GOD IS ATTRACTED TO PEOPLE WITH A GOOD HEART

God is attracted to people with a good heart. First Samuel chapter 16, verse 7.

"The Lord take no notice of his looks or his height, for he's not the one for the etana. One does not pay attention to what humans value; humans only care about the external appearance, but the etana considers the inner character." The inner character. God prefers a good man to a gifted man. God prefers a good woman to a talented woman.

We need to understand God. And God was speaking to Samuel. If God was speaking to the average person in the temple, then you could understand that. You could reason that perhaps that man did not have mature understanding. But who was God speaking to here? A prophet, a national prophet, who had worked reasonably with the Lord. And the Lord was telling him, "People judge others by what they look like, including you." Somewhere, because Samuel was already convinced that Eliab should be the one that God has chosen, not by his character, but simply by his appearance, by his looks. And God had to correct him. He said, "I judge people by what is in their hearts, not by their talent, not by their gift, not by their office, not by the opposition. I look at a man's intentions." If only people could know the plans in the hearts of certain believers, the plans in the hearts of certain people. He said, "I look at the talks and the intentions in the hearts of men. I consider the inner character." The inner character. These are the things that attract God to people.

And so, when God was going to choose his own man, his own choice of a man to lead his people at this appointed time, one major criteria that was going to influence who God would choose among so many was a kind of heart the person had. The kind of heart the person had. Divine favor flows towards people with good hearts. Please listen to me, Brethren. Not every believer is a good man. Not every disciple is a good man. Not every minister of God is a good man. Not every disciple of Christ is a good woman. And this is one of the reasons why people have had terrible experiences in marriage, because they just assumed that someone you see in church, you meet in church, appears to be religious, appears to be spiritual, is obviously a good man, obviously a good woman. And the kind of experiences some people have had in marriage with a man they were married to, the woman they were married to, they would not even have that experience with an unbeliever, with certain unbelief.

If you doubt this, then let's go into the realm of employment. And Christian employers of labor will tell you that the person that has disappointed them the most, the most dishonest staff, the most disloyal, treacherous staff they ever recruited, was a believer. What kind of heart do you have? What kind of heart do you have? What kind of heart do you have? Don't befriend someone just simply because the person is gifted, the person is talented. What kind of heart do you have? Satan is gifted. Satan is highly, highly gifted. Are you talking about spiritual gifts? Spiritual power? Satan has it. But Satan has a very evil heart, a very evil spirit, a very evil nature, wicked nature. What kind of heart do you have? What kind of heart do you have?

You can speak in tongues and have a wicked heart. You can speak in tongues and have a wicked heart. You can lay hands on the sick and they are healed, and yet you are full of envy, you are full of covetousness. You can be a pastor like Gehazi, who was the associate minister to the prophet Elisha, and all your heart is full, your heart is as bad as that of a gold digger, as bad as that of a gold digger. So when people are coming to church, people are coming to the man of God, you are sizing them up to look at the one that seems to have money. And those that have money, you, you want to get closer to them. You begin to offer them better attention. This happens a lot. What kind of heart do you have?

People who know you very well, they know the kind of heart you have. In our families, we know the heart of everyone, every brother, every sister. Yes, we can deceive people outside, but family knows who we are. They know who we are. In fact, sometimes your parents may not really know who you are. You'll be shocked. That's why some parents, they almost, they almost go into depression when they suddenly hear what a son, a daughter has been involved in for a long time. And the brothers, they knew. The sisters, they knew. But the father never knew. The mother never knew. Your heart is not a reflection of who you, the kind of heart you have is not what you make people believe you are. It is what it is. Who you really are. It is not what you make your parents feel you are. So when you are in, you are at home, you are well-behaved. When you are in church, you are well-behaved. But when you are away from your parents, away from the family, on the campus, in a distant location where nobody knows you, you are a completely different person, completely different person. What kind of heart do you have?

God is attracted to women with a good heart. God is attracted to men with a good heart. Your occupation is not a reflection of your heart. Hello. Your occupation is not a reflection of the kind of heart you have. There are nurses today that have the heart of a devil. So why are there nurses? Because of the money. It's very rewarding, very, very rewarding in some parts of the world to work as a nurse. Are they, do they love people? Do they love to care for sick people? No. It's just because of the money. So they pretend to love people. They pretend to love the sick because of the money. It is not in their heart. It is not in their heart. What you are saying is not real. It's not real. I'm not talking about people who change. No. From day one, that was the intention in his mind. Pretending for a while, and then at an appointed time, they manifested their true colors. What kind of heart do you have? What kind of heart? What kind of heart do you have?

