“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).
Wow! What a prayer. What’s the first thought that comes to your mind when you think about God searching your heart? A happy one or a fearful one? My first thought was, “Sounds scary.” What would God find in my heart? Would I be happy for him to look into it? And then I wondered, “Why does this seem like a frightening thing? Am I scared of God? Should I be?”
Deuteronomy 4:29 tells us, “If you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” And what will he look like when we find him? Will he have his arms folded in anger or open in love? The story of the prodigal son comes to mind. The father ran to his son when his son opened his heart to his father and said, “Here I am.”
When I’m not pleased with the condition of my heart, I can often feel afraid to come to God. But Scripture, and experience, tell me that I should feel quite the opposite. We should be afraid when we run from God, but when we run to God we should expect only love – every time. Start your journey home today with your own invitation to God, “Search me, O God, and know my heart.”
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