Jeremiah 17:10 says "I THE LORD SEARCH THE HEART, I TRY THE REINS, EVEN TO GIVE EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO THE FRUIT OF HIS DOINGS".

This is the word of God, and while meditating on it, the word "intention" stroke my heart.

A quick look at the dictionary shows that intention is the aim or purpose for which an action is carried out.

From a film I watched sometimes ago(Legend of the Seeker), the best intentions can result in the worst harm, and vice vasa. Because men cannot see our intentions, our actions could be misinterpreted leading to misunderstanding and conflicts, but from the passage of the scriptures above, the Lord knows, sees and will reward everyone according to our intentions not merely on what we do only.

There are many today who do the right thing or let me say, a good thing with a wrong or bad intention. The person who gave money to another with the mind of having something to abuse or accuse the other fellow in the future did a good thing by giving money but with bad intention.

For those who saw the kind did and the person who received the favour, such a person is a good man and sometimes he is referred to as God-sent. The truth is, there is no reward of eternal value for such because God weighs every action with the intentions.

I have seen a man who took care of the wife so much that no one suspected he was using her foetus for money rituals. The care was so much that no one cared to listen to the woman because they believed she had everything she wanted.

Hmm, intentions!

Let me ask you this question:

The good and kind deeds you are doing to people even at this period, with what intentions do you do them?

Is it so that you could boast later that they could have died of hunger if not for you?

Is it to enslave them so much that they can no longer feel free whenever they are around you? Those who used to counsel you can no longer do that because you have blocked their mouths with money or other material resources.

You need to search your heart, accept the truth of the state of your heart and intentions, and turn a new leaf. Please read Psalm 139:23,24.

My Funny Experience!

I was playing with a classmate on a sunny afternoon on the equipment at our playground in the primary school I attended (Social Primary School), when he suddenly fell and broke his arm. Some of our teachers ran down to take the boy to the general hospital very close to my school.

As they left, I observed that some coins have fallen out of his pocket. I immediately took the money with the INTENTION to spend them on my way home after the closing hour.

Somehow, something else took my attention till I got home and completely forgot that there was money in my pocket.

As usual, my grandmother took out the uniform for washing and discovered the money in my uniform. As her custom was, she immediately asked to know who owned the money since she didn't give any money to me.

I responded by saying the money fell from the pocket of a friend who had an accident in school. I didn't tell her my INTENTION was to spend the money.

She then left the washing and asked me to take her to our headmistress. Getting there, she narrated the story the way I told her and the headmistress was full of praises for me to have kept my friend's money for him.

Now, to them, I have done good, but before God it was with bad INTENTION.

Not long, our inter-house competition was two days away. Suddenly, on the assembly ground, the headmistress came before us after the usual activities, and announced my name.

I was shocked because I could not remember doing any bad thing the previous days. Those who attended public primary schools will understand. I reluctantly came out while looking at the cane in the hand of the most dreaded teacher in the school.

The headmistress then narrated how I returned lost but found money and have decided to reward me with a pair of sport wear.

You can imagine the joy and pride with which I walked in school and my community that day. I was quick to tell my friends from other school and anyone who cared to listen, not knowing that God was patiently waiting to teach me a lesson.

We did the sporting activities and left for home, but I decided to follow some of my mates to swim in a stream as part of celebration that we did well at the sports.

As we removed our sport wears and dived into the stream, somebody came without our notice and took ONLY my sport wear away. I only went home in the dark with the pant of one of my friends.

I got the sport wear and lost it immediately, because it was a gain from bad intention.

I didn't get the lesson until about 8 years later.

The question is, what are your intentions in doing what you do?

MIND YOUR INTENTIONS because God weighs them.

God bless you