Search Me
Even a pristine car needs maintenance every now and then… and that requires looking UNDER the hood.
In order to CONTINUE living LIFE with our Savior to its FULLEST, we must NOT be afraid to also CONTINUALLY let the Lord search us and reveal what He finds.
A car doesn’t ALWAYS have to do something WRONG … to DEVELOP something that NEEDS to be addressed.
O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! 7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. 11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! 19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! 20 They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name. 21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you? 22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalm 139 NLT)
How incredibly wonderful that the God who knows EVERYTHING about us, as well as everything else there is to know about EVERYTHING, has offered to BE NEAR US.
I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You. 2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name. 3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul. 4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord, When they hear the words of Your mouth. 5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, For great is the glory of the Lord. 6 Though the Lord is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. 8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. (Psalm 138 NKJV)
Why might we be resistant to allow God to search us?
1. We may have something to hide
2. We may have trouble trusting
3. We may have become prideful
4. We may be afraid or embarrassed of what might be found
5. We may think God would be or is mad at us
6.. We may be wary of what it would take to work through a troublesome find
How many of us dread going to the doctor, to the dentist, to the mechanic, etc.? Why? Because we usually only go to these places when something is WRONG.
Though it may be easier to push off the maintenance of our Spiritual life, remember this -- Jesus isn't trying to shame us, keep us under HIs thumb, or even “make a buck” off of us -- HE WANTS US WHOLE!
How do we allow God to search us?
Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him. (Matthew 7:7-11 NLT)
What do we gain by allowing God to search us?
1. An accurate picture of our current state of affairs
2. A deepening of our ability to trust Him and His process
3. A closer relationship with Him
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:31-34 NLT)
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love You.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love You.” Jesus said, “Take care of My sheep.” 17 The third time He said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed My sheep. (John 21:15-17 NLT)
Being Christ-like or Christian doesn’t mean we’re perfect— it means day by day we are BEING PERFECTED… into the perfect likeness of Christ.
Our failings shouldn’t drive us away from Him… but DRAW us towards Him.
“Sails” by Pat Barrett
Falling is easy, Staying in love is hard
Hard to be honest And keep your heart open
To be who we truly are…
Without the excuses, Without the facade
There's no pretending, Here in Your love
Oh Lord, set me free, Oh Lord, set me free
I'm finally seeing You were here all along
Your love wasn't absent, No, it doesn't come or go
The image I've had Is starting to fail
You're patient with me; Lifting the veil
Oh Lord, set me free, Oh Lord, set me free
I let out the sails of my heart
Here I am, here You are
I let out the sails of my heart
Here I am, here You are
In our vulnerability, we find HIS strength! In this way, we not only become more WHOLE but we become more like Him.