One morning I woke up hearing the words, “evidence of the heart”.  One of the first Scriptures that came to mind was Matthew 12:34 that says “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”.  Then I looked at Luke 6:45,  “the good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks”.  According to those Scriptures whatever is stored in our heart is what we speak.  Whatever we continually take in by what we see and hear is being stored in our heart and will eventually be what we speak.

According to the dictionary, evidence is that something that proves or disproves something: it’s an outward sign, support: proof, or testimony.   It is an outward indication of an existence or fact of something.  If something is evident then it is clear to the vision, and understanding.  It is capable of being justified or defended

So evidence is something that is seen in our lives.  It is seen in the way we live, the way we talk, the way we manage our time, our money, and the activities we engage in; they all give proof of what is in our heart.  So what kind of evidence is there in your life and my life?  Does our life show forth the love of God?  Can others actually see God in us?  Are our motives and purpose for doing things rooted in the Word, in the love of God, and pleasing to God?  We all need to ask ourselves these questions.  We need to examine ourselves to see where, how and in what, we are in our growing.  We need to examine to see if we are moving away from God or towards God!  Matthew 18:16 tells us that “by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”  What others say about us is a testimony of the evidence they see in our lives, which in turn is in our heart.

Another question to ask is whether the evidence we see in our lives the same as what others see?  Could they be different?  Yes, of course they can.  We see ourselves with what we know is in our heart; the intent and motive, but others can only see the outward indication of what is in our heart.  So the next questions is, “are we really showing forth and living out the convictions of our heart so that our commitment, dedication and beliefs of our heart are outwardly seen correctly?”   These questions give us something to think about don’t they?   That’s why we really need to look at ourselves in the mirror of the Word of God and not just in the mirror of our own thoughts.  Are we conforming to the Image of God’s Word in such a way that His Life is evident in us?

Then there is the evidence of our own testimony.  Colossians 4:6 tells us that we should how we are to answer.  1 Peter 3:15 teaches us to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts, and always be ready to give a defense (answer) to everyone who asks us for the reason for our hope.   We should be so convinced of how God wants us to live, that we live accordingly, and make decisions to bring to pass His will for our lives.  A lot of people think this has only to do with the “big” decisions in life, but it’s also true that the “little” decisions are of great importance too.

Evidence can also be circumstantial or fabricated.  This is the type of circumstance Joseph found himself when he was in the house alone with Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 29).  What appeared to be evidence was not true.  In verse 21 we are told that God was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.  Because Joseph was true to God, God eventually brought him out of prison, and placed him in the position he was called to fulfill.  This tells us that no matter what circumstance we find ourselves in, God can have mercy on us and give us favor, even with our enemies, because HE is working in our life to bring us into a closer relationship with Him to fulfill His purpose and plan for our lives.

We cannot fulfill His plan for our lives if we don’t know Him.  And we can’t really know Him without seeking Him.  Matthew 6:33 teaches us to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”.  So let’s purpose in our heart to put God first place so that we are prepared to give an answer for our faith in Him.  Let’s begin each day with fellowship and conversation with Him.  Let’s be determined to establish our heart on His Word so there is evidence in our lives that we are His Children.