ECHO

A few months ago, I had an ECHO done (ECHO is short for echocardiogram, a special type of scan that shows and measures the dynamic functioning of the heart). As the scanning probe traversed my chest and displayed the “bottoms” of my (literal) heart on a screen, I thought it rather poetic how depths never before seen by human eyes were so easily sounded.

It also made me think of Hebrews 4:12.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword… it exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”                                                  Hebrews 4:12, NLT Paraphrased

Have you ever been in a situation where you’re trying to decide but can’t seem to tell whether your motives are in the right place? For believers, whose motives are as important as their decisions, being sure about motives can often be quite the pickle.

Thankfully, there’s a solution to this problem.

The fourth chapter of the book of Luke records the events of Jesus’ homecoming not long after His 40-day ordeal in the desert. The Bible records that He went to a synagogue in His hometown, where He was handed the book of the Prophet Isaiah.

 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor… to proclaim that captives will be released… the blind will be set free… The scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

Luke 4:18, 21, NLT Paraphrased

This was a Jesus who had just overcome a difficult battle and was reported to be full of the power of the Spirit. He could have chosen to be anything or anybody. But when the time came for Him to declare His ministry’s identity, He found it in God’s Word.

“The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”

Psalms 119:130, NKJV

God sees the depth of our hearts that even we sometimes find difficult to reach. His Word isn’t just able to reveal our actual motives to us; it is well able to guide us on the right path to take.

Next time you’re unable to sort out your motives, consider it a nudge to cross-examine your decision-making process with God’s Word.