Right Between the Eyes...

2 

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,

    but the Lord weighs the heart.

3 

To do righteousness and justice

    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

4 

Haughty eyes and a proud heart,

    the lamp of the wicked, are sin.

(Proverbs 21:2-4)

The core of is short passage is that proverbial truth stated more than once in Scripture: giving sacrifices (or tithes and offerings, or even time and toil) must be consistent with the heart and with our other actions of worship and service. Before and after this truth, Solomon talks about the eyes as a gateway to our motives and innermost being. God looks on the heart (remember hearing that before?), and the eyes can reveal a pride and self-reliance that undo any gift or act we may bring as a "sacrificial offering" to God.  Sometimes we think no one else knows why we give, or do the "good things" we do, but God always does. He is not conned, fooled or tricked into accepting a payoff. His truth and wisdom hits us right between the eyes, where He can look and see the real "me." True sacrifice involves wanted what He wants, pursuing a right relationship with Him and others, and doing what is right because we want to please and honer Him. May our lives be a pure sacrifice today.