God likes this kind of heart- rev. gitahi daniel
Cain Vs Abel
Gen 4:1-6 talks about Cain and Abel. Abel was a shepherd. Cain cultivated the ground.
These two stood before God with sacrifices. God accepted Abel and then his sacrifice. He rejected Cain, then rejected his sacrifice.
God will accept or reject you first, before acting on your offering of worship, givings, service etc.
God rejects anyone who is not right with Him. If you are not holy, your sacrifice will be unacceptable. This is because we must be holy because He is holy.
There is a heart that God likes.
In 1 Sam 16:7, God told Samuel not to look at a person's outward appearance and physical stature. That He, God, looks at the heart.
Jer 17:10 "But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”
God is holy. He created man in His image and didn't expect anything less.
In Gen 6:3, God was so angry that He declared that He was not going to strive with man forever. This was after angels committed abominable sexual acts with humans at the time.
Verse 5 of the same says that the wickedness of man was great and the imaginations of his heart continually evil.
Deut 23:18 "When you are bringing an offering to fulfill a vow, you must not bring to the house of the Lord your God any offering from the earnings of a prostitute, whether a man or a woman, for both are detestable to the Lord your God."
It is simple. God is holy. Anything filthy is not acceptable by Him.
The Heart that God Likes has These Qualities;
1. A Heart that Keeps His Word
John 14:15 says 'If you love me you will keep my commandments.'
If He has said that we should not commit sexual sins, then our love for Him will be shown in how we honour this command.
In Deut 26:16, Israelites were required to observe wholeheartedly the statutes and decrees issued to them by God.
2. A Heart that Serves Him
Deut 11:13 talks of serving God wholeheartedly, which was also a requirement for God's people, the Israelites.
3. A Heart that Loves Him
Your measure of your love for God is not in praying or fasting. It is not in how much you give, or how charitable you are.
As mentioned before, our love for God is seen in how much we keep his commandments.
4. A heart that Follows Him
We ought to follow the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There's a difference between following Jesus and following in His footsteps.
You can be a member of a good church - as far as teaching the right doctrine is concerned - but do not really do whatever they teach in that church.
In this case you will be following the church and not following in the church's footsteps.
5. A Heart that Seeks Him
In 2 Chronicles 15:12, The Israelites entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their souls.
God is found by those who seek Him. He is available to anyone who goes out of the way to find Him.
Isaiah 55:6 'Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.'
6. A Heart that Praises Him
Ps 86:12 says 'I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore.'
A heart that Praises God - in season and out of season - is pleasing to our God.
God desires that man worships/praises Him. This calls for us to approach Him with praises always.
No matter what situations you could be in, the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Neh 8:10)
7. A Heart that Trusts Him
Do not put your trust in people. Do not trust even your own family. Without a shred of doubt, trust God to save, deliver and provide for you in whatever circumstances.
Our help should only come from God. He wants us to trust Him without a plan B.
Jer 17:5 says that cursed is he who trusts in a fellow man.
In Prov 3:5 we are cautioned not to lean on our own understanding. Instead, we ought to acknowledge God in everything, so that He directs our paths.
8. A Heart that Believes Him
Rom 10:10 'For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.'
You can't be saved until you have believed. It doesn't matter whether the whole world does not believe. Have a firm stand by yourself.
Job believed and trusted God with all his heart. He actually had all the eight qualities of the kind of heart that God likes.