One of my spiritual goals this year is to consistently read God’s word. In addition to following the Bible reading plan for a year, I plan to read either a devotional or a Bible study. So, I started the year reading Jackie Hill Perry’s Upon Waking 60-day devotional.
Day 23 of the devotional stood out because it discussed integrity and reminded me that God is the only one who knows us from the inside out.
The verse for that day is Psalm 139:1-4 NIV, which says,
“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know, when I sit and rise, you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely.”
Jackie starts the devotional by saying, “Depending on who you are, or should I say, depending on how you live, the saying “God knows my heart” may land a particular way.” And that hit me right away because I’ve said that phrase too many times. It’s usually when I’ve said something I shouldn’t have, and to ‘justify’ my words, I would say, God knows my heart. And although it’s true, we shouldn’t use that phrase to justify any wrongdoing or wrong saying.
Jackie goes on to remind us that God knows us from the inside out, and although we can put on a mask in front of others, there’s no putting on a mask from God. She says, “Hiding from the truth of our sin and ourselves doesn’t serve us or our neighbor in the long run. The Lord, who knows each sentence before it’s said and each action before it’s done, is the same Lord who “formed [your] inward parts” and “knitted [you] together in [your] mother’s womb” (Ps. 139:13).
That is why integrity is essential. Integrity is honesty, but even more than that, having integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. Because there is always someone watching, and that is God. You cannot run away from God, hide your sins from Him, lie to Him, or deceive Him. You can try to lie to yourself but not to God. Remember, He knows us from the inside out. He created us and knows what we will say and do before we do it.
So remember, integrity is always because God is with us, and He knows! No one may know, but God knows!
I love how Jackie ended the devotional saying, “Yes, the Lord knows your heart and everything else about you, but knowing His heart will set you free to be you and to be His.”
Know His heart, friends, be set free!
With love, Heidy
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