Search Me

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."

I was at the Dermatologist today when the above verse came to mind.  I find it necessary to visit the Dermatologist on a regular basis.  It seems my bald head and Irish complexion attract nasty sun rays, and this makes me a prime candidate for skin cancer.  My appointments are usually the same, I arrive and ask the doctor to search me, and try me, and see if there is any wicked cancer in me.  The doctor thankfully is very diligent in the searching, and when something suspicious is found, she brings out a device that looks like a blowtorch and burns it away.  I've never been a big fan of these doctor visits, but I make the appointments because the stinging of the blowtorch is much better than cancer.  In Psalm 139 David does an important and scary thing, he invites God to be like a Dermatologist and search his heart, and try him, to see if there is any wicked way in him.  David knew what we all know, that we are all prime candidates to fall into sin.  He also had a clear understanding of the danger and deadliness of sin, and thus he boldly asked God to examine him and remove any trace of the cancer.  We all know the wisdom of regular check-ups at the doctors that can detect a deadly disease.  How much more than, do we need to invite God and His blowtorch, to search, and try, and cleanse, that we might be free from the deadliest of all diseases.

Guide With The Eyes

A sure sign that you know someone well, is that you are able to communicate with them without speaking.  My wife and have known each other long enough to become pretty adept at "speaking" non-verbally.  It comes it handy in telegraphing from across rooms or tables, or most especially from the front row to the pulpit!  The eyes are key in communicating without words.  How amazing that sentences can be found in a glance or a wink.  A lecture can be given in a scowl, or a poem in a twinkle.  I'm sure you will agree with me that it is hard to properly define the words coming from ones mouth if you can't see the persons eyes.  In Psalm 32:8, the Lord says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye."  Don't you find it amazing that the Lord desires to establish non-verbal communication with us.  He wants our relationship with Him to be such that we might be able to discern His will by just looking at His eyes.  Now, clearly He is not calling us to stare up toward heaven, looking for a big eye in the sky.  But He is calling us to set our gaze toward Him, through spending time in the word, through communion in prayer, and intimacy in worship.  What a privileged call we have, God has invited us to be such friends with Him, that He can guide us with His eyes.  There have been too many times that the Lord has had to flick my ear or pull out a megaphone to get me to move.  Oh how I desire that my friendship with the Lord would be such, that at the slightest glance I'm able to discern His heart and amen His will.

Count Those Days

I always get a little sad when I take down Christmas decorations.  I'm not one who puts things off, so if the decorations make it to New Years day that's pretty long for me.  I'm not a Grinch or anything but when Christmas is over its over, and when Christmas is over the decorations should come down.  Is there anything as sorry as a house still decked out for Christmas around Valentines day?  I've gone through a fair number of holiday seasons, and one consistent thought I have while "un-decorating", is how quickly I'll be putting this stuff back up again.  Isn't it amazing how rapidly time takes us from year to year, and from Holiday to Holiday?  The other day as I was putting away decorations and pondering the speed of our years, I was reminded of the words of Moses in Psalm 90.  He said, "So teach us to number or days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom".  Moses lived to be 120 years old, and in this psalm he speaks of how quickly life goes by, wow!  We should learn that our days are few, and each is a gift from the Lord.  Time seems to have accelerated, so let's make the most of each day.  What a powerful 2010 we can all have, if we count every day as dear, and use every day to love and serve the Lord.