What must I do to be saved?

“Then Moses said, ‘I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.’” – Exodus 3:3

Curiosity is a gift from God. It drives us to explore, seek, and grow. Moses’ encounter with the burning bush reveals the power of holy curiosity—the kind that draws us closer to God. Had he ignored the sight, he might have missed his calling. But he turned aside, and history changed.

Moses saw a bush ablaze yet unconsumed. Instead of walking past, he turned aside. God often places signs of His presence, but we must seek Him. How often do we miss divine moments due to distraction or doubt?

As Moses turned, God called: “Moses, Moses!”. Had Moses ignored the sight, would he have heard God? Revelation follows curiosity. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find.”

Curiosity fuels faith. It leads us to ask, Who is God? What is my purpose? Seekers of truth will find it, while the indifferent miss out.

The barriers to holy curiosity include complacency, where we assume we know enough; fear, which keeps us from seeking deeper truths; distraction, as the busyness of life diverts our focus; and doubt, causing us to hesitate and question whether God is truly speaking.

God told Moses, “Take your sandals off… for the place where you stand is holy”. Sandals symbolize what separates us from divine encounters—pride, sin, distractions. True curiosity requires humility. What must we remove to stand closer to God?

Moses asked for God’s name, and He replied, “I AM WHO I AM.”  God’s name reveals His eternal nature. Some questions will remain mysteries, but faith trusts that I AM is present and sufficient. Without curiosity, there is no growth. How many divine invitations have we ignored?

God is still calling. He still places signs before us. Are we paying attention?        Robert Kargbo

Interestingly I began writing this article March 25, 2025, and when I checked my sermon files I discovered that March 25, 2016 when I spoke on the European Ghanian Lectureship in Amsterdam, Netherlands my assigned topic was “Social Media and Christian Values.”

At that time an eMarketer report stated, “Worldwide Social Network Users: Nearly one in four people in 2012 used social media. In 2013 that number rose from 1.47 billion in 2012 to 1.73 billion, an 18% increase. By 2017, the global social network audience will total 2.55 billion.”

The report today says, “Social media has a massive global reach, with over 5 billion users, representing 63.8% of the world’s population, and people spend an average of 2 hours and 19 minutes daily on these platforms.” I doubt that there is anyone reading this article today who does not use social media. 

Good and Bad 

It is not hard to think of ways “Social Media” can be used for good. Families can stay in touch with one another even when separated by hundreds or thousands of miles. Think of the missionaries who went out in the 1800s or even the early 1900s, it took months to get a letter to its destination. Today, families of missionaries can stay in touch with their families and supporters with the help of “Social Media.”

Better than just staying in touch with family, the gospel can now be preached to million or even billions in a matter of seconds. I believe that if the great evangelist Paul were alive today, he would use “Social Media” to spread the gospel around the world. We should also! Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a “tech” person, but I believe it ought to be used, especially by those who know how to use it most effectively.

First, we must make sure that what we write or say is actually what the Bible teaches because if it is wrong, we influence millions! When we post something wrong or with a wrong “tone” it can stay in circulation forever. There is no way for humans to measure the damage that is done. We sometimes think because we cannot see each other that we can use language that we would not use in person and/or say things in a cutting way that we would not do if we were in the presence of that person.

Second, with “Social Media” one has time to think of the best way to say something before he or she speaks whether orally or in written form. Unfortunately, it appears that many people do not think before they write or speak. We ought never to compromise the truth, but at the same time, we need to try to say it in the best possible way. Luke said this about Paul and his traveling companions. “In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks” (Acts 14:1).

Christian Ethics and Social Networking 

There are many biblical passages and principles that should guide us as we communicate through “Social Media” but I have selected two from which we can learn some principles to guide us.

The first has been called “The Personal Worker’s Prayer.” “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as thought seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person” (Colossians 4:2-6). Notice these points that can make us better communicators on “Social Media.”

