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Proverbs 15b

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X-Ray Vision.

“Even Death and Destruction hold no secrets from the Lord. How much more does he know the human heart!” – Proverbs 15:11 NLT

God knows your heart. Kind of a scary thought, isn’t it? He knows all there is to know about death and the grave. Nothing surprises Him. There is nothing mysterious or unknown to Him. He knows it all. And the same truth applies to our hearts. He knows them inside and out. He knows our actions, attitudes, motives and behaviors. He knows what drives us, inspires us, tempts us, and fills our minds every second of every day. Nothing escapes Him. While we can fool others and sometimes even fool ourselves, we can’t fool God. Over the in the book of Jeremiah, the prophet makes this point very clear: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT). We can be deceived by the wickedness in our own hearts. We have no idea just how bad we can really be or are. Our hearts have a way of justifying our actions, rationalizing our behavior and excusing our sins. But God is not fooled. He knows all. He sees all. Jeremiah goes on to say, “But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve” (Jeremiah 17:10 NLT). God has X-ray vision that allows Him to probe into the inner recesses of our hearts, clearly seeing the motives behind our behavior. Solomon reminds us, “The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3 NLT). He sees all that is going on. But God is not limited to watching our external actions. He is able to look into our hearts and determine exactly what prompted our behavior. He sees the pride, greed, jealousy, anger, need for recognition, and all attempts to get others to see us as something other than what we really are.

This understanding that God is able to see into our hearts is somewhat disconcerting. It is disturbing to think that we can’t hide things from God like we do from everyone else. We can pose, posture, and pretend with others. But God sees through the flimsy facade we erect, looking right into our hearts. But rather than condemn us, He convicts us and calls us to repentance. He lovingly exposes our hidden faults and offers to help us change. He reveals the true condition of our hearts so that we might be truthful about our need for Him. David knew this about God and not only grew to appreciate it, but invited God to examine him. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT). David wanted his heart, his motives and actions, examined by God. He wanted God to examine him, revealing anything that might offend Him. Because David knew that there were thing hidden there he couldn’t see. There were unseen areas of his heart that needed exposure and cleansing. David knew that he couldn’t confess what he didn’t know. He could repent of something he knew nothing about. So he asked His all-knowing, all-loving God to give him a complete examination. So when’s the last time you asked God for a check-up? Sure, it’s kind of scary to ask God to show you what’s really in your heart. But relax. He’ll not only show you what’s wrong, He’ll show you how to fix it. He’ll not only help you, He’ll heal you.

Father, it is scary to think of You looking into my heart and seeing all the gunk that is there. But never let me forget that You do so as my loving Father. You care for me. You want to help me. You desire to change me into the likeness of Your Son. And to do so, You have to constantly expose the sin in my heart. Help me get to the point, like David, where I not only look forward to it, but I invite it. Amen.

Ken Miller

Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Psalm 138-139 – Day 2

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God Has A Plan For My Life.
(Based on Psalm 138)

I want to thank You from the depths of my heart,
I will sing Your praises so even the angels in heaven can hear me!
I will bow toward Your holy temple in Jerusalem and offer thanks for Your reputation:
Your unfailing love and faithfulness,
And keeping Your word is the greatest aspect of Your reputation.
Any time I have ever called out to You for help, You have always answered.
As a result I was filled with a boldness and confidence inside.
Every powerful person on earth would praise You, if they ever stopped long enough to listen to You.
And some day they will praise You, because You are an incredible God.
Yet even though You are exalted, You take time to care about the lowly.
But You keep Your distance from the proud.
And even though I live my life surrounded by trouble,
You will keep me alive, opposing all my enemies, and protecting me in Your hand.
You will complete Your plan for my life, because Your unfailing love for me never does fail.
You don’t abandon those whom You have made.

You Know Me Better Than I Know Myself.
(Based on Psalm 139)

O Lord, You have examined me closely and know everything there is to know about me.
You know every time I sit and every time I stand up.
Distance doesn’t prevent You from understanding every one of my thoughts.
Nothing I do escapes You, whether I am out and about or in bed.
You are highly familiar with everything I do.
You know what I am going to say before I even have a chance to say it!
You know my past and my future, Your hand is all over me.
When I think about all this, it blows me away, I can’t even comprehend it all.
Where can I go to escape You, or even attempt to hide from You?
If I were able to go to heaven, You would be there.
If I went the opposite direction, You would be there too.
If I got up at dawn and went to the other side of the sea,
You would still be guiding me and holding me in Your hand!
Even if I thought I could hide from Your view at night,
You would see me just as clearly, because day and night are one and the same to You.
You have been in control of my life from the beginning, from before I was even born.
I will praise You because You made me and that knowledge inspires both fear and wonder.
Nothing about me was unknown to You when I was formed,
You saw me even in my unfinished state,
You had recorded every day of my life before I had even lived a single second.
How priceless are your plans for me, O Lord, I can’t even add up their value.
Even if I could try to count them, they would be like the sand on the seashore!
Every time I wake up, I find myself in Your presence.
You will take care of the wicked people in my life, so they might as well leave now.
These people actually treat You wickedly, using Your name in vain.
I hate them because they hate You, I am burdened by those who resist You.
I despise them and count them as my enemies.
But I invite You to examine me, O Lord, to perceive what is in my heart;
Test me and know the content of my thoughts.
Inspect me closely, and see if there is anything about the way I live my life that is wicked,
And lead me along the path of righteousness You have chosen for me.