Search Me, O God. Know My Heart!

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

    you discern my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down

    and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue,

    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

You hem me in, behind and before,

    and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

    it is high; I cannot attain it.” (Psalms 139:1-6 ESV)

“Search me, O God, and know my heart!

    Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

    and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalms 139:23-24 ESV)

God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit – our creator God who made us and who brought us into this world – knows all about us. Nothing is hidden from God. Nothing at all! He knows all things and sees all things and he is everywhere all at the same time so he is always aware of who we are and where we are and what we are doing. And he knows us a whole lot better than we know ourselves, for as human beings we are susceptible to self-deception and of not being totally aware of what is in our hearts.

And this is why periodic self-examinations are important, because we want to make certain that we have not deceived ourselves in any way, and that we are not going in a wrong direction. And the direction we are headed in may not be evil at all, but it may have the potential to lead us into evil if we are not being discerning, and if our hearts and minds are not guarded, and if we, thus, open ourselves wide to opportunities unintended but nonetheless not where we should be going.

Take for example extramarital affairs. Some of these may get started innocently enough with just a casual conversation with a co-worker or a friend or someone met online. From the start there was nothing evil intended. But what is intended for good can sometimes end up going the wrong direction. And that usually happens when people’s hearts and minds are not guarded as they should be, and when they take steps forward without discernment and good judgment and common sense.

We, as humans, especially need to be guarded if we are going through trials and tribulations which weaken us physically and/or emotionally. Such weaknesses make us more vulnerable, especially if someone shows us particular kindness and compassion. Or if our marriage is struggling, that could make us more vulnerable. Or if we have just lost someone we loved to death, etc., that could make us more susceptible. We especially need to be guarded during these times of emotional and/or physical weakness.

But it is a good thing that God knows us inside and out, and it is a good thing if we periodically check in with him, too, to get his viewpoint of where we are and what we are up to, just in case we might be blindsighted to what is in our own hearts or to what dangers may be lurking ahead that we cannot see ourselves. And we have to be so careful to not be led by our emotions but by the Spirit of God, instead. For our emotions can get us into trouble if they are not brought under the control of the Holy Spirit.

I especially love this part here where it says that even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it altogether. So many times I have prayed that the Lord would let me know in advance what words are about to come out of my mouth so that I don’t say what should not be said. And I am not talking about filthy language or what is intentionally sinful, but about those little things we innocently say sometimes without thinking and that afterwards we wished we would not have said.

I love it when the Lord stops us and lets us know not to go there. And when he does that, it is critical that we stop when he says to stop, even if it is in midsentence. And sometimes we may have to apologize for what was already said, or we may just have to explain that we have said all we can say, and then resist the temptation to feel as though we must continue just because others are now going to want to hear the rest of it. The point is when God says “Stop!” we must stop, and sometimes hit “delete.”

So, the lesson here, I believe, is for us to all realize that we can be self-deceived, and we may believe we have good intentions, and we might, but we may not have thought things through all the way. We may just be responding to situations with our emotions and not with our good judgment and good common sense. And so sometimes we need to back up and reevaluate what is going on in our minds and hearts as we pray and ask the Lord to search us and to show us if there be any grievous way in us.

For, as followers of Jesus Christ, God/Christ is to be Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives. He is to be our “all in all,” and the one to meet our needs. Our lives are to be dedicated to him to his service and to doing his will. And everything else in our lives needs to come under his command and control as we submit to him in everything, and as we choose him over and above all else that this world has to offer us. We must be dedicated to faithful service to our Lord and to resisting all temptations to be unfaithful in any respect.

My God

By William Robinson Jr.

Lyrics altered to say “My God” instead of “My Guy”

Nothing you could say could tear me away from my God,

Nothing you could do 'cause I'm stuck like glue to my God.

I'm sticking to my God like a stamp to a letter,

Like birds of a feather we stick together,

I'm tellin' you from the start I can't be torn apart from my God.

Nothing you could do could make me untrue to my God,

Nothing you could buy could make me tell a lie to my God.

I gave my God my word of honor to be faithful, and I'm gonna,

You best be believing I won't be deceiving my God.

There's not a man today who could take me away from my God.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=girW7nTNnMQ

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Note: Not an endorsement of the Catholic faith and practice (see video)