by Dr. Richard Bennett Evangelist
PSALM 139
I N P s a l m 139:23-24 we have ex pressed a wonderful desire and pur pose for each of our lives: “Search me, 0 God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlast ing.” This should be the prayer each one of us would utter. The Psalmist is driven to his knees in a holy de sire for fellowship and communion with the Lord. The word search is a very wonder ful truth. It represents the prospec tor who goes through the soil in order to find some precious sub stance. He does this with diligence because he has the understanding that mixed with that which is worth less is something of great value. The word search is used in connection with the heart which, according to the Bible, is the center of affection. Can you say to the Lord, “0 God, thou dost know my desires and the motivation of my life. You know my ambitions and purposes for living. In the midst of all of my desires Thou wilt show me what is truly valuable.” There are so many things we do which are really not profitable for our own spiritual growth. They need to be eliminated. Paul said that those things which were gain to him he counted loss for Christ simply be cause he found a true position of what was really significant. He was prepared to discard certain commit ments in order that he might con centrate on the vital matters. We need a concentration on that which is supremely best. Do you really know Christ in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering? We must establish priorities for our lives. Only as we accelerate toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus can we reach the end of life and say, “I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.” Ask the Lord to sift out your desires so that you may see what is truly valuable that you may come up with the supreme ambition to know Him. The Psalmist also asked, “Try me and know my thoughts.” While the word search has to do with a pros pector, the word try has to do with a metallurgist who would test under tension. A piece of metal is exposed to pressure so that it may be dis covered how weak or strong it is. Would your thoughts today stand the acid test? What a tremendous revo lution would take place if we, as God’s children, would bring Him our thoughts and say, “Now show me what is true and valuable.” Would you lay your thought life, intellectu ally and honestly, before the Lord’s throne? How much do you suppose would be built upon living a lie? The Lord Jesus said, “Except ye become as little children.” He didn’t mean that we were to act childish, but rather to become childlike. I t’s characteristic of a child that he is willing to be taught, and readily will accept by faith what he is told. Are we willing to say, “Spirit of God, my Teacher be, revealing the things of Christ to me?” The entire purpose of the Psalmist was that he might be led "in the way everlasting.” This implies that there is a way which is not everlast ing. There is a future in which there is absolutely no hope. Amidst all of the tensions of the 20th century, we need to say, “Oh God, show me if I have desires that do not have any value. Show me if I have a future that does not have any hope.” Real- 17
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