Laid Bare!

Laid Bare!

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. Psalm 139:23‭-‬24 KJV

The Context:

The psalmist in this chapter lays it out very clearly the value of the human life to God. This is a God who created the entire universe, both the seen and the unseen parts. He is the One who also created man and vested him with all that man is, knows and can ever become. There is nothing new to God, because He is the One who gives man the wisdom and knowledge to create, invent and manufacture all that makes life very comfortable and interesting these days. There are things today which we take for granted that we would have called impossible fifty years ago. In all, the wisdom and power of God is laid bare, but the greatest testimony about this God isn't so much what she has made, but the man who He has formed and given control of all things to. That is the wonder of God's creation; the bit that makes man so awesome and yet so powerless. Man attributes to himself greatness, forgetting that he is nothing outside of the will, purpose and grace of the One who created, formed, planted and fitted him for where he is today. Why does man ever think he can become anything, if God the creator does not allow him? What makes us so proud and full of ourselves?

The Charge

Today's extract is a prayer that all of us must pray. The self in all of us seeks to be in charge, not subject to anyone or anything. Sin has given man a false sense of independence, with man thinking he can sort himself out without help from anyone. The psalmist here, from experience, knew this was not the case, and so, he asked God to search and try him. When God does the searching, He is able to reveal my true self to me. When He does the searching, all hidden motives are revealed. There are times when I will convince myself that I am sincere, but in the light of the Truth of God's light, my real intentions are laid bare. Of what use is self-deceit that leads a man to eternal damnation ? Why hold on to a lie, knowing you are dealing with a God who cannot be mocked or deceived? Am I not better off allowing God to do the work that He alone can do, so that He can go to the deepest roots of my life, and uproot all that He has not planted? This is the only way I can be all that God wants me to be. I may not enjoy the process at the time, but my eternity will be glad that I submitted to the process. Would I allow God work in me, or am I content with what I see in myself at the moment?

The Conclusion:

The end of today's extract is quite instructive; there is an eternal reality at the end of all that we see now. Think of this: would God invest so much of Himself into lives that have no eternal value? Am I living only for this present earth alone, with no plan for the eternal? If all that I have to live for is for this present earth alone, the Bible says I am of all men most miserable. The only guarantee of eternal life is to live as God pleases and directs, not the way I see fit. God can only then direct me when I am submitted to His leading and direction. He can see present and future errors, and he can also ensure that past hurts work out His perfect will. He is not powerless or clueless, as all mortal men are. He is the Almighty, the One who is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, and of course, the determinant of all that happens in between birth and death/rapture. I ask God to show me to myself, so that I can see as He sees, and can become all that He desires, and then be able to reign with Him in eternity at the end of it all. That is a life well spent; anything else is a waste. God's time of favour is here.