“God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me.“
Reading all of Psalm 139 reminds us of how God knows our very being. The hidden, vulnerable places in our hearts that even we may not know consciously He will gently bring out not to condemn ever but because they influence us.
Out of the heart the mouth speaks and we act.
God weighs every word we speak and acts we are part of.
Life and society go at such a swift pace that it is a common trend to become disconnected.
Our responses too often become reactionary and defensive without us realising.
Time to pause and reflect especially consciously in the Presence give us the opportunity to line up with the Holy Spirit and see that our knee jerks and opinions may not be absolutely the best.
His conviction doesn’t make us feel shamed, worthless or failure it is the opposite and increases the knowledge of being loved and special and cared about.
Inner, doubts, droughts, disappointments, facades are vaporised and removed.
Walls of defence and podiums of pride and importance are brought down.
Not with trauma but with relief and freedom.
Jesus bends close and says : “How are you doing really?” That is the time to get still before Him and ask Him to examine your heart in all areas.
There are so many facets in our make up and each needs to be healthy to grow fruitfully.
To ask Him, who sees all, over a period of time. “How am I doing ?” spiritually, physically, emotionally, in different areas of our life such as family, friends, work, faith, expectations, dreams, the demands made on us.
Allow Him to show us aspects of joy and concern, places to excel places to refine and purify.
Unexpectedly we discover too all that He is proud of and we might not have known!
In His tenderness He draws us closer and invites us to do this together.
We discover that we have become vulnerable where we have been focusing on ourselves through grief, pain, trauma, other’s actions towards us.
When Jesus gently turns our gaze to see our heart through His filter we are rapidly delivered from our hidden depth of misplaced identity.
He uncovers us to reveal the tenderness of heart, love and freedom it releases.
We have a responsibility to keep our own hearts tender but we are not doing it alone. His words are:“ We will do it together.”
He speaks words of life into us and in joint adoration we walk out of inner turmoil into peace joy and rest.
The supernatural place that surpasses all understanding but equally affirms our faith and those we have surrounding us.
The words of Psalm 32 below with its pause prompts guide us through some time spent with the Lord.
The illustration shows the face of God, Jesus at the centre of our being from before we were born. The all knowing of every layer veiling and creating us into who He purposed us to be. The knower of all that we hide and all that shows on the outside. The ruler of our hearts as He too becomes more revealed from within us coursing through our veins dispelling the darkness with light.
Two Scriptures that come to mind:
“God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares. See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting ways— the path that brings me back to you.”Psalms 139:23-24 TPT
“I hear the Lord saying, “I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide. So don’t make it difficult; don’t be stubborn when I take you where you’ve not been before. Don’t make me tug you and pull you along. Just come with me!” How happy and fulfilled are those whose rebellion has been forgiven, those whose sins are covered by blood. How blessed and relieved are those who have confessed their corruption to God! For he wipes their slates clean and removes hypocrisy from their hearts. Before I confessed my sins, I kept it all inside; my dishonesty devastated my inner life, causing my life to be filled with frustration, irrepressible anguish, and misery. The pain never let up, for your hand of conviction was heavy on my heart. My strength was sapped, my inner life dried up like a spiritual drought within my soul.
Pause in his presence
Then I finally admitted to you all my sins, refusing to hide them any longer. I said, “My life-giving God, I will openly acknowledge my evil actions.” And you forgave me! All at once the guilt of my sin washed away and all my pain disappeared!
Pause in his presence
This is what I’ve learned through it all: All believers should confess their sins to God; do it every time God has uncovered you in the time of exposing. For if you do this, when sudden storms of life overwhelm, you’ll be kept safe. Lord, you are my secret hiding place, protecting me from these troubles, surrounding me with songs of gladness! Your joyous shouts of rescue release my breakthrough.
Pause in his presence.
So my conclusion is this: Many are the sorrows and frustrations of those who don’t come clean with God. But when you trust in the Lord for forgiveness, his wrap-around love will surround you. So celebrate the goodness of God! He shows this kindness to everyone who is his. Go ahead—shout for joy, all you upright ones who want to please him!”Psalms 32:1-11 TPT
The song Whole Heart. Hillsonghttps://youtu.be/fxHISPvGiRI
Lessisgreater 