First, pray for an open door (v. 3). Not everyone with whom we communicate is receptive to the gospel message. Look for those who appear to be willing to listen. Maybe we can see it in something they have said or maybe the way they have said it. Second, pray that what we say is clear – easily understood. Third, make sure that our conduct manifest wisdom (v. 5). This may involve the language we use and even “the tone” in which we say it. It may be in written form, but it often carries “a tone.” The “outsiders” are those who are not Christians. Fourth, make the most of our opportunity. We may be able to only plant a seed of the truth. They may not be ready for too much information at this time. Fifth, make sure that our speech is season with grace as seasoned with salt (v. 6) – “Salt” doesn’t mean that our language ought to be “salty” as some use that term. “Salt” adds flavor to our food.  Our works can make our message favorable. Sixth, pray that we may know how to respond to each person. Different people react differently to different approaches. We need to pray that we know how to approach that particular person.

The second passage is Ephesians 5:15, 25-32. Because it is a lengthy passage, I’m not going to quote it, but simply list some points that should guide us as we communicate. First, we must speak the truth in love (v. 15, 25). Second, we may be angry with what we receive through “Social Media” but we must not respond in like-manner. Let’s control our anger (v. 26). When we respond angrily, we give the devil a great opportunity to do damage. Third, do not let any unwholesome words come from our mouths, but rather may our words edify. Make sure that our words give grace to those who hear (v. 29). Fourth, make sure that we do not display any bitterness, wrath, clamor, or slander in our communication. The final message is, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (v.32).

Conclusion

“Social Media” is a great tool for many good reasons, but like any tool it can be used for evil rather than good. Let’s not let that happen through our use of this God-given tool. Let’s determine to use it for God’s glory and ask God’s blessing on our use of it. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world. Holding forth the word of life” (Philippians 2:14-16).

Wayne Burger

This idiom suggests that you are caught between two predicaments, neither of which is a pleasant choice. Sometimes we find ourselves caught in the middle – caught between the church and what we know our Savior teaches and the world which compels us to side with it. Very few people find joy in being the “odd-ball.” We do all we can to “fit in.” That mentality is not just true of children or teenagers; it is also true of adults.

We want to be respected by the world. We want to be accepted by the world. We want to be loved by the world. The “world” might be our family; it might be our neighbors; it might be our co-workers. We do not feel comfortable, in fact we feel quite uncomfortable, if we find ourselves on the unpopular side from our “world.”

We feel secure in our world. Except when we don’t. The teachings of Jesus are oftentimes unpopular, even the command to be humble, in a world that promotes self-promotion. And Christians are weird for that reason. They live differently. In the old KJV, Christians are “peculiar” (Titus 2:14).

If we live a popular life with the world, we might find ourselves at odds with our Christian family. If we live a life that draws us closer to the church, it can make us unpopular with the “world.” So Christians find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

What Jesus calls us to do, then, is to parlay our “popularity” with the world into showing them the beauty of Him and His teachings. If we are well-received by the world in which we live, then we have a graceful and God-given opportunity to share the teachings of Christ with those around us.

The church should really be our “home base,” since this is the group of people who share our faith. But we use that vantage point to draw our world to Christ.

Paul Holland

“Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the Lord” (Exo. 17:1). The expression here translated “the command of the Lord” is, in the Hebrew, “the mouth of the Lord.” Israel traveled by stages according to the “mouth of the Lord.” When a man blasphemed the name of Jehovah in Leviticus 24:11, the nation of Israel did not know what to do. So, they put him into temporary custody so that the “command” (the “mouth,” literally) of the Lord might be made clear to them. They had to learn what would come from the mouth of the Lord; and what came from His mouth was His command.

