12月6日
标 题：一颗爱神的心
经 节：我喜爱良善，不喜爱祭祀；喜爱认识神，胜于燔祭。（何西阿书六章6节）
对神而言，再多的行动也抵不上一颗爱神的心。历世历代以来，神的百姓以为，不管内心状态如何，自己的事奉及金钱奉献足以讨神欢喜。扫罗王慷慨地奉献祭品，希望神会不计较他的不顺服（撒母耳记上十五：22-23）。大卫可能以为，自己为神做那么多事，神会宽容他的罪（撒母耳记下十二：7-15）。亚拿尼亚与撒非喇以为，自己对教会慷慨捐献，可以抵消他们欺诈的行为（使徒行传五：l-11）。保罗本来以为，自己的热心能够讨神欢喜。但在信主之后，他下了个结论说，如果他有全备的信心可以移山、将所有财产周济穷人、献上性命成为祭物被焚烧，然而，只要他的心态不对，一切都没有益处（哥林多前书十三：1-3）。
每个人都很容易受此错误的认知所影响。我们可能被蒙蔽，以为神对我们的活动比对我们的心态更感兴趣。神始终如一地告诉我们，如果我们的心不对，即使是献上最丰硕的祭物和最热心的服事，神一点也不会满意的（弥迦书六：6-8）。不管你在教会有多少事奉、活动，或在基督教圈子里多有名望，神不会宽容一颗罪恶的心。祂想要的，是我们竭力去认识祂，并且全心全意爱祂。
A Heart
That Loves God
For I
desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt
offerings. (Hosea 6:6)
No
amount of activity for God will ever take the place of a heart that is right
with Him. Through the ages God’s people have been persuaded that they could
please Him through their service and their offerings, regardless of their heart
condition. King Saul offered generous sacrifices, hoping God would overlook his
disobedience (1 Sam. 15:22–23). David may have assumed that after all he had
done on God’s behalf, God would overlook his sin (2 Sam. 12:7–15). Ananias and
Sapphira thought that their generous gift to the church would compensate for
their deceitfulness (Acts 5:1–11). Paul was certainly one who had thought his
zealousness would please God. After his conversion, however, he concluded that
even if he had faith to remove mountains, gave all he had to feed the poor, and
offered his body to be burned for the sake of God, and yet had a heart that was
not right, it would all be for nothing (1 Cor. 13:1–3).
We
are susceptible to the same misunderstanding as all of these people were. We
can be deceived into assuming God is more interested in our activity for Him
than He is in the condition of our heart. God has consistently made it clear
that He will not be pacified by even the most generous offerings and zealous
service if our hearts are not right with Him (Mic. 6:6–8). No matter how much
we do in God’s service, regardless of how active we are in our church, no matter
how honorable our reputation in the Christian community, He will not overlook a
sinful heart. His desire is that we devote ourselves to knowing Him and loving
Him with all of our hearts.
