The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 139:23-24,
"Search me, 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."
Throughout this psalm David acknowledges the many differing ways the Lord knows him. Then he invites the Lord to examine him. He asks the Lord if there is "any offensive way" in him, any spot, stain or wrinkle.
God knows each and every one of us well - intimately. He knows all of our thoughts, all of our feelings, what we say and do. What a sobering thought! We read in Hebrews 4:13, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
It appears in this psalm that David was preemptively asking God to size him up and let him know what he sees. David was well aware that we will all someday stand before God's judgment seat that we read of in Revelation 20: 11-15, "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire."
This is a frightful realization we all should come to grips with. I don't know about you, but I do know about me… the anticipation of having to stand before the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and give an account of myself is nothing short of horrific! I won't measure up!
However, I have the Son of God on my side! He has already paid the penalty for all of my sins, as well as yours! All he asks of us is to embrace him in faith. Listen to what Jesus taught, "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man." John 5:24-27.
The wonderful thing about this is that when I stand before the Lord on judgment day, he will view me, not based on "any offensive way in me" (and I have had, unfortunately, many of those!) that David prayed about, but consistent with what Paul observed, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us." Ephesians 1:3-8a.
How wonderful is that?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"Search me, 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."
Throughout this psalm David acknowledges the many differing ways the Lord knows him. Then he invites the Lord to examine him. He asks the Lord if there is "any offensive way" in him, any spot, stain or wrinkle.
God knows each and every one of us well - intimately. He knows all of our thoughts, all of our feelings, what we say and do. What a sobering thought! We read in Hebrews 4:13, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
It appears in this psalm that David was preemptively asking God to size him up and let him know what he sees. David was well aware that we will all someday stand before God's judgment seat that we read of in Revelation 20: 11-15, "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire."
This is a frightful realization we all should come to grips with. I don't know about you, but I do know about me… the anticipation of having to stand before the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and give an account of myself is nothing short of horrific! I won't measure up!
However, I have the Son of God on my side! He has already paid the penalty for all of my sins, as well as yours! All he asks of us is to embrace him in faith. Listen to what Jesus taught, "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man." John 5:24-27.
The wonderful thing about this is that when I stand before the Lord on judgment day, he will view me, not based on "any offensive way in me" (and I have had, unfortunately, many of those!) that David prayed about, but consistent with what Paul observed, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us." Ephesians 1:3-8a.
How wonderful is that?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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