“Intention”
It’s a word I can’t seem to get away from this morning. The Lord keeps putting that word into focus this morning, and I’m not really sure why.
So I’m digging into it…
Intention is a powerful thing. Intention says, and shows a lot.
in·ten·tion
- a thing intended; an aim or plan.
- an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result.
- the end or object intended; purpose.
synonyms: aim, purpose, intent, objective, object, goal, target, end, design, plan, scheme, resolve, resolution, determination, wish, desire, ambition, idea, dream, aspiration, hope.
“An intention is idea that you plan (or intend) to carry out. If you mean something, it’s an intention. Your goal, purpose, or aim is your intention. It’s something you mean to do, whether you pull it off or not.”
– Vocabulary.com
I think of God’s intention….. I think of some of man’s intentions…. I think of the intention of the enemy….
I think of how intention can have hidden evil roots, covered up in fancy words or pretty faces and how God can bring that hidden plan to light to expose and keep us from harm — and perhaps to keep us from causing harm, even with our own “good” intentions.
At times, we may not even be fully aware of the true intention of our hearts, we could be in a state of blindness –but we cannot hide our true intention from God. He always sees right into our hearts.
“Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.” – Proverbs 21:2
“…then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men…” – 1 Kings 8:39
“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7
“Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?” – Mark 2:8
I’m so thankful and relieved that I can willingly be a part of this kind of “searching” that God does on my heart….
I can ask Him to reveal to me the things that are not the right intentions –intentions I may be unaware of — God can reveal these things to me, giving me the opportunity to allow Him to purify my heart and desires.
I don’t know about you, but I have discovered that I need my heart and intentions to be checked and searched and revealed and purified and submitted to God every single day. My own intentions can so get in the way if I’m not fully submitted to Him somewhere in my heart. I so desperately need these things to be revealed to me. And He will do it in the most loving, Fatherly way… when we come to Him with a willing, open heart, ready to be purified and repaired and set in the right place again.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.” – Psalm 19:14
“Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart.” – Psalm 26:2
“Yet, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, Who see the mind and the heart; Let me see Your vengeance on them; For to You I have set forth my cause.” – Jeremiah 20:12
God, I open the door of my heart to You –search and reveal to me, my true intentions. Help me to align my intentions with Yours – I cannot trust and depend on my own. Thank You for walking me through what You discover, leading me through how to realize my ways, how to uproot, how to set my heart on You, how to be purified in my intentions so that they always lead me back to You in everything I do. Purify my heart, O God! I want to see You clearly.
Thank You, Father. ?
-Heather ?