“Search me, O God, and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts:”
Psalm 139:23
If you were to come to my house unannounced, you would likely find dirty dishes
in the sink or unfolded laundry. Perhaps
the floors need to be swept and I am certain there would be furniture undusted.
I am not the best house cleaner in the world.
But I can make the place presentable when I know someone’s on the way,
especially if I have enough time. It
might involve hiding things in closets and shoving items in a drawer but at
least the house looks decent. No one
knows but me.
We recently moved and I got a close look at my house keeping skills – or
lack thereof. The crumbs and lost
objects that showed up under the couch exposed my neglect. There were a few too many dust bunnies behind
the dresser where the broom had failed to reach. And the grime beneath the washer and dryer
was humiliating. I had no idea that
those monstrous machines, impossible to move, were hiding so much.
As I was cleaning up the mess, it made me think of our hearts. Sure, we can put on a smiling face. We can go to church each week, serve God,
love our families, and be helpful to others. But what is in our hearts - deep down - the
part that only God sees. Strip away the
clutter of our lives: the busy days, the masks, the bandages covering old
wounds – and what do we find? Are we harboring bitterness, anger, regret,
doubt, or fear? Many times we neglect
dealing with these things. Sometimes we
think we have swept them out but do not realize we have only touched the
surface. Occasionally, we have deceived
ourselves into believing they are gone or never existed. The Word of God tells
us in Jeremiah 17:9 that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who
can know it?”
Perhaps we think that the bitterness, anger or doubts are too big and
cannot be moved. But we serve the Almighty God. He knows and He cares. And nothing is
impossible for Him. Ask your Heavenly
Father today to search your heart and to clean out the clutter and the cobwebs;
the deeply buried bitterness, fears and doubts.
Ask Him to replace those with love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within
me.” Psalm 51:10
