CHECK ME OUT LORD!

Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

One of my Spiritual mentors taught me from the beginning, a very simple secret to walking closely with God. He taught me always to be honest with God and also to always let God be honest with me. I never had a problem with being honest with God because I knew that He already knew all about me. Job 21:27 “Behold, I know your thoughts…” Psalm 94:11 “The LORD knows the thoughts of man…” It was easy for me to be honest with Him because He was the one that I could not fool. Knowing that, it was easy for me to bare my soul, openly share my feelings with Him, and expose my weaknesses, inabilities and insufficiencies.

This was a safe place to be, because I knew He cared for me even when I was a miserable sinner, desperately seeking satisfaction everywhere else but the source. Romans 5:8 “But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” If you have never realized this fact, it’s time to have a heart to heart conversation with the One Who formed you and called you into existence. He desires for you to unload your burdens, trials and tribulations on Him! His heart calls out to yours, “Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me… and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

His heart speaks that if we simply come to Him, He will give us rest. In addition, if we hitch (yoke) ourselves to Him and His Promises, we will find rest for our souls as well. (Our minds, emotions, imaginations, intellect, etc.) Today spend time with him and see His love and peace flowing into your being.

That part of the deal is pretty easy; but now it’s time to get on with the difficult part. For me, it was not easy to allow God to be honest with me, because then the enemy of my soul would always trick me into thinking that God was harping on all of my imperfections. I would thank Him, Praise Him, and Worship into His Presence and every time I would stop to hear His response and allow Him to speak into my life, He would tell me of His great love, care and desire to provide for me. I could listen to that all day long, but then He wanted to get even more honest and would focus my attention on an area of my life that needed cleaning up.

Precisely, at that point in the conversation, I would begin to shout Him down with praise or something like it. When he started to get real with me about me, I did not want to hear it! When I was young, I was taught that God was simply a matter of “You can’t do this. You can’t do that. You won’t do this and you won’t do that. You don’t do this and you don’t do that.” No more commandments from anyone, even God! Then I experienced a breakthrough! I discovered that His Commandments were not a burden; BUT A BREAKTHROUGH! 1John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

I discovered that in these quiet times when I allowed Him to speak to me, my faith came alive. (Romans 10:17) In these times of quiet, He would reveal Himself and His ways to me.(Psalm 46:10) His still small voice would speak to me and inject His Life into the darkest of my circumstances. His Word sprung forth in healing for my body and soul in these precious moments when I listened. (Proverbs 4:20-22) The directives, corrections and orchestrations He gave me in those quiet times literally revolutionized my life. (Proverbs 3:6, Matthew 4:4)

Go ahead Lord, Have your way! “Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” Psalm 139:24 When He points out that which offends Him, He is seeking only your good. His desire is that you would respond in loving obedience and be led along the “path of everlasting life.”

It is no coincidence that you have two ears and only one mouth. You should listen to the Voice of God twice as much as you speak to Him! How about right now! Listen to Him and allow Him to be honest with you! It’s for your own good! Thanks Pastor Anthony Spero for one of the many times you’ve been used by the Holy Spirit to change my life!