Psalm 139:23-24 (New International Version)
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know
my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in
the way everlasting.
It was Saturday morning as Jake, an avid hunter, woke up
ready to go bag the first deer of the season. He walked down to the kitchen to
get a cup of coffee, and to his surprise he found his wife, Alice, sitting
there, fully dressed in camouflage.
Jake asked her, "What are you up to?"
Alice smiled. "I'm going hunting with you!"
Jake had many reservations about this, but reluctantly decided to take her
along.
When they arrived at the hunting site, Jake set his wife
safely up in the tree stand and told her, "If you see a deer, take careful
aim and I'll come running back as soon as I hear the shot." He walked away
with a smile on his face knowing that Alice couldn't bag an elephant, much less
a deer.
However, within ten minutes, Jake was startled as he
heard an array of gunshots. Quickly, Jake ran back. As he got closer to her
stand, he heard Alice screaming: "Get away from my deer!"
Confused, Jake raced faster towards his screaming wife.
And again he heard her yell, "Get away from my deer!" followed by
another volley of gunfire!
Now within sight of where he had left his wife, Jake was
surprised to see a cowboy, with his hands high in the air. The cowboy,
obviously distraught, said, "Okay, lady, okay!!!! You can have your
deer!!! Just let me get my saddle off it!"
I suppose we've all done some pretty stupid things in our
lifetime. I'd like to share with you some of the most stupid mistakes I've ever
made but unfortunately, time and space does not permit!
We all have done something stupid, we don't want anyone
else to find out about it. In fact, we go to great lengths to make sure that no
one learns about it. We don't want the embarrassment of ridicule. We don't want
to hear, "I told you so!" or "You should have known
better!" or "What were you thinking?!" So we are reluctant to
share our shortcomings.
That's why the passage in Psalm 139 can be a bit
perplexing:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and
know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the
way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)
Do you see what David is doing? He is inviting God to
take a look at his heart and find all the stupid things that are hidden there.
Why would he invite God to do that?
I can only think of one reason. David had an absolute
trust in God. He knew that God loved him. He knew that instead of ridiculing
him or berating him upon finding fault, God would do everything in His power to
help David to find restoration and peace of mind. David had the utmost
confidence in God. How I desire that in my life!
Dear Lord we know that you are aware of everything in our
life, both good and bad. We want a faith that can be as open and honest as
David. We invite you to show us our shortcomings, and lead me in your paths of
righteousness. In Jesus' name, amen.
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