VERSE OF THE DAY FOR SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Today's Verse for Meditation and memorization is Psalms 139:23-24

Search me, O God and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting (KJV)

 

The message Bible renders it this way; "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". 

Thoughts on Today's Verse

In our struggle to live holy and blameless lives sometimes we find ourselves in the same state as this psalmist. He began from the very first verse of this psalm to recognise and acknowledge the omnipresence of God. God knows everything about us. There is nothing we can hide from him. He knows our sitting down and our standing up. He hears our heart talks and can say the exact thing we are going to do next.  He formed us in the womb and saw our very substance even before we were completely formed. So what  can we actually hide from him? 

"For thus says the lord God, behold, I even I, will both search my sheep  and seek them out" (Ezekiel 34:11). The lord is interested in the secret lives of his children. He might not pay so much cognisance to the children of the world as he does a child of God. Hence he promises, "I will both search my sheep and seek them out". Do we need to continue in that sin until the lord searches us out? That would be disastrous!

We may hide our secrets from men, even from our spouse, our closest friends, our pastors, church  members, family members etc. We may conceal malice in our hearts, deception, murderous hatred and cover it up with sugar coated praises but God cannot be fooled. This should make us to fear. This should cause us to have a rethink in certain things we do. When we are aware that God cannot be mocked nor deceived but knows all of our motives inside out, we should reconsider the way we carry on with our lives. There is so much lies and hypocrisy  everywhere today. Unfortunately,  we can deceive only ourselves and others but never can we deceive God

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We need to cry out like the psalmist that God will examine us. For Jeremiah rightly said in Jeremiah 10:23 - 24  "it is not in man who walks to direct even his own steps, correct me O lord,not in anger lest you bring me to nothing". Yes! If God was to treat us according to our iniquities which he sees completely, then no one can stand. Hence, knowing fully well that he sees us as we really are and yet keeps silent should move us to plead for him to bring our faults to our notice and also grant us the humility to accept our shortcomings and accept his grace to live blamelessly. Therefore, let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord (Lamentations 3:40). For the lord search the heart and try the reins to give every man according to the fruit of his doings.(Jeremiah 17:10)

PRAYER: father indeed, it is not in man who walks to direct even his own step. Search us O lord in your mercy, reveal to us anything that is contrary to your will in our lives and give us the power to reject and denounce them through the grace you provide in Christ Jesus. Amen! 

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