Deep Soul Search
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.
Most people will confess their failings often in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to make them aware of things they may be ignoring or not realizing. The Holy Spirit is so faithful, not condemn us but to shine his light into our souls and show us, revealing to us anything that we may be unaware of. Maybe I had a really bad attitude towards someone that was not kind and caring, but harsh and cruel. I’m sure it grieved the Holy Spirit. That’s only one possibility, in which I am positive there are a myriad of ways we can grieve Him every day. There may be content within me that is not in alignment with God’s Word and Spirit. It may come from my culture or upbringing, such as having a dislike of another culture which may stem from my heritage. Maybe we may have a distorted view of God or others or even ourselves. These illusions do not leave easily and need to be worked through in the Presence of the Lord as He shines His light deep within us. One needs to ponder if they consciously or unconsciously attack and judge others. I know I easily do, especially when someone is seemingly rude or uncaring about others. Temper rises to the surface way too fast, without considering that there may be other factors why someone is behaving as they do. Have I learned to love those who are less attractive or intelligent? Do I seek out the learned and “with it” individuals, or those who are challenged and a bit annoying within my span of attention to notice and interact with? Do I avoid those who have flaws that are irritating and even try to make them feel less than because of it? I think the psalmist was a realist, wanting the Lord to examine him truthfully and honestly, the good, the bad, and the ugly. When we begin to see ourselves in the light of our heavenly Father’s bright, intense light, He can see a lot more than we ever thought was possibly there. There are times when I clean my home, and then there are times when I deep clean my home. I decided the other day to deep clean my kitchen. Wow! What a shock! There were cobwebs where I would never have guessed they could be. Tiny spider webs in corners and crannies, mud splatters on baseboards, skid marks on the floor in weird places. When the bright shining light was put on different areas, it was a wakeup call of what really was going on there. It took more time and elbow grease to really clean and spit polish each area. It wasn’t a quick sweep and fast dusting this time. This is the way with our souls. Let’s slow down and as our verses for today speak—search us, test us, O Lord, and see what really is deep within us. Let’s thank Him today for His great mercy!
What about you? Are you willing for the Holy Spirit to really shine His bright light on you? Will you take time today to set yourself aside for this to happen? You will be glad you did. Blessings on your time with Him and all throughout your day.