At the end of everything, the number one virtue, the number one sign of God in anybody is love. Is love. And when there is love in you, you will have compassion. You will have compassion. You will have compassion. I have seen believers that are old in the Lord, no compassion for anyone. No compassion for anyone. Proverbs 12:31, verse 10 through 12. He said, "A virtuous woman, who can find? Her value is far above rubies. A husband can trust her." Not because she's his wife. It is there is something about her, her character, the kind of heart. Yeah. And that is why the Bible can tell you in verse 12, saying, "She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life." Not all the days of his life. Not that she becomes a widow tomorrow and she starts sleeping with all the friends of her late husband, all the friends of her late husband.

I don't care about the gift you have. I don't care about your talent. I'm more interested, first, is foundational, about the kind of heart that you have. In Matthew chapter 1, verse 19. Matthew chapter 1, verse 19. We will see how the account of a man that was going to play a very, very significant role in God's plan. God already, already knew the virgin he was ultimately going to choose to bring forth our Lord Jesus Christ. So who was this man that God, already knowing ahead, permitted to be the husband of this woman that, as a virgin, will be the one to bring forth the Messiah? The Bible tells us something interesting about this man called Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. When this man was engaged to Mary, he observed. He observed that his fiancée was pregnant. Let's take note of this. This is where I know you are holy. I know you don't commit sin. But the other factors that will prove whether or not you have a good heart, kind of heart you have. When he suddenly observed that she was pregnant, and he knew he never had intercourse with her, he made up his mind to call off the relationship, as in order. But he did something that a lot of people would not do. The Bible says this man, he was a good man. And so, when he observed that Mary was pregnant, he decided to put her away discreetly. Discreetly. Be careful about people that are so destructive with people they have related closely with in the past. Be careful. The person will do the same thing to you the day, for some reason, you have issues. You need not wash getting linen in public while parting ways with someone that you were very, very close to. You need not, even when there is a reason, even when you have evidence. The kind of heart you have will be tested. Man, Joseph. The Bible says he chose to put her away quietly. He chose to separate away from her quietly. And the Bible, while describing him there, pointed he said, "He, he was a good man." It is with nature of the heart he had that influenced the way, the approach he chose to use. You are one of those that goes on social media to expose your husband, expose your wife. Is the kind of heart you have? Is a kind of heart you have? The kind of heart you have? And you don't know when you are doing that that you are indirectly warning other men and other women to be aware of you. That if any of them was to become your husband, not your wife, tomorrow, it is the same way you are also going to handle them.

In Proverbs 31, verse 12, he said, "She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life." About the pre, that's a, that's a, a model of the good wife. And in Matthew 1:19, you see a model of a good husband. Was Mary pregnant? Yes. Did they just have intercourse with her? No. Was that enough reason to, to break up the relationship? Yes. But rather than disgrace her publicly, rather than expose her publicly, he chose to separate quietly. The heart of a good man. The heart of a good woman. And the kind of heart you have will be tested. It will be tested in times of grievous offense. Grievous offense. That is when we know the kind of heart you have. Failed expectation. That is when we will know the kind of heart you have. Serious disagreement. That is when we will know the kind of heart you have.

The Prodigal Son. Why the father was alive, healthy, just, you know, so I said, "No, give me my own share. Your share of what? And your property." What entitlement mentality? Entitlement mentality. Why the man is still alive. And that's why he got everything made so much noise. The father allowed him, gave him his own portion, and he went and lived a very, very wayward life and encountered all kinds of terrible things there. Then when he could not be ate anymore, on where he was coming from. So when he came back to his senses, he swallowed his pride and he decided, of all places, all places to go back to his father's house. Why? He knew his father. He knew the heart his father had. He knew the kind of heart that his father had. The Prodigal Son could have repented, but knowing the kind of heart that his father has, he would not go back to his father's house. He would go and try and start afresh somewhere else. His father was sound morally, spiritually. When the, when the prayer, even when the father received him back, the father told the servants, "No, please get, you know, get the things ready. Big feast today." The Prodigal Son was confident his father will accept him back. When the elder in my father's family, we are 19, 19. This one had only two. The moment they, the heir brother returned, "What's going on here?" And one of the servants said, "Ah, is your younger brother." How many brothers did he have? Only one. Only one. Only one brother. Only one brother. Only one brother. And nobody knew where he was. He went far. Of course, you know, the communication goddess of that type. Nothing. Nobody knew where he was. He himself did not want people to know. And nobody was bothering about him wherever he chose to go. And he didn't say he's alive. No, no. Can you, can you see this your brother that has been away for so many years, suddenly you hear that he's, he has reappeared in the house? You, there was no expression of joy that, "Ah, he's alive." I know what kind of hearts do you have? What kind of hearts do you have?

