🕊️ PRAY HERE Devotion 🕊️ A Person’s Heart Is Shown in Their Actions

Scripture: Matthew 15:18–19

“18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.

19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”

Devotion: Have you ever heard the saying, “Love is what love does”? That statement proves true every single day. Understanding this will protect you from being deceived; and it will also help you examine the truth of your own heart. We can say many things and even believe what we say, but our actions will always reveal the truth.

Someone may say, “I don’t have anything against John,” yet act cold, distant, or unkind toward him. Another may say, “I’m not afraid of the dark,” but their heart races and fear takes over when the lights go out. One of the most common deceptions is when someone says, “I love you,” but never shows it; everything they do centers around themselves, and their actions cause pain instead of care. The words may sound right, but the actions expose the reality.

Relying only on what people say, or what we want to believe, can mislead us. That’s why Jesus makes it clear in today’s scripture that what comes out of a person reveals what is inside their heart. When people lie, steal, gossip, slander, harm others, or live in immorality, those actions flow from the heart.

Jesus explains that it isn’t external things that make a person unclean or defiled; it’s the condition of the heart. Evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness (lying), and slander all originate within. These actions don’t appear randomly; they reveal what has been dwelling in the heart all along.

If someone truly has a good heart, good fruit will flow from it. A heart filled with love cannot consistently produce hatred. A heart aligned with God cannot be comfortable producing harm, deceit, or destruction. You cannot judge truth by words alone; you must look at the heart, and the heart is revealed through actions.

No matter what you’ve been told about someone, watch their fruit and you will always find the truth. More importantly, let your own heart align with your words and actions. Be like David and ask God for a clean heart. God is never fooled, because as Scripture reminds us, man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Prayer: Heavenly Father,

We come before You asking You to search our hearts. Remove anything in us that does not please You. Help our words, actions, and intentions line up with Your truth. Create in us clean hearts, and renew a right spirit within us. Teach us to walk in love, truth, and integrity; not just in what we say, but in how we live. Let our lives reflect You in every way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God bless you 🤍