by Dona Hake
Psalm 139:23-24 (NRSV)
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if
there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if
there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
I believe a very good prayer to ask the Lord on a regular basis is asking Him to search our hearts and expose anything that would hinder our walk with Him. To me it is so liberating to know that our God knows us inside and out, and may we ever stay humble in His sight. It is as we remain humble that we can receive from Him what He sees in us and any steps of correction we need to make. It is only as we grow in humility that He can stop us and correct us if we are asking Him for something that is not good for us or we are asking with wrong motives.
I am going to give you an example to help you connect with this thought. Did you ever have your child ask you for something they realllllllllllly want. Let’s say they ask you for a piece of candy about an hour before bedtime. If they are of age to understand you may begin to explain to them why they cannot have the candy. Let’s say their reaction to your wise explanation is one of those “pretty please” looks that come over their cute little face, and they proceed to try to convince you that they should have it. If you are a wise parent that is not being moved by cuteness, you will put your foot down and say “no!”.
I can remember talking to my one son when he was younger after he asked a question, and he did not understand the answer I gave him. I said, “Sometimes you are not going to understand answers to your questions because you are too young to understand, but I ask you just trust me as your mother. You don’t always need to understand before you agree. You need to trust me that I am telling you the truth, and giving you the wisdom that you need for this matter” I would proceed to explain that submission to authority will make you want to obey whether you agree or understand. Likewise we are to submit to God because He loves us and we can trust Him.
Sometimes this is how the Lord deals with us. He simply desires that we obey, and do what He asks or asks us not to do and as time goes by the understanding will come to us by the Holy Spirit. As we stay conscious of God, and let Him be our friend we will become more aware of His presence. When we stay aware of His presence, we will become even more diligent to seek Him in every matter of our lives. Today let us meditate upon seeking Him with our WHOLE heart that He may lead us in the way everlasting!