It is usually very easy for us to see the faults in others,
and to call them into accountability by having them undergo some type of personal
review or inspection. However, we are
less enthusiastic to allow ourselves to be so scrutinized.
King David experienced this kind of duplicity and wrote of
it in Psalm 139. As he considered people
who have hatred and disrespect towards God, he wrote,
Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
As his disdain for his enemies rose, it seems the Lord caused
David to do some self-reflection, where he remembers some of his own
short-comings. Possessing a more
complete perspective, David’s prayer changes.
He asks the Lord to focus on his issues.
He prays,
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.
When we allow the Lord to do a check up on our own hearts,
we discover that He changes our attitudes and outlooks from judgmental to
merciful. We stop looking for the faults
in others and begin to deal with the challenges within us. As we continue on the 40-day journey of prayer, may the Lord search us for any harmful ways,
and lead us to the newness of life in Him!
No comments:
Post a Comment