August 1, 2023

I Chronicles 28: 9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.” (NIV)

It is possible for us to do the right action from a wrong motive, but this does not please God.*

I do it. So do you. We do the right thing but with a stinking attitude. Maybe we’re sly enough that no one would guess that our heart is not in the task. My words of wisdom: Doing the right thing is always the right thing to do.

But now, listen to David’s words to his son Solomon – who went on to become world-famous for his wisdom. David provides his son - and us - with the how and the why of engaging our heart and mind in our service to the Lord. You want to serve with wholehearted devotion and a willing mind? Acknowledge God. Remind yourself that he is the reason you want to make the right choices. It is our love for him that compels us to serve others, go the extra mile, do the boring stuff.

Acknowledge God because . . . the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. He knows how you struggle to do the right thing with the right attitude. Acknowledge him as Lord of your heart. Confess your bad attitude and surrender it to him.

As I said before, doing the right thing is always the right thing to do – but how much better it is to take David’s advice. Serving God with wholehearted devotion and a willing mind is not duty. It is joy.

If service is done with any degree of reticence or halfheartedness, it will be a chore instead of a joy.*