Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—then guide me on the road to eternal life.
Psalm 139:23-24 - MSG
I’m a curious person. As a kid, I took my very first watch apart because I wanted to know what made it tick—literally! Throughout my life, I’ve had this ongoing desire to figure out what makes things work. What’s wrong, and how can I fix it?
In today’s verse, the Psalmist is asking God to do something similar in his own life. It seems like a good pattern for us to follow as well. It’s a fascinating prayer, but it’s a dangerous one, too. Do we really want to know what God thinks of us? Do we really want Him to examine every part of our lives and reveal what He finds?
And the most interesting part of this prayer is the request for God to see whether he has done anything wrong. Wow! We might think we already know when we’ve done something wrong. But is it possible that we don’t always recognize what’s wrong within us? Perhaps the Psalmist understood something we sometimes forget: we don’t always see ourselves as clearly as we think we do.
Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”
Perhaps this is part of the reason the Psalmist is crying out to God. He knows that he needs more than his own judgment to examine his heart. He needs God to reveal what he cannot see for himself.
This is such a humble way to approach the Lord. He knows us. He knows you. He knows everything about you. There is nothing hidden within us that He cannot bring to light, and He is able to work in us to bring about the changes we need. But we must be willing to listen, surrender, and follow where He leads.
Read today’s verse again:
“Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—then guide me on the road to eternal life.”
I’m going to make this my prayer today. “Hey, God, take a look at my life. You know everything anyway. Show me what needs to change and help me make the changes that will lead to a life that is pleasing to You. Keep working in me so that I become more like Jesus each day and continue following You on the road to eternal life.”
There’s one more verse I love. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”
I need to be strengthened by the Lord. I need my heart to be fully committed to Him. I need Him to reveal what needs to change in me and to transform me—spirit, soul, and body—so that my life becomes an ever-greater reflection of my commitment to Him.
How about you? Are you willing to pray this prayer and let God show you what He sees? It’s a life-changing prayer. And God is in the life-changing business!
There’s a line from The Chosen that I love: “I was one way and now I’m not. The difference in between is Jesus.”
Let that be our testimony as well! As we seek the Lord, let’s ask Him to search our hearts, reveal what needs to change, and make us into the Christlike people He intends us to be. It’s not always comfortable to let God examine our lives, but when we surrender to His work in us, we open ourselves to the transformation only He can bring.
Prayer
Father, search me and know me. Reveal anything in my life that does not honor You. Show me attitudes, habits, fears, and desires that may be keeping me from walking more closely with You. Give me a humble heart that welcomes Your correction rather than resists it. As You reveal what needs to change, give me the courage to surrender it to You.
Strengthen my heart so that it may be fully committed to You. Continue Your work in me, making me more like Jesus in my thoughts, words, and deeds. May my testimony truly be, “I was one way and now I’m not. The difference in between is Jesus.”
Lead me on the path everlasting and help me to live a life that is pleasing to You until the day I see You face to face.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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