God knows the heart

Scripture: “God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.” – Acts 15:8

Belonging isn’t about behavior — it’s about the heart. When Peter stood up at the Jerusalem Council, he reminded everyone that God had already accepted the Gentile believers. They didn’t look like the Jews, talk like the Jews, or follow the Law like the Jews — but God saw their faith. He knew their hearts.

That truth changes everything. You and I often judge by appearance. We see people’s habits, struggles, and shortcomings. But God sees past the surface — into the hidden places where faith begins. Long before behavior changes, He’s already at work transforming the heart.

If we believe that, it changes the way we see people around us. Instead of waiting for them to “get it together,” we start meeting them where they are — trusting that the same God who purified our hearts by faith is still in the business of changing others from the inside out.

Reflection: Who in your life might God be working in, even if you can’t see it yet?

Prayer: Father, thank You for knowing my heart and loving me before I ever got it right. Help me see others through Your eyes — not by appearance, but by fai