The God of the Inside
I think you’ll agree that it’s easy to feel ordinary. We go to work, come home, eat dinner, go to bed, get up the next morning and do it again—it feels so ordinary. We may wonder if we’re accomplishing what God wants us to accomplish. We may think that if we were doing a little better spiritually, we wouldn’t be in the difficulty we’re in. Perhaps if we could just get a little closer to God, we wouldn’t be going through a trial. That’s the way we look at things—from the outside, by what’s going on around us.
But that’s not how God sees it. He looks on the inside, at what’s going on in our heart. When God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint one of the sons of Jesse to be the next king of Israel, He told Samuel to not look at their appearance. He said, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). He was saying to Samuel, “You look from the outside. You respond to life from the outside. But I am God of the inside.”
Today you need to know that God didn’t call you by name, He didn’t choose you to be His child, and He didn’t give His life for you so that you would be ordinary. He called you to be extraordinary. You are set apart by God. He has assignments for you to do, and He equipped you for your unique assignment. He has good plans for your life, and He put everything in you that you need for anything He calls you to do. Your gifts and talents, your personality and disposition—everything is just right.
You’re extraordinary today because God chose you to be extraordinary. He looked at your heart and said, “You’re My child. There’s no one else like you.” What I love about that is that God is always on the inside of us, and He’s working from the inside out. He’s working on our thoughts and our actions because He’s always at work in our heart. David said it like this: “You teach me wisdom in my innermost parts” (Psalm 51:6). God communicates with us in our hearts. So walk in humility because you know the God whom you serve. And remember that He put His power in you to accomplish the assignments He has for you because you have the living God dwelling within you!
But that’s not how God sees it. He looks on the inside, at what’s going on in our heart. When God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint one of the sons of Jesse to be the next king of Israel, He told Samuel to not look at their appearance. He said, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). He was saying to Samuel, “You look from the outside. You respond to life from the outside. But I am God of the inside.”
Today you need to know that God didn’t call you by name, He didn’t choose you to be His child, and He didn’t give His life for you so that you would be ordinary. He called you to be extraordinary. You are set apart by God. He has assignments for you to do, and He equipped you for your unique assignment. He has good plans for your life, and He put everything in you that you need for anything He calls you to do. Your gifts and talents, your personality and disposition—everything is just right.
You’re extraordinary today because God chose you to be extraordinary. He looked at your heart and said, “You’re My child. There’s no one else like you.” What I love about that is that God is always on the inside of us, and He’s working from the inside out. He’s working on our thoughts and our actions because He’s always at work in our heart. David said it like this: “You teach me wisdom in my innermost parts” (Psalm 51:6). God communicates with us in our hearts. So walk in humility because you know the God whom you serve. And remember that He put His power in you to accomplish the assignments He has for you because you have the living God dwelling within you!