“The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all the inner depths of his heart.” – Proverbs 20:27

When I read this verse, I envisioned people who are genuinely committed to God with hearts lit up. I imagined God looking at the earth from a distance and knowing those who are His because their hearts aglow with the fire of the Holy Spirit. I want that. I want my heart to light up for Jesus. It’s comforting to know that God’s children will never be lost because God sees the glow in their hearts radiating from the earth.

I always pray that God will make my heart clean for it to be a vessel of that light. God is still working on me and I believe He will continue to work on me until He calls me home. The other day I remembered a friend who, every time I looked at her, seemed to glow differently. I couldn’t put my finger on it then but now I understand it’s God’s glory shining through her. She told me during one of our many fellowships that she is beautiful because God created her.

Her confidence does not rest on her physical attributes but on the Word of God. That’s God-confidence! It’s easy to feel down when we hear people belittle us because of our physical shortcomings, lack of abilities, etc. However, when we are deeply rooted in Christ, no matter what other people say about us, we won’t be swayed because we know who we are in Christ. We know that it’s not about what we do but about what Jesus did for us. It is God who defines us, not people. In the same chapter I read my devotion from this morning are the verses below:

“Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?” – Proverbs 20:6

“Who can say, ‘I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin’? Diverse weights and diverse measures, they are both alike, an abomination to the LORD.” – Proverbs 20:9-10

We often hear people say, “Oh, he’s a very good man” or, “She is so kind”. Sometimes we even hear others say about themselves, “I am a good person” or, “I help other people so I’m a good person”. However, we as Bible-believing Christians know that we are all filthy rags before God. We have nothing to boast before a holy God. The goodness of all the people in the world combined is nothing compared to the goodness of God.

A co-worker told me one time that she described me to her friend as “super bait”. She actually always tells me that I’m kind. I told her that I’m not perfect. Without God, I’ll probably always be in a fight mode when someone strikes a nerve, or I’ll give the silent treatment for good. It’s easier to be annoying and annoyed than to be holy. God is my leash, my pacifier, my sedative… I am nothing without HIM. If there is any goodness in me, it’s because of God.