Recently, at Cathedral of Faith, San Jose, CA, I taught on this topic that I titled “Heart and Hands.” It is a brief teaching from King David’s life in Psalm 78:70-72 about integrity and skillfulness. The video of that morning is available at this link, “Heart and Hands” Pastor Allen Randolph.
My heartfelt thanks to Pastor Ken Foreman of Cathedral of Faith for the privilege of ministering at the Cathedral’s 50th Anniversary, and also my friend, Jimmy DeYoung, for his technical help . .
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“God chose David . . He brought him to shepherd His people.” Psalm 78:70-71 NKJV.
Gifting and anointing is always by God’s grace and initiative.
I continue my thoughts and comments today about “integrity of heart.”
God evaluates your potential rather than your past, your availability not ability. God sees possibilities others assume improbable. God’s ways are eternal; they remain unchanged. In the Kingdom of God, Godly potential proceeds from integrity. There is a time to further develop your natural abilities and a place to hone your skills. Diligence in those is good stewardship of what God has invested in you, but God does not depend upon those alone. God’s gifting, with the Holy Spirit’s anointing, will surpass the very best of your abilities and efforts.
Gifting and anointing is by God’s grace and initiative alone. He initiates with grace; you respond with faith. Heaven’s initiative occurs wherever God finds spiritual integrity. For my purpose today, I would define integrity as, “a heart that serves God and others unselfishly with singular devotion to obedience.” As I wrote in the previous devotional on this topic, God looks upon your heart. Review 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV. Neither good intentions nor natural aptitude impress God or influence His decision to choose and use you.
God looks for the same spiritual qualifications that He sought and found in David. “God raised up for them David as king, to whom also [God] gave testimony, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’” Acts 13:22 NKJV. Allow the Holy Spirit to conform your heart to God’s heart and establish your heart to do God’s will in all ways, at all times and your life will be a life God can bless and use. The Bible wisely counsels, “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23 NKJV.
The Bible says, “God chose David His servant . . and took him from the sheepfolds to shepherd His people . . So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them with the skillfulness of his hands.” Psalm 78:70-72 NKJV. In those verses, the Hebrew word, “shepherded,” literally means “to provide nourishment.” Whatever you have to give God or others can only come out of integrity authenticated by faithfulness.
God’s testimony of David was two-fold; David shepherded/fed Israel according to the integrity of his heart and guided/led Israel with the skillfulness of his hands. The latter requires the foundation of the former. We will look further into the principle of spiritual integrity and skillfulness when we continue next week.
Today, I pray for you that your heart is pure before God and man.
To be continued . . Christian Communications
