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O LORD, you
have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or
stand up. You know my every thought
when far away. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and
rest. Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say even
before I say it, LORD. You both precede and follow me. You place your hand of
blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to
know! I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your
presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the
dead, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the
farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will
support me.
(Psalm 139:1-10 NLV). This morning I have to drop Mary off
for a little trip to New York City. DFW
Airport is on alert and we will go through several “searches.”
I am very glad about the increased security. It gives me a feeling of safety.
However, there are those times when I face a search and wonder if I will
“pass.” Just a few days ago,
Mary and I went to a concert in Dallas. As
a part of the normal screening we passed through metal detectors.
I took all the keys and metal objects that I thought might set the
machine off and passed them around through the security guard and still did not
pass the first time through! I had forgotten to take my pen out of my pocket!
What a relief when I stepped back through and passed! What
comes to mind when you think of being searched? When the police search someone,
it usually involves checking to see if they have something in their possession
that they should not, like Illegal drugs, concealed weapons, or some
incriminating evidence. When a doctor searches someone, they might use a scanner
or a stethoscope or even a small camera to go inside of us and look around. Is
there a disease or a tumor or an extra organ that needs to be removed! Our
reading today talks about the search of God into our hearts. When God searches, he is not looking for external characteristics, or hidden contraband, or even internal body parts. God searches the soul and the heart and what He finds tells Him everything there is to know about us. He searches us; He knows us. Like a mother knows the cry of her child above all others. Like a couple knows the meaning in each other's eyes. Like a child knows his father's voice. There is nothing quite as frustrating as being misunderstood. Sometime we lack the ability to explain ourselves. Sometime others lack the ability to understand what we are going through. But God searches, He knows, He understands. To some it may be scary to be known so completely, to be understood so perfectly. But it is also reassuring to know that there is always One, to whom you can go and never be misunderstood, never be rejected, never be left out because you just don't fit in. On this fourth day of Lent, rejoice in the knowledge that God searches you, and knows you, and loves you and desires to guide you in your life. |
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