LEARNING DAILY

Psalm 139:1, O Lord, You have searched Me and know me.

Pastor Winston Harris spoke at NorthRock Church this past weekend. He continued the series about the Psalms. He used the following quote by A.W. Tozer, “What comes to your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about us”. He used the quote to introduce Psalm 139 and said, “Your circumstances reveal who God is and who you are; faith is looking for God when our circumstances say He’s not there” (from granddaughter Audrey’s notes). Pastor Harris went on the say, “Faith tells you God is with you when your circumstances say He isn’t”.

Read verses 1-4 of this Psalm and you will see that David writes about the character of God. “He does not sit in the heavens doing nothing. No, He is an expert about you, about each believer, knowing you intimately. David writes that God has looked into his heart and knows everything in it. He continues to write that God knows everything David does, where he is, and knows his thoughts, knowing what motivates him. God knows our conduct and the condition we are in, examining them so thoroughly that He does not miss anything. Not one person can hide from Him. This is important when one might be tempted to think God does not know or care about the situation they are facing. He knows and He cares!

Pastor Harris moved on to discuss Psalm 139:23-24. Audrey wrote in her notes, “We don’t need to wait until we’re desperate to run to Him. Ask Him to search us as a preventative measure before things get bad.” Pastor Harris used the example of trying all the over-the-counter remedies when we are sick. There finally comes the time we ask God to heal us.” David asked God “to search him, to know his heart”; “it was a cry for change and healing” (Pastor Harris). Have you, in your prayer time, asked God to search you, to know you? Have you asked Him to show you how to change you, to fix you, and change you into what He wants you to become?

“God wants to reveal things to you in order to heal you, to make you better, not to harm you” (Pastor Harris). It is God’s desire to remove those things that cause you to not be who He wants you to be (James 1:14-15). All Believers have “stuff” in their lives that lead them to places God does not want us to go. That “stuff” in our lives keeps Believers from being who God wants them to be; He wants to reveal that “stuff” and get Believers to where God can use them for His glory.

Pastor Harris reminded Believers that they have a lot of information about God, but He desires to have a personal relationship, to have an intimate relationship with each Believer. To have the relationship the Believer needs God to reveal what He sees in their heart so they can give it all to Him. Pastor Harris said, “Giving all that “stuff” to God turns fear into love (1 John 4:18). God exposes the messes of our heart, not to punish Believers but to expose them to His love, grace, and forgiveness.”

The question he ended his message with was, “Who is leading you today? The most dangerous person leading you is you.” Be careful of those who tell you to follow your heart! Jeremiah 17:9 tells us the heart is deceitful; it will mislead you and take you to those places the Believer does not need to go. God’s leadership will lead you away from those places; He will lead you to where you will know Him more (Pastor Harris). God’s desire is for each Believer to submit to Him. “When the Believer follows God, pursues Him, and is obedient to Him, he/she will experience continual blessings [from God’s presence].” (Pastor Harris).