 5:4). The lie started inside long before he said it.

Guard it. “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Diligence means careful, steady work.

A tricky heart. “The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9). Deceitful means it can fool even us.

God’s Word sees inside. God’s Word is “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). When we read the Bible, God shows us what is really inside.

Hidden faults. David prayed, “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults” (Psalm 19:12). We can ask God to show us sins we cannot see.

Worship that is real. Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). God does not want a show. He wants the real you.

Pure in heart. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). A pure heart is not a pretend heart.

Truth with each other. Paul wrote that we should put away lying and speak the truth, “for we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25). Lies hurt the whole family of God.

A new heart. David asked, “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10). Only God can make a heart new, and He does it through Jesus.

What we learn. God sees the real you, and He loves the real you. You never have to pretend with Him.

What to do. Tonight, pray Psalm 19:12 in your own words. Ask God to show you anything hidden in your heart, and thank Him that He already knows you and loves you.

Ananias and Sapphira hid the truth. God never meant for His children to live that way. He invites us to come to Him honestly, every time.

A chance to be honest. Peter asked Sapphira, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” (Acts 5:8). God gives us chances to tell the truth too.

The first hiding. After Adam and Eve sinned, they hid from God among the trees. But God came looking for them and called out to Adam (Genesis 3:8-9).

Covering does not work. “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Forsakes means turns away from.

David’s story. David hid his sin for a while, and he felt heavy and sad. Then he wrote, “I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden… And You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5). Acknowledged means admitted.

Happy and free. “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1). When we stop covering our sin, God covers it with His forgiveness.

The promise. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Washed clean. “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). Scarlet is a deep red that is very hard to wash out.

A Father who runs. In Jesus’ story of the lost son, the son came home ready to say he was sorry. “But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).

A Savior who understands. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus knows what temptation feels like, and He never sinned.

Gone. “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). East and west never meet.

No condemnation. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Condemnation means being found guilty and punished.

Honest with people too. “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). Sometimes we need to tell a parent or friend the truth and ask them to forgive us.

What to do. If you have been hiding something, tell God about it today. Then, if you need to, tell a parent or someone you trust.