Search Me O God And Know My Heart
Put To Death The Deeds Of The Body
PSALM 139:23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalms 139:23-24 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.139.23-24.NKJV
(David, even to the point of testing his thoughts, asked God to look into his heart for sin and fear (anxieties), and then to lead him in the way of everlasting.
It’s easy for us to recognise obvious sin-sexuality immortality, theft, and lies; but the truth is, as believers, our repentance should be just in case our behaviour was sinful or offensive to God, not because we deliberately involve in something we know is wrong.
The truth is, if one continues in those things, he shall not see the Kingdom of God (GALATIANS 5:19-21).
Since it is in our nature to live in sin, David’s prayer should relate to each and every one of us.
But how can we turn from sin that maybe we don’t know as sin unless they are revealed to us? And since it’s in our very nature to sin, how do we turn from it? It seems an impossible task because our flesh naturally takes us in that direction, for the “”The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?”
Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV
My brethren, how can we change and walk in the right direction?
Jesus said, ““If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:15-18 NKJV
Not only did God send His only begotten Son to pay one’s debt of sin, He also sends His Holy Spirit to help, lead, and guide us through our daily lives; teaching us and changing us as we go; He, combined with the Word of God, transforms us into the likeness of Christ.
Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is our guarantee of salvation (EPHESIANS 1:14; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:22), and our sin becomes His problem; He, rather than bringing condemnation (ROMANS 8:1), He brings conviction to change.
“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.“
Romans 8:12-17 NKJV
But even then, we have choice walk according to the flesh, or to do that of the Spirit.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Galatians 5:16-26 NKJV
There are two key points that bring us salvation, faith and repentance. God wants no one to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 PETER 3:9).
Faith and fear, are like hot and cold-where there is heat, cold cannot exist; where there is faith, fear cannot exist. In the same way heat drives out the cold, faith drives drowns our fear. Fear/ anxiety is the source of most depression.; hence one’s doctor will diagnose anxiety/ depression. He will say it is not something he can cure, but it can be controlled by antidepressant pills and counselling. But surely if it’s in you and needs controlling, it is living in you and feeding of your fear. Therefore, if one takes away the source-the food of depression, it can no longer survive within you; it will leave.
Just as the Holy Spirit lives within us joined to our spirit, so unclean spirits and demons can enter our bodies through sin to influence our behaviours, decisions, responces, and actions.
While they cannot touch our spirit, sin lets them into our bodies because our flesh has come in agreement with the devil and the battle begins within our soul, the mind, will, and emotions (GALATIANS 5:27).
But James tells us, ”Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.“
James 4:7-10 NKJV
Submit to God is to turn from the sin that let them in;rebuke the devil is to call them out by verbally demanding them to leave, and they shall flee from you.
But not all fear and confusion can be attributed to the devil. Some people are naturally fearful or live in confusion for different reasons.
But God’s Word gives us two ways in which we can cast out fear, love and faith.
Faith drives out fear, like heat drives out cold.
But God’s love drives out all fear. “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”
I John 4:17-19 NKJV
David asked God, “Try me, and know my anxieties.” When we believe on Christ and experience His love, our faith will drive out our all fear, and with it shall go anxiety, depression, shame, and confusion, ”For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.“
II Timothy 1:7 NKJV
Therefore my beloved, ”Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.“
Philippians 4:4-9 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
