Search me O God

Psalm 139:1–24 (ESV):  

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

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

you discern my thoughts from afar. 

 3  You search out my path and my lying down 

and are acquainted with all my ways. 

 4  Even before a word is on my tongue, 

behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 

 5  You hem me in, behind and before, 

and lay your hand upon me. 

 6  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; 

it is high; I cannot attain it. 

 7  Where shall I go from your Spirit? 

Or where shall I flee from your presence? 

 8  If I ascend to heaven, you are there! 

If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 

 9  If I take the wings of the morning 

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 

 10  even there your hand shall lead me, 

and your right hand shall hold me. 

 11  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, 

and the light about me be night,” 

 12  even the darkness is not dark to you; 

the night is bright as the day, 

for darkness is as light with you. 

 13  For you formed my inward parts; 

you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 

 14  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 

  Wonderful are your works; 

my soul knows it very well. 

 15  My frame was not hidden from you, 

  when I was being made in secret, 

intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 

 16  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; 

  in your book were written, every one of them, 

the days that were formed for me, 

when as yet there was none of them. 

 17  How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! 

How vast is the sum of them! 

 18  If I would count them, they are more than the sand. 

I awake, and I am still with you. 

 19  Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! 

O men of blood, depart from me! 

 20  They speak against you with malicious intent; 

your enemies take your name in vain. 

 21  Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? 

And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? 

 22  I hate them with complete hatred; 

I count them my enemies. 

 23  Search me, O God, and know my heart! 

Try me and know my thoughts! 

 24  And see if there be any grievous way in me, 

and lead me in the way everlasting! 

Have you ever asked God to ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!’? Or does that idea terrify you? David must have been completely confident in his righteousness as he wrote this psalm. He asked God to search him, and he was prepared to act on anything that God would highlight as ‘grievous’ - What faith! David clearly had confidence to approach God like this, and totally trusted in the goodness, righteousness and mercy of the One he spoke to. He understood that God is holy and pure, and so who better to search and know him, and point out any wrongdoing than someone who is purely good. This demonstrates David’s deep desire to live a life in line with God’s ways and precepts. He is prepared to allow God to pinpoint where he is going wrong, because he knows it is better for him. Plus it will benefit those he loves and leads as he becomes a better follower of God. So he completely trusts and even asks God to have a critical look at his whole life. This would mean his; actions, inactions, thought processes and decisions. David knows that God can ‘discern my thoughts from afar…. and are acquainted with all my ways’. David knows he can trust God and invites Him to show him what He sees. Often we are not very good at judging ourselves, either being too critical or too lenient in our self-assessments, so much better to ask Father God who intimately knows and loves you, He will give you a real and just appraisal!

David knows that because God really knows him; his design, thoughts, speech, heart, desires, ways, patterns of work and rest, God can truly judge. God knows all of these things, and still loves David. The same is true for you. David knows that God sees where he goes whether near or far, in the open or hidden, in darkness or daytime - God knows all of it! The same is true for you. Nothing is hidden or unknown to Him. God knows, loves and understands you better than you even know yourself. So who better to ask to search and know you? Who better to ask what you should do, say, or if you are thinking right? 

When you find things confusing or are unsure whether you should have said or done something, go to God. Ask Him about it. Ask Him to, 'Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts'. For He will tell you the truth. God is good and pure, and He knows and loves you. His response will be upright and just, He will lead and guide you, admonish and uplift you so that you can learn to follow Him better. Other people can give you ideas, opinions, correction and affirmation, but there is only One who knows you well enough to really understand and see beyond the surface. It should not be a scary thing to go to God asking Him to search you, know your heart, and your thoughts. He loves you and has invited you to live for eternity with Him. So you can confidently ask Him to reveal things in you because He will do it with kindness and love. He does not seek to hurt or harm you - look at all the times He has protected and fought for you. Instead God will listen, speak to you, and give you good direction. He will heal your heart and your mind if you ask Him to, and will lead you into ‘the way everlasting’. Is that where you want to go? Are you willing for God to search your heart and mind so that you can live as a better follower?

What is sin?

  So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. 

James 4:16–17 (ESV)

James here is telling us that sin is not just the things that you do that you know are wrong, but also not doing the things that you know are right. Have you ever considered that? 

Being apathetic, noncommittal or neglecting to do the right thing is just as sinful as doing something you know is wrong. Think about the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. I am sure most would say that the men who walked passed and did nothing were wrong. They did not show good character, kindness, faith or love by ignoring the plight of the injured man. The priest and levite walked passed, they were men of faith so they knew better. They would have read the scriptures and understood that God instructs them to love their neighbour, yet they still went their own way, ‘so whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.’ Those two men were ignorant and they sinned by doing nothing. I doubt that the priest and levite considered that their lack of action was deliberately sinful. Maybe they were too busy, distracted or scared to help. However, did they know the right thing to do and fail to do it? 

It is easy to sin this way for all of us, no matter how much you love God and know His word. Have you ever not done what you know is right because you have been afraid, too busy, or not thought it was a big deal? If you have known the right thing to do and not done it, that is sin.  Just like we acknowledge that the levite and priest were wrong, it is wrong for you to overlook doing what you know is right too. I think we have all sinned in this way because it can be scary to do the right thing, or will take too much time, so we neglect to do it instead of being obedient to God. That is the reality. 

All sin is doing the opposite to what God wants. That is whether you knowingly do something you know is wrong or not doing what you know you should. It is so easy to sin isn’t it?!

The Bible tells us, ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23). So it should be no surprise if you realise that you have neglected to do right at times. James has not written this to condemn you, but quite possibly to wake you up to the reality that sin is easy to get into and so thank God for Jesus! Jesus has put to death all sin. The things you have done wrong and the things you should have done but haven’t - his death and resurrection cover all of it! This means that you can be restored to God and to the sin-free state God always intended you to be in. How incredible is that?! All you need do is recognise what Jesus has done, ask God for His forgiveness for when you have got it wrong, accept it, and then ask God for His Holy Spirit to empower you to do what you know is right in future. Sin may be easy to get into, but if you know Jesus has paid the cost for all of it, sin is also easy to be free from. Jam