Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Pastor Herk continues: Because of our fallen flesh nature, Christians stumble from temptations, distractions and sinful desires that harbor moral evil. Moral evil is any deviation of a moral agent from the rules of conduct prescribed to them by God; or it is any violation of the plain principles of justice and rectitude. All wickedness, all crimes, all violations of law and “right” (that which is right in the eyes of God) are moral evils. And when we are in the midst of sin, we tell ourselves that it isn’t so bad or that other people do far worse than what we do. We tend to be prideful, arrogant, deceitful, greedy, lustful, materialistic and egocentric. We may think that nobody knows about the wrongs that we do, but God knows.
When we pray: “Search me, God, and know my hear”, it is a dangerous prayer. God looks at our hearts and knows that we are not pure at heart. But, through this prayer, God can show us some corrective things about ourselves which can bring us into a more intimate relationship with Him. What the Lord reveals to you and I, are things that we need to change, to become closer to Him and grow into the likeness of Christ; a change for the better. Maybe it may be uncomfortable to hear what He has to say, but wholeheartedly meaning this prayer and really listening gives us the hope that the Holy Spirit will transform us in progressive sanctification (the act of making us holy. In an evangelical sense, the act of God's grace by which the affections of men are purified or alienated from sin and the world, and exalted to a supreme love to God. The act of consecrating or of setting apart from the fallen world for a godly and sacred purpose).
But King David goes on and says: “test me and know my anxious thoughts”, asking the Lord to examine him, try him, and know his disquieting secret doubts. How many of us are willing to ask God to do that open examination of our heart and reveal what is in there? What is it that truly makes you anxious and afraid? It seems that the things that we fear the most are the things that we trust God with the least. Problems and issues that we doubt if God can or will handle or provide for. Feeling over-whelmed and helpless, we trust that we can fix them, but do not trust God to fix them. In God we do not trust with everything yet, in Philippians 4:4-7 the Apostle Paul instructs us, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Proverbs 3:5-8 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.”
Dangerous prayer are startling, but what is needed, because God helps us through dark times in life and brings us peace in the storms. We may not hear what we want to hear from the Lord. God answers prayer with either “yes”, “later” or “I have something better in mind”. Trusting the sovereign Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of all, produces the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds because through believing in Jesus Christ, we have been reconciled to our heavenly Father with a regenerated spirit and have direct access in restored personal relationship as a child of God. He meets us where we are, but He doesn’t leave us where we are. He pours Himself into us through His great love. What have we don’t to deserve the kind of love that He gives us? The Apostle Paul explains to us in Ephesians 2:1-5, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” Agape love.
Let’s continue Pastor Herk’s message on the life lessons of love from our Heaven Father in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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