3 Tips for a Heart Examination

Kelly Parr

Psalm 139:23-24...

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Lets examine the scripture and allow it to examine us! Three areas I would like to highlight from Psalm 139:23-24...

1. TIME... to search
Time in itself does not heal but taking the time does.

When we posture ourselves for healing as David did in the above Psalm... God shows up! To position ourselves to give God time to search our hearts; takes time, feels vulnerable, and must be deliberate and yes ... its a sacrifice too! The time we set aside can be in journaling, praying, listening to worship music, or in silence as we allow God time to search. To go one step further, perhaps
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have a close friend join you; a friend you can confide in, who will not judge but listen, pray, and stand with you. Remember... healing is a process and each one of us processes differently. The timing for our healing is crucial and cannot be forced or compared to another. Bottom line - give God the time!

2. TRUTH... about me
Living in denial does not promote healing but coming out of denial does.

Opening your heart to God for an examination requires humility. It also requires being able to actively listen to His voice and that takes practice! What is it we fear hearing about truth? Do we always expect God to speak the worst about who we are; shaming us, cursing us and sending us to our bed-room without dinner?! The bed-room, a place that should represent intimacy perhaps now represents a room of punishment! (That is another whole teaching!) Yes, like the Psalmist we too must loathe the stench of sin in our lives; unforgiveness, judgments, bitterness, and the like. Those dark places in our heart do not define who we are but will most definitely hinder us from receiving Gods love and giving it away. Our healthy response; repent of our sins, release those that have hurt us and pray for them. But lets not stop there!

God longs to pour in perfect love into those desolate places where pain, fear and anxiety once dwelt. Draw in a little closer now; drink in the truth as He
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whispers into the ears of your heart who you really are journal what He says!

3. TRUST... to be led
In order to be led, we must trust the one leading.

Today I heard a friend say, I can trust no human being... that is why I have my animals! Believe it or not that is probably what most of us have said at one time or another in our lives! In order for David to risk opening his heart for exploratory surgery - he had to trust in more than just his sheep! His trust was in God the One that knew everything about him. He meditated on the truth of who God is. Nothing in Davids heart was hidden from God and at the same time nothing could separate David from the love of God. What hinders you from experiencing this kind of trust that David experienced? Take some time and give the Holy Spirit permission to explore some truths about your heart. Actually, He will show you what is not truth... so that you can receive His Truth! Time, Truth & Trust are 3 tips for a Heart Examination- May they be cultivated in our lives so that we might continue experiencing real freedom!

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