In Numbers 3, when Moses made a census of the nation of Israel, he did so “according to the word [literally, “mouth”] of the Lord, just as he had been commanded” (3:16). You might want to take some time to note this idea as it is translated in these texts: Numbers 3:39; 4:37, 41, 45, 49; 9:18, 20, 23; 10:13; 13:3; 14:41; 22:18; 24:13; 33:2, 38; 36:5; Deut. 1:26, 43; 8:3; 9:23; 34:5; Joshua 9:14; 15:13; 17:4; 19:50; 21:3; 22:9; 1 Samuel 12:14-15; 15:24; 1 Kings 13:21, 26; 2 Kings 24:3; Isaiah 1:20; 40:5; 58:14; 62:2; Jer. 9:11; 23:16; Micah 4:4; 1 Chronicles 12:24; 2 Chronicles 36:12.

Deuteronomy 8:3 appears to be the only text in the Law, at least in the NASV, which translates the expression literally “mouth of the Lord.” But then we could also translate this verse: “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the command of the Lord.” This highlights one of the fundamental charges of Gospel preachers: Where is your authority for what you do in religion? We must live by His commandments / mouth.

Among that list, you will notice how prevalent the expression is in the book of Numbers, and you will notice what happens when someone does not do what Jehovah spoke. Let me draw your attention to these three texts: 14:41; 22:18; and 22:13. In 14:41, Moses is castigating Israel for wanting to fight the Canaanites when they do not have God’s authority. Moses asks, “Why then are you transgressing the commandment of the Lord…?” “To transgress” is the verb “to cross” which is used in reference to crossing the Jordan River. It means to go crosswise. So Moses is asking Israel, “Why are you perpendicular to the mouth of Jehovah?” In other words, “you do not have authority from God to do that!” “There is nothing from the mouth of God that allows you to believe you will have success in doing that!”

In 22:18 and in 24:13, we have the incident with Balaam and Balak where Balaam states that he can not do anything “either small or great, contrary to the command of the Lord my God.” To translate it more literally, he says he cannot say anything “either small or great, to cross the mouth of Jehovah my God.” See also 24:13. Balaam understands that he cannot position himself perpendicular to the mouth of Jehovah.

The same expression is found in 1 Samuel 15:24 when Saul confesses his sin to Samuel, stating, “I have indeed crossed the mouth of the Lord.” What Saul did was perpendicular to what Jehovah had commanded. There was no authority for it.

One more text which seems interesting… 2 Chronicles 36:12: Zedekiah did evil in the sight of Jehovah because he did not humble himself before Jeremiah “the prophet of the mouth of Jehovah.”

As Christians, the only way we can know what Jehovah wants is what is found from His mouth, from His commandments, in His Holy Word: book, chapter, verse.

Paul Holland

THE LORD’S SUPPER IS THE GREATEST FEAST EVER KNOWN, FOR IT IS TO BE OBSERVED IN MEMORY OF THE GREATEST PERSON WHO EVER LIVED ON EARTH:

12. The Jewish Passover was observed in memory of a great event – Exodus 12. Blood was placed on door posts to save the first-born of families of Israel.
13. There has been other things left as a memorial to remind man.
14. a) stones in the river Jordan and stones left on the west side of the Jordan.
15. b) rainbow in the sky
16. Illustration: “He died for Me” from T. W. Brents, Gospel Sermons, pages 44-45:

A man, having a wife and three small children, was compelled to go into the army (during the civil war)… The day of rendezvous was authoritatively appointed; and he made all necessary preparation for starting. The day came, and with it his neighbors to bid him farewell, and then one by one he took up his children, and imprinted a father’s kiss upon each. Then came the parting from his wife … All hearts felt, and all eyes wept. In all probability they would never meet again. From that dreadful war many never returned; hence the parting was severe. Among those present was a boy who was too young to be compelled into military service. He bravely stepped forward and took the man by the hand and said, “Sir, let me go in your place. I have no family to leave. If I fall, there will be no widow left, nor orphan children to suffer for a father’s care. Let me go and you stay with your family.”

The proposition was accepted – the boy went and the man stayed at home – On the bloody field of Chickamauga, September 19-20, 1863, in the van of his host, the boy fell and never breathed again. When the battle was over, his friends buried him, as best they could, and placed a board at the head of the grave with his name and place of address inscribed upon it. They wrote to the man in whose place he had gone that the brave boy had fallen, and how his grace could be found. The man made his way to that grave, disinterred the body, took it home and buried it with all the honor he could bestow upon it. Over the grace he placed a costly marble monument with suitable inscription upon it. Among other things inscribed were these impressive words: “He died for me.”

