Psalm 139: 17 - 24 (THE MESSAGE)

"Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! I couldn't even begin to count them— any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! And please, God, do away with wickedness for good! And you murderers—out of here!— all the men and women who belittle you, God, infatuated with cheap god-imitations. See how I hate those who hate you, God, see how I loathe all this godless arrogance; I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred. Your enemies are my enemies!

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."

Most of us do not like being scrutinized and tested. But God knows us through and through. He has been with us from our conception and will continue to work with us. So let's invite Him into our interior world to search us, test us, and even scrutinize our anxious thoughts. Remember, He is not there to condemn or punish, but to cleanse and redeem.

Search me, O God. I know that my heart is not always pure and my ways are far from perfect. Search me, O God, for I need to experience Your purifying presence! Search me, O God, for I want You to set the course and the destination of my life.