How well do you know yourself?

Most of us would probably say we know ourselves pretty well. We know our likes and dislikes, our strengths and weaknesses, and the things that make us happy or upset.

But have you ever done something and then wondered,

“Why did I do that?”

Maybe you said something hurtful in a moment of frustration or reacted defensively to a harmless question. Perhaps you made a decision that seemed perfectly reasonable at the time, only to realize later that pride or selfishness had influenced your thinking.

I’ve heard several celebrities who got caught doing something wrong say, “That isn’t who I am.” Not saying they didn’t doing it, but saying that isn’t something that fits in their normal character and behaviors. I think of lot of the time, they are just trying to avoid responsibility, but there can be some truth behind that statement.

Sometimes our own thoughts and motivations surprise us.

They never surprise God.

Psalm 139 begins with David acknowledging just how completely God knows him.

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me!”

David goes on to describe how God knows when he sits down and when he rises. God knows his thoughts before he speaks them. There is nowhere David can go to escape God’s presence or knowledge.

At first, that might sound a little unsettling.

After all, there are things about ourselves we’d rather other people didn’t know. We carefully choose what we share with others and may even try to convince ourselves that our motives are better than they really are.

But God sees everything.

He knows the sins we commit openly and the ones we keep hidden. He knows the resentment we hold onto, the pride we struggle to recognize, and the selfish desires we sometimes disguise as good intentions.

We might be able to fool other people. We might even fool ourselves, but we can’t fool God.

I think it ‘s good to sit with that for a moment and even let that thought remain with us. Sin is serious and we tend to not be so bold to sin when people are watching…Well, God is always watching. Perhaps if we remember that, we’ll avoid some traps and dangers.

Yet David doesn’t respond to God’s complete knowledge by trying to hide. Instead, at the end of the psalm, he invites God to examine him even more closely.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart!”

Why would David ask God to reveal what is wrong in his heart?

Because David knows something else about God. He knows God’s mercy. The God who knows David completely is also the God who has promised to forgive him and remain faithful to him.

We have an even clearer picture of that mercy in Jesus Christ. Jesus knows (and knew) everything about us, including the sins we would be ashamed to admit to anyone else. Yet He willingly went to the cross to bear those very sins.

Think about that.

God knows you better than you know yourself, and He sent His Son to save you.

That’s why Christians don’t need to be afraid of honestly examining their lives in the light of God’s Word. When His Law reveals our sins, we can confess them rather than hide them. It’s the devil who tries to tell us we need to run from God and hide. Don’t listen to Him. Listen to God who tells you to come. Know that through Jesus, forgiveness is yours.

And God doesn’t simply forgive us and leave us unchanged. Through His Word and Spirit, He continues to work in us, turning us away from sin and leading us in His ways.

That’s what David asks for when he prays,

“See if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

It’s a good prayer for us, too.

Lord, show me where I’m wrong. Forgive me for Jesus’ sake. And lead me in Your ways.

Hmmm…That sounds a bit like a prayer we pray every Sunday morning at the beginning of the worship service. 😉

Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father,

You know me completely, even better than I know myself. Search my heart and reveal the sins and attitudes that I fail to recognize. Give me humility to confess my sins and faith to trust in the forgiveness Jesus has won for me. By Your Holy Spirit, continue to shape my thoughts, words, and actions according to Your Word, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Amen.

As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:

• Your family
• Your local church
• Your pastor
• Some of your fellow church members
• The people on your B.L.E.S.S. list
• Your country and her leaders
• Your community

After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.