03.07.2025 | A Heart That Seeks – God Meets You | HEART ANCHOR

God Looks Deeper – Why Your Heart Matters More Than Your Abilities

1 Chronicles 28:9

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Bible Text

“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing soul. For the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”
– 1 Chronicles 28:9

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Introduction

Have you ever wondered if you’re good enough for God? Maybe not religious enough, not strong enough in faith, not perfect enough in behavior. The good news is: God isn’t looking for your performance first – He’s looking for your heart. In 1 Chronicles 28:9, King David gives his son Solomon a deep, almost intimate admonition. A message that still speaks directly to our hearts today:

“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing soul. For the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” – 1 Chronicles 28:9

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Devotional

David is nearing the end of his life. He has known highs and lows – victories and guilt, praise and repentance. And now he speaks to his son, the future king. His words are not political advice or military tactics. It’s not about power, but about the heart.

He’s essentially saying: “Solomon, if you understand one thing, let it be this: your success doesn’t depend on how big your kingdom becomes, but on how real your relationship with God is.”

David speaks of the heart – of authenticity, devotion, and the decision to truly know God. It’s not enough to know about God. You are called to know Him. And then – to serve Him, not out of duty, but with joy.

God doesn’t look at what people see. He sees deeper. Ellen White writes:

“God does not regard the outward appearance. He is not impressed by what man possesses or how he is viewed by others. He looks at the heart and asks: What is the condition of your soul?”
(Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 43)

If you seek Him – He will be found. That’s not a “maybe” – it’s a promise. God isn’t hiding. He’s waiting for you to open your heart and invite Him in. And when you do, you will find Him – more deeply than you ever imagined.

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Story – “The Boy with the Wooden Heart”

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Lian. He lived in a village where everyone had a shining heart made of gold. But Lian’s heart was different – it was made of wood. It didn’t shine. The other children laughed at him. Even the adults looked at him with pity.

Lian often asked his mother, “Why did God give me a wooden heart?”
She answered, “Maybe because He wants to remind you that what matters most isn’t the shine – but that your heart is real.”

One day, a wise old man came to the village. He was blind, but when he met Lian, he said: “Your heart – I feel its warmth. It may be made of wood, but it beats sincerely.”

Then he added: “True beauty isn’t seen with the eyes. It’s recognized by what comes from within.”

From that day on, Lian began to trust God – with his wooden heart. And the more he prayed, opened up, and served others, the more his heart began to glow – not like the others, but with a warm, deep light.

In the end, it wasn’t the golden heart that moved God – but the genuine one.

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Reflection – What does this mean for you?

• God wants your heart – not a performance.
  He doesn’t care about perfect words or religious masks. If you come to Him honestly, He welcomes you.

• God searches – but doesn’t condemn.
  He knows your thoughts – even the dark ones. And yet He invites you: “Seek Me – and I will be found.”

• Faith begins with relationship.
  Not with achievement, but with truly getting to know Him. God doesn’t want to be just a “follower” – He wants to be your friend.

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Action Steps for Today

• What does my heart really think about God?
  Take time to be honest before God – no mask.

• Where am I seeking God – or have I stopped seeking?
  Start the journey again. He promises to be found.

• Am I willing to serve God with a willing heart – even while I still have questions?

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Prayer

Dear Father in Heaven,
You see my heart, my innermost being. You know where I’m honest – and where I’m hiding.
I don’t want to just know about You through stories or tradition. I want to truly know You.
Help me to seek You – with all my heart. And when I do, Lord, let Yourself be found.
Make my heart ready – for real encounter, for true surrender, for a life with You.
Amen.

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/03-07-25-a-heart-that-seeks-god-meets-you-heart-anchor-youth-devotional/

Lesson 1: Oppression – The Background and the Birth of Moses

1.3 Moses Is Born
A Child of Hope: God’s Plan Begins in Secret

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Introduction

Some lives begin in the greatest distress—and yet God uses them in marvelous ways. Such was the life of Moses. When he was born, every Hebrew boy in Egypt faced death. And yet he survived. Why? Because God’s hand was visibly upon him. Exodus 2:1–10 powerfully shows us how God’s providence works amid threat, fear, and chaos—and what it means for us today.

