Determining to stay on God’s tracks starts with a right heart.
Psalms 17:1-6 AMP
“Hear the just (righteous) cause, O Lord; listen to my loud [piercing] cry; Listen to my prayer, that comes from guileless lips. Let my verdict of vindication come from Your presence; May Your eyes look with equity and behold things that are just. You have tried my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tested me, and You find nothing [evil in me]; I intend that my mouth will not transgress. Concerning the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the violent. My steps have held closely to Your paths; My feet have not staggered. I have called upon You, for You, O God, will answer me; Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.”
In first Samuel 13: 14, God called David a man after “My own heart” because of his passionate pursuit of God his willingness and love to please God.
David says in Psalms 17:1-6 AMP, ‘My steps have held closely to Your paths [to the tracks of the One Who has gone on before]’ (v.5a, AMP). The Hebrew word for paths literally means ‘wheel-tracks’. David is absolutely determined to stay on God’s tracks. In order to stay on God’s tracks, you need to watch:
1. Your heart (what you think about)
‘Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil’ (v.3a).
2. Your words (what you say)
‘I have resolved that my mouth will not sin’ (v.3c).
3. Your feet (the places that you go)
‘My feet have not slipped’ (v.5b).
We are all under examination, and sitting a test every day is a reality we must be aware of. The level of our awareness and understanding of the implication of whether we pass or fail will be fully known on the day of accountability – will there be a frown or a smile on the face of our maker when we return to Him?
Job 7:17-18 NLT
“What are people, that you should make so much of us, that you should think of us so often? For you examine us every morning and test us every moment.”
Your claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ is not demonstrated in whatever you have decided to do that looks good on the surface, but it is the outflow of your heart leading to your action that God looks at. If your heart is evil, you cannot produce anything that is acceptable before God. An evil heart produces evil fruits, and a good heart produces good fruits.
Luke 6:45 TPT
“People are known in this same way. Out of the virtue stored in their hearts, good and upright people will produce good fruit. Likewise, out of the evil hidden in their hearts, evil ones will produce what is evil. For the overflow of what has been stored in your heart will be seen by your fruit and will be heard in your words.”
We may have mastered how to hide our true intentions from other people, but nothing is hidden from God. And no matter how long a matter is hidden, one day, it will bubble to the surface.
Psalms 17:3 NLT
“You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinised me and found nothing wrong. I am determined not to sin in what I say.”
It is wisdom and safety that we daily subject our heart and mind to divine testing (in prayer and by the truth of the holy scriptures) so that we can make necessary corrections with the help of the Holy Spirit on time.
Psalms 139:23-24 AMP
“Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”
Psalms 51:16a MSG
“Going through the motions doesn’t please you; a flawless performance is nothing to you.
If you are just going through the motions every day with a heart that is not yielded to God, don’t fool yourself you are not pleasing God, and you need to be very aware that the adversary is looking for an opportunity to devour those operating outside the zone of the will of God.
1 Peter 5:8 AMP
“Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.”
God desires truth. His Spirit is the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13). He sees what is hidden in our hearts, and He will judge us or acquit us based on our heart content and what flows from it. It is wisdom to live a consecrated life where one’s heart is submitted daily to the scrutiny of God.
Psalms 139:23-24 AMP
“Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”
Psalms 51:6, 17 AMP
“Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom. My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.”
May God always be the longing of our hearts. May we never find ourselves in the place where we can live our lives without Him as our priority in Jesus Name.
Psalms 42:1-2 EASY
“God, I need you so much! I look for you as a thirsty deer looks for streams of water. Deep down inside me, I am very thirsty! You are the God who lives, and I need life from you! When will I be able to come near to you and see you face to face?”
Without God, we are nothing, and we cannot do anything of any true worth; He is the source of all that truly matters, and it is in vital union with Him that we matter and can do more in our lives, have more in our lives and be more in our lives.
With every decision we want to make, with every step we plan to take, our heart must be trained to seek out the will of God – this is the secret on staying on the track of God that leads to a life of joy, peace and satisfaction.
The Message Bearer
Cornelius Bella
corneliusbella 