Never should we let anything within our power hinder us from partaking of the Lord’s Supper. Illustration: There was a cabinet member of President Garfield who tried to get the president, his first Saturday in office, to attend a meeting at 10 AM on Sunday morning. But Garfield declined to miss communing with his Lord. Based on an article by Alvin Kleinfeldt in
“The Lookout” paper.

1. WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ON THE SUBJECT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER:
2. We need to know that the Lord instituted the Lord’s Supper and that we are to do this in memory of Him (Matt. 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-34).
3. We need to know that we cannot change what the Bible teaches on the subject nor on any other subject. Gal. 1:8-9; 2 John 9; Jude 3; Rev. 22:18-19.
4. We need to know that the Bible teaches by statement of fact, by command, by approved example, and by necessary inference.
5. Statement of fact:
6. The Bible states that “in the beginning” – Gen. 1:1.
7. The Bible teaches that in the beginning, Christ, or the Word, was God – John 1:1-2.
8. Command:
9. Peter commanded the Pentecostals to repent and be baptized – Acts 2:38. He commanded Cornelius and his house to be baptized – Acts 10:48.
10. The things which Paul wrote to the church at Corinth “are the commandments of the Lord” – 1 Cor. 14:37.
11. Christ commanded His disciples to observe the Lord’s Supper – Matt. 26:26-29.
12. Approved example:
13. Offering thanks for the unleavened bread before partaking of it and offering thanks for the fruit of the vine before partaking of it – Matt. 26:26-29.
14. Observing the Lord’s Supper on 1st day of the week – Acts 20:7.
15. Necessary inference:

Although the New Testament does not specify in so many words what kind of bread to be used in the Lord’s Supper, we can know what kind to use. Exodus 12:15-20 – no leavened bread was present. Luke 22:14-20 – Passover was observed the night the Lord’s Supper was instituted. Therefore, no leavened bread was to be used.

from a sermon by the late Wayne Holland

from a sermon preached in:

Bayou La Batre, AL (04/06/1980)

Hayesville, NC (04/19/1981)

Hiawassee, GA (03/09/1986)

Mebane, NC (01/28/1986)

First, the Bible: “He blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’” Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh” (Genesis 48:20).

This is the final Daily Droplet in this series on “Bible-Based Parenting.” And I have saved the best for last: grand-parenting! Jewell and Ana’s grandparents treated them and us, the parents, well. They minded their own business and did not give unsolicited advice. They asked permission before they did or gave the girls something which the parents might not have wanted. And the values and ethics of the parents were shared by both sets of grandparents. That is a tremendous blessing.

Now it is time for us to be the grandparents with Theodore being close to 18 months old and is about two months from becoming a big brother. I meditate on all the blessings that little Theodore has in his life – godly parents, godly grandparents on both sides, godly aunts and uncles. While Jewell and Jacob will be the primary influences in his life, what other habits or talents or skills or interests might he pick up from any one of these other influences in his life? It is encouraging to know he has so much godly influences to take him forward in life.

We have an elderly member here at Swartz Creek with I have recently visited and she told me her grandson has a picture of him and his grandfather as a screen saver on his phone. And he is 12 years old! And the grandfather is not actually biologically related to him. That’s the power of a grandfather’s influence.

If you are a parent who still has kids at home… take advantage of grandparents! Don’t be afraid to ask advice – from both sets. Take what you can use; but don’t be afraid to reject it if it doesn’t seem to fit your situation. We ought to be wise enough to handle that! Encourage the kids to ask grandparents and even great-grandparents stories about their youth. Grandparents are the best babysitters!

