At the risk of sounding redundant, it bears repeating again and again: while we often scrutinize how things appear, the Creator searches our hearts.

All that is seen is made up of that which is unseen. Integrity and faithfulness are always inside jobs. While our actions do, in many ways, reveal our motives and our most prominent desires, they can just as easily belie our intentions.

In a few words—we can and often will do what seems right for the wrong reasons. Greed and selfishness masquerade as drive and ambition. Pride and avarice present themselves as confidence and acumen. Cruelty and harshness are mislabeled as strength and conviction. Self‑deprecation and insecurity disguise themselves as humility and meekness. And, most disturbingly of all, sometimes only God knows the difference.

Some of the most consistent and unfortunate lies are the ones we tell ourselves. Thankfully, we are not left alone—the LORD has given us His help: the Holy Spirit, who sensitizes us, exposes our self‑deceptions, and frees us from them.

The psalmist must have known this when he declared:
“O Lord, You have searched me and known me…” (Psalm 139:1)

Do you see again how the Word and the Spirit collaborate to make us clean on the inside?

While we are often absorbed with and enamored by aesthetics, the God who makes all things beautiful in their time also desires truth in the inward parts.

Get it?

Are you ready to get clean on the inside?

Pray with me:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
—Psalm 51:10

Good morning. I love you all.

ihs,
just adam