A heart that pleases God
‘No grain offering which you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the Lord made by fire. ~ Leviticus 2:11
Have you ever wondered what it means to have a pure heart before God? In a world full of distractions, opinions, and pressures, it can be easy to lose sight of what truly matters to Him. We can serve, give, and even worship outwardly, but God looks deeper. He sees the motives, the thoughts, the intentions and the quiet places no one else notices. Leviticus 2 gives us a picture of this truth through the grain offering, which represented gratitude, devotion, and purity before the Lord.
When the Israelites brought a grain offering, they were offering something from the work of their hands such as flour, oil, and frankincense. It was a personal act of worship that revealed the condition of their hearts. The instruction to keep yeast and honey out of the offering was a symbol of purity. Yeast often represented sin, pride, or corruption that spreads quietly. God wanted His people to bring something pure, untainted, and honest before Him. That same invitation is open to every believer today.
I remember a time when I was serving in ministry, doing everything I could to please others and meet expectations. It looked right on the outside, but my heart was worn out and resentful. During prayer, I sensed God whisper to me, “I care more about what’s in your heart than what’s in your hands.” That moment changed how I approached serving. I realized that a pure heart isn’t about being perfect. It is about being open and honest before God and allowing Him to purify what all that is inside of me.
Here are three truths from Leviticus 2 that can help you keep your heart pure before God:
1. A pure heart gives to God freely.
The grain offering was voluntary. It was given out of love, not obligation. God desires offerings that come from a willing spirit. A pure heart gives not to gain favor, but to express gratitude.
Look at how you serve, give, or help others. Ask yourself if it comes from joy or duty. Each day, offer God a moment of thanksgiving for what He has provided. Start your morning with a simple prayer: “Lord, I give You this day and everything in it with a grateful heart.” Gratitude keeps your heart free from selfish motives.
Example: I began setting aside a small portion each to send a message of encouragement to someone God placed on my heart. It has become a daily offering of kindness that brings joy to others and priceless peace to me heart.
2. A pure heart is free from mixture.
God’s command to keep yeast and honey out of the grain offering shows the importance of purity in our intentions. Yeast represents sin that grows when left unchecked, and honey can represent the sweetness of self-interest that distracts us from true devotion. A pure heart is not divided between pleasing God and pleasing self.
Ask God to show you if there is anything mixed into your motives that doesn’t belong. It might be pride, comparison, or bitterness. Take time to confess it and ask Him to cleanse you. Keeping your heart pure is not about perfection but about honesty before Him.
Example: I remember preparing to lead a ministry project and realizing I was more concerned about impressing others than honoring God. I prayed, “Lord, I want this to please You, not people.” That simple shift lifted the pressure and filled me with God’s heart for the project.
- A pure heart carries peace and worship.
Frankincense was added to the grain offering to create a beautiful aroma before God. This reminds us that a pure heart brings peace, worship, and joy wherever it goes. When your heart is pure, your life becomes a fragrance of Christ Jesus to others.
Spend quiet moments in worship, not just in song, but in gratitude throughout your day. Speak kind words, forgive quickly, and serve with gentleness. When you do this, you carry the presence of God with you into every situation.
When I began to give from a heart of gratitude instead of pressure, I noticed a new joy in my serving. God was not looking for my performance. He was after my heart of love for Him. He wanted my heart to be free, thankful, and full of peace.
Example: I started playing worship music while I worked around the house, thanking God out loud for His goodness. It changed the atmosphere of my home and reminded me that worship doesn’t only happen on Sundays, it happens in the ordinary.
Purity before God is not about perfection, it’s about presence. It’s about giving Him your best, keeping your heart honest, and carrying His peace wherever you go.
Today I want to encourage you to give God what is pure from your heart. Offer Him your gratitude, your honesty, and your worship. Let Him purify anything that feels mixed or heavy inside of you. He delights in a sincere heart that seeks Him without pretense. You do not need perfection to please Him, only purity that comes from humility and love. When your heart is pure before God, every act, word, and offering becomes a beautiful aroma of worship that rises to His throne.
Today’s scripture reading: Leviticus 2
1 ‘When anyone offers a grain offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. And he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it.
2 He shall bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests, one of whom shall take from it his handful of fine flour and oil with all the frankincense. And the priest shall burn it as a memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.
3 The rest of the grain offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is most holy of the offerings to the Lord made by fire.
4 ‘And if you bring as an offering a grain offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
5 But if your offering is a grain offering baked in a pan, it shall be of fine flour, unleavened, mixed with oil.
6 You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.
7 ‘If your offering is a grain offering baked in a covered pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
8 You shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the Lord. And when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar.
9 Then the priest shall take from the grain offering a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar. It is an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.
10 And what is left of the grain offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is most holy of the offerings to the Lord made by fire.
11 ‘No grain offering which you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the Lord made by fire.
12 As for the offering of the firstfruits, you shall offer them to the Lord, but they shall not be burned on the altar for a sweet aroma.
13 And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.
14 ‘If you offer a grain offering of your firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits green heads of grain roasted on the fire, grain beaten from full heads.
15 And you shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain offering.
16 Then the priest shall burn the memorial portion: part of its beaten grain and part of its oil, with all the frankincense, as an offering made by fire to the Lord.
Journal:
- What are some things I offer to God that might need purifying in my motives?
- How can I practice gratitude that comes from a sincere heart this week?
- Are there areas in my life where I give or serve from pressure rather than love?
- What does it look like for me to carry the fragrance of worship into my daily life?
The Daily Dose 