Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
I was privy to a conversation between a conference president and his staff. When they were preparing for the conference, they had a discussion concerning how many of the attendees could be relied upon to give a helping hand. The staff at once began to call off names of those they knew would help. They knew this because they had helped many times in the past, it was what they were known for. I have come to realize through that example that I witnessed that God knows what he can expect from us. God would like to be able to depend on us for certaint behaviors. The question I put to myself is, what does God know he can expect from me? What behavior does he know I will follow? Will I behave myself in a way that brings glory to him or will I be selfish and self-centered? What can behavior can God depend on me for?
Job 23:10 KJV 10 "But he knoweth the way that I take..." God knew what to expect from job, He knew the man Job and he knew what He could expect from him, in fact, it is found in the next few verses. Job 23:11-12 11 "My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. 12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."
He knew what to expect from Job, and he knows what to expect from me and in fact from each one of us. Will it be to keep his commandments? Will it be to value those things he holds in greatest esteem? Or will it be self-gratification or selfish pursuits or even pettiness? Will we unite or will we divide? Can God depend on us to make a choice for him or for ourselves? We know that God looks for such answers because he has told us so when he describes the wilderness journey to his people:
He told them that he tried them to see what was in their heart, to see what choices they would make. Would they choose for him or when they choose for themselves? Deu 8:2 KJV "And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no."
We can also use the example of Hezekiah as God told us that he had left Hezekiah to try him. Was it not to see what he would do? The Lord left him to try him. 2Ch 32:31 KJV "Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart."
He tries man every moment of the day (to know what to expect from us). Job 7:17-18 KJV 17 "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? 18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?" God knows us in adversity by the choices we will make under pressure. Psa 31:7 KJV "I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;"
We must seek to be governed by the (reverential) fear of the Lord, it will help us to overcome deep flaws in our character. We do not want to be ashamed when we stand before Him. And so, what can he expect from us? If His law is written in our hearts according to the mandate of the New Covenant (Jer 31) then He knows we will strive to be obedient to His commands. If we desire and value the things He does then we will know Him and we will follow Him. This does not mean He expects sinless perfection but what it does mean is we will walk circumspectly before Him and put HIs ways before our own.
Above all else God wants us to be a Christian, to behave as a Christian. What we do for Him should flow out from charity and a desire to be Holy (as He is holy) and to have a servants heart. But what can He expect from us, what can He rely on us to do? Will it be to behave as a Christian or will we follow the world, be overcome by the flesh or allow bitterness to make us slaves to our adversary through resentment and offense?
What can the Savior expect from us?
How about those around us, our family, our friends, our brethren? What can they expect from us? Can they expect from us to do the right thing? When God tested Saul, what did he learn about him? He learned Saul would not obey...
1Sa 13:12-13 KJV 12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. 13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
And so we conclude where we began, what we love is what we will be like. God knows what we truly love so let us cry out to Him for a pure heart, pure motives and a heart that loves what He loves. He is building an eternal kingdom and He is looking for those who will govern with Him. It will be those who love what He loves and as a result are like Him.