If you are a grandparent… as I mentioned above, be stingy with unsolicited advice. Don’t get your feathers ruffled if your advice is not heeded. We all make the best decisions we can. Ask permission before you give your grandchild something their parents might not want. Don’t overindulge in your grandchildren. Just because you have more liquid funds now than you did 25-30 years ago doesn’t mean you should spend it all on your grandkids! Leave some toys for Mom and Dad to buy. Don’t try to buy your grandchildren’s affections. Being yourself is the best way to gain their love. Be authentic.

Grandparents have lived their parenting years. They have scars, strength, information, and wisdom. They can help relieve stress; they can help settle disagreements. They might serve in other useful ways. Use them. I recently counted that I have prayed for Theodore over 1,500 times just since he was born! Children are better off if they have a close relationship with their grandparents.

Paul Holland

This series of devotionals has not dealt with the determinism associated with John Calvin, but one of our fundamental assumptions is that Calvin was wrong and pressed the sovereignty of God to an extreme such that he essentially destroyed the idea of freewill in mankind. Man has freewill.

And sometimes that freewill brings men to government positions that are contrary to the will of God. First, God has, in fact, ordained that man have some type of secular government: “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God” (Rom. 13:1-2). The other two institutions from the mind of God, the church and the family, do not regulate the behavior of non-Christians. The secular government does that.

It is also true that if God desires to set certain individuals into government positions, He has the ability to do that. “This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers and the decision is a command of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men” (Dan. 4:17). Daniel is, of course, speaking to Nebuchadnezzar, whom God could take out of office if He chose, which He does at the end of chapter 5!

God did raise up nations, such as Assyria and Babylon, and used them for disciplinary actions against His people, Israel. He also raised up Persia, Greece, and Rome in order to prepare the world for the coming of His Son (Galatians 4:4). But to go beyond these nations, which were directly related to the coming of the Messiah, and apply Daniel 4 to every leader of all nations of all times is to go beyond the text.

While it might be true that God raised up Joe Biden at the right time for His purposes, or it might be true that God raised up Donald Trump at the right time for His purposes, it is also absolutely true that we don’t know.

When Israel clamored for a king in 1 Samuel 8, God had already been preparing to give them a king. But He wanted a king after His heart, not a king after Israel’s desires. The prophet Samuel was distraught over Israel’s wish, but God told Samuel: “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them” (8:7). Giving them a king at that point was not God’s will, but He submitted to the request of Israel and gave them King Saul. He would later dethrone Saul and give Israel David, the man God wanted.

We need to be careful that we don’t make God the Divine “Rubber-Stamper” of all things Americans vote for! Just because a man is in the White House does not mean he is a servant in God’s house.

Paul Holland

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You Cannot Judge a Book by Its Cover

Robin Williams died on August 11, 2014. Investigators found a belt around his neck and gashes on his left wrist. He was 63 years old. While some of his movies were inappropriate and his humor could be vulgar, he could also be very funny. But what was going on inside his head (thinking) and his heart was not funny. He was hurting and in pain.

Paul wrote: “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).

Self-deception is the easiest form of deception and the most deadly form. We can fool ourselves and we can fool others around us. What is visible on the outside is not always the same thing as what is found on the inside.

Perhaps you knew of guys or girls in high school or college who were attractive, athletic, even popular on the outside. But on the inside, they might have been lonely, or hateful and rude, or angry with life.

Hollywood is the epitome of this type of lifestyle. They go to parties and appear on TV to receive their accolades, Grammys, and Emmys. But in the privacy of their personal lives, they are drug addicts, suffer from broken marriages, throw tantrums, spend their money like drunken sailors, have eating disorders, and are just a step away from death.

But their hypocrisy is a reflection of our own, too often, hypocrisy. Having lived in a different country for 7 1/2 years, I know for certain that human beings are all the same. We speak different languages and come in different shapes and sizes. We have different educational levels and different income levels. In some ways, we think differently, act differently, and speak differently.

But in a real way, those differences are all superficial. Underneath the external appearances, we are just like each other. Sometimes we don’t talk the way we should. Or we don’t behave the way we should. Or we have attitudes we should not express.