And then your father has declared the feast. Take note. The servant told him, "Your brother, your brother." When the father was going to now talk to this elder brother, he said, "Your brother has returned." But you will hear what this elder brother will say. He didn't, he didn't call him my brother. Now, when he now, he refused to enter the house, he became angry. So eventually they told his father, "I said, your elder son is back, but he has refused to come in. He's very displeased with your reception for his younger brother that has just returned." He said, "Is that so?" So the father came out. He said, "Why are you angry?" He said, "Ah, ah, why would I be angry? Listen, go and check the scriptures. Time is up. Go and check the scriptures." He didn't say my brother returned. Oh my God. He didn't say my brother returned. He said, "Your son." They were not of different parents, mothers. They were not stepbrothers. He didn't say my brother returned. And you are doing this for no. He said, "Your son." Your son returned.

The heart of a person is often referred to as the spirit of the person. So when people say, "The man has a good spirit," they are indirectly telling you the man has a good heart. "The man has a bad spirit." It's also telling you the person has a bad heart. And so this cuts across every area of life. The heart of a good person. Could be from the perspective of a child. Their children with a good heart and their children with bad hearts. It applies to sons and daughters. They are sons with a good heart. They are daughters with a good heart. And they are sons with a bad heart. No matter the love you show them as a father, they will pay you back in a terrible way. They are daughters with a very bad heart. It applies to mothers. It applies to fathers. It applies to brothers and sisters. Their brothers and sisters with good hearts. Their fathers with good hearts. They are mothers with good hearts. Their husbands with good hearts. They are wives with good hearts. Their friends.

Afraid, you are having health issues as a result of your health issues, you can no longer do many things you were expected to do. Sometimes you have to go to the hospital. You have to be away from work. And you are still retained in that job. There is enough ground for you to be asked to go. But an employer with a good heart will say, "No, let's, let's, let's hold up." But he didn't come to work the whole of this month. He said, "No problem. Pay him." Ah, she didn't. She has not been in the office for the whole of the month. "Pay her." And sometimes this goes on for months because there is someone there in a position to influence that decision that has a good heart. That has a good. There are times when even a judge is reading, he said, "That this, you have found guilty. This, you have found guilty. This, you have found guilty." They're not at the end, do not say, "But, but nevertheless, but nevertheless, despite the fact that there is enough ground, enough ground for you to suffer the words, mercy." We speak. And that mercy is found in the heart. Not in the heart of a spiritual person. Not in the heart of a religious person. Not in the heart of a churchgoer. It is found in the heart of a man or a woman with a good heart.

So, I think the lessons are very clear. And when you are talking of a good heart, one of those scriptural bases we use to determine the attributes of a good heart is Galatians 5:22-23. The fruit of the spirit: love, love, joy, gladness, peace, be peaceful as much as possible, not troublesome, not confrontational, not contentious, not a nagging person, not a quarrelsome person, not a rebellious person. Be peaceful. Patience is another virtue. Patience. Show understanding with people. Kindness is another virtue that shows you have a good heart. Kindness. Impact to people things they are not entitled to. Give out of love. Give out of honor. Give out of gratitude. Give out of compassion. Give to help people. Like the prodigal. So like this good summary. Time who did what churchgoers, church leaders in that same story did not do. Goodness is another virtue. Faithfulness is another virtue. Gentleness is another virtue. Humility is one of them. Self-control is one of them. And some very key traits that will amplify the traits of a man or woman with a good heart: commitment. Commitment. Don't get involved when you know you cannot pay the price of commitment. But when you are involved, please pay the price of commitment. Conscience is another clue. People with good hearts, their conscience is alive, and they respond to the promptings of their conscience. Contribution is another clue. Anywhere God places you, family, church, support, what is going on there with the contribution? Contribution is a clue. People with good hearts, they contribute. No matter how small, they will give you an envelope. No matter how small, they contribute. It can be one thousand that is inside. It can be one thousand that's inside the envelope. It is the spirit behind that giving. Faithfulness is another attribute. Faithfulness. People with good hearts, they are faithful. They are faithful. The fruit of the spirit I mentioned that, and it has nine of those things. I emphasized honesty is another clue. Honesty. Honor is one of those clues. Oh, no. People with good hearts, they honor people. And they see the reason for honoring people. It will cost you money to honor people. Humility, integrity, loyalty, mercy. Mercy is something that is found in the heart of people of good men and good women. Obedience. Principles. Principles.