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Bible Study: Exodus 2:1–10 

Moses is born into a time of overwhelming oppression. The Pharaoh has ordered every Hebrew boy to be killed (Exodus 1:22). Yet a Levite couple defies the decree and gives birth to a son—Moses. They recognize that this child is “good” (Hebrew tov), a hint of divine purpose.

For three months they hide him. Finally, they place him in a reed basket on the Nile, trusting that God Himself will take control. And indeed: Pharaoh’s daughter finds him, is moved with compassion, and adopts him as her own son. Moses grows up in the palace—kept safe, protected, and prepared.

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Answers to the Questions

Question 1: Read Exodus 2:1–10. What role did God’s providence and protection play at Moses’ birth?

• Birth in Danger: Although all Hebrew boys are to be killed, God gives the parents courage to keep Moses alive.

• Called “Good” (tov): This term echoes the creation story. God sees in Moses more than a baby—He sees a future calling.

• Rescue on the River: The basket is set adrift at exactly the right time and place—straight into the hands of Pharaoh’s daughter.

• Return to His Mother: Moses is not only saved but also spends time with his birth mother, receiving vital spiritual grounding.

All these elements show that God acts decisively even when humanly all seems lost. His ways are often hidden, but never random.

Question 2: How much do you learn that ultimately proves useless for what really matters?

Moses received an extraordinary education in Pharaoh’s house—language, leadership, warfare, diplomacy: all the makings of a great ruler. But when God calls him, most of those skills prove irrelevant. God leads Moses into the wilderness for forty years, where he learns what truly counts: humility, obedience, and dependence on God.

This question challenges us today: How much time, energy, and effort do we invest in things of no everlasting value? Knowledge, abilities, status, control—they are good when used for God, but worthless if they draw us away from Him.

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Spiritual Principles

• God’s plan often starts in secret. Great callings arise from humble beginnings.

• God’s protection works through simple means. A mother, a basket, a child—these suffice for Him.

• True training happens in God’s school. Worldly wisdom alone cannot equip one for spiritual mission.

• God fulfills His promises even when all odds are against them.

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Application for Daily Life

• Trust that God sees your life—even if no one else notices.

• Offer Him your “today” even when you don’t understand your “tomorrow.”

• Examine your learning—does it draw you closer to God or farther away?

• Embrace apparent setbacks (like Moses’ wilderness years) as God’s preparation.

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Conclusion

Moses’ story begins in utmost danger and culminates in divine calling. His life proves: God rescues those whom others discard—and then uses them. His story shows that no child, no person, and no life is accidental. God’s eyes are fixed on what He Himself has deemed “good.”

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Thought of the Day

Your journey may not start in a palace but in a simple basket. Yet if God’s hand rests upon you, He will lead you right where you are needed.

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Illustration – “The Baby in the Box”

Hamburg, 2023
Garbage collectors first thought it was an animal: a cardboard box, drenched, shivering under a bridge on a winter’s night. When they opened it, they found an infant wrapped in an old coat—with a note pinned to his chest: “Please save him. His name is Samuel.”

He was taken to the hospital and stabilized. No mother or father came forward. After a few media reports, the story quietly slipped from the public eye. But a pediatric nurse named Miriam never forgot him. She contacted child services and prayed continually. Weeks later, she was granted custody.

“I don’t know why,” she often said, “but I believe God has a plan for him.”

Samuel was different—quiet, observant, thoughtful. In school he stood out not for grades but for helping others unseen. At seventeen he began mentoring other foster youth. At twenty-one he studied social work. By thirty he led an international children’s charity—quietly, effectively, in deep faith.

His colleagues sometimes ask why he fights so passionately for life. He smiles and says,
“Because I was meant to die—but God had other plans.”

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/lesson-1-oppression-the-background-and-the-birth-of-moses-1-4-moses-is-born-exodus-living-faith/