So it is that Paul tells us to recognize we have received grace from God so that we should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Instead, we should think soberly according to the measure of faith God has given to us.

And be gracious with others. Because we don’t know what is going on in their heart or mind.

Paul Holland

A new study released yesterday (2-26-2025) by the Pew Research Center shows the decline of Christianity in the US has slowed and may have stabilized. The survey of 36,908 Americans, conducted in 2023 and 2024, found that almost 85% of US adults believe in God or a universal spirit, with 62% identifying as Christian—40% as Protestant and 19% as Catholic.

The news comes after years of steady decline, with previous studies showing 78% of US adults identified as Christian in 2007 and 71% in 2014. The study also found that 29% of Americans are religiously unaffiliated, including atheists, agnostics, and those identifying as “nothing in particular.”

Significant age gaps persist, with only 46% of adults younger than 25 identifying as Christian, compared to 80% of those older than 74. Non-Christian religious groups make up 7.1% of the population, up from 4.7% in 2007.

Unfortunately, in the area where we work, Vermont and New Hampshire, are the states with the highest percentage of people who say religion is not important. About 25% of people in this are take that view.

More Religious Statistics

In the February 2025 Christian Courier Jared Jackson reported these recent facts. “In many places, church attendance is on the decline among younger generations, particularly Gen Z (age 13-28), who are twice as likely to identify as atheists compared to previous generations. Yet, a new Barna study offers hope: 52% of American teens are “very motivated” to learn more about Jesus, showing there’s spiritual interest among today’s youth.” He also gave stats showing that on their website in 2024 the age group of 18-24 included 38,271 active users with a 55.46% engagement rate. (Engagement meant reading more than one article).  He closed with this statement:

“These statistics reveal younger readers are open to exploring faith, while older generations remain deeply engaged. We should be encouraged – teens and young adults are searching for truth, and the Christian Courier is reaching them. Now is the time to engage, answer tough questions, and proclaim the gospel to all generations.”

Part of the problem is that many of these people have never seen what the New Testament church is really like. Let’s do our part to invite them to worship with us and let’s live so that they can see true Christianity.

Wayne Burger

“People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7)

On Coast Guard ships, junior crew members sometimes have to help in the kitchen. One young sailor, known for being clumsy, was always dropping dishes and making a mess.  One day, it was his turn again to help in the kitchen, and he was determined to make up for his past mistakes.

The crewman spotted a plain yellow sheet cake cooling on the counter. Wanting to impress the cook and show he could do things right, he whipped up some chocolate frosting and carefully decorated the cake. Proud of his work, he stood back, ready to impress.

Then the head cook walked in, looked around, and yelled, “Where’s my cornbread?!”

Just because it looked like a cake on the outside didn’t change what it was on the inside!  In the same way, we can be easily fooled by appearances.  We tend to judge people and situations based on what we can see on the outside, but God sees deeper — he looks at the heart.

In 1 Samuel 16, when Samuel was sent to choose Israel’s next king, he assumed Jesse’s strongest, most impressive-looking son was the right choice.  But God corrected him by saying, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

God doesn’t care how impressive someone looks or how they appear to others. What matters to him is the condition of their heart.  And as we learn from the story, it wasn’t the oldest son, but the youngest — David — whom God had chosen to be king.

We can spend a lot of time trying to look a certain way — trying to say the right things, act in ways that impress others, or keep up a good reputation.  But what really matters is what’s happening inside.  Are we truly seeking God, or are we just pretending?  Are we living with a heart of humility, kindness, and love, or are we only focused on how we come across to others?

We need to remember that God isn’t looking at our actions alone; he’s looking at the intentions behind those actions.  So, the next time you find yourself focusing on what others can see, remember that God looks deeper.  He sees your heart.  And that’s what truly matters.

Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for those times I’ve been more concerned with how I look or what others think of me.  Help me to focus on what really matters.  Shape me to be more like you, and may my life reflect your love in a genuine way.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith