“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.”                         Psalm 139:23-24
Often, it’s when a glass is bumped that one finds out what is in it.  When life is going well, we may be deaf to the warning sirens within us, blind to the red lights flashing.  This delays our necessary task to learn what faults and weaknesses we have within, which, undetected, could lead to our serious harm.  Finding out the dangers within us allows us to enlist God’s help to correct them.

“See, I have refined you, though not as silver;
    I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”                    Isaiah 48:10

“Test me, Lord, and try me;  examine my heart and my mind.”                       Psalm 26:2

It’s not that God needs to know what is within us;  He already is well aware.  It was said of Jesus that “He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”  (John 2:25)  But He wants us to know and acknowledge our sin and helplessness to fix it.  It is urgent that we discover the issues within us that we need Him to fix.  We do not wish to go on hurting ourselves and others, and we do not want to do violence to His kingdom, driving people away from Him by our character and actions.

This is a reason we can “exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope . . .”       Romans 5:3-4

“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”                              Psalm 51:10