Challenge139 — Day 61

FILAS Women Online
Devotional for a deeper, more intimate walk with the God who knows you completely.

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 139:1 (KJV)
“O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.”

Psalm 26:2 (KJV)
“Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.”

Devotional Reflection

Examine Me

Sis, guess what? I have great news for you on this morning… you have officially graduated! You have grown from God’s search to his examination. And there is something powerful about moving from “God has searched me” to “God, examine me.” Psalm 139:1 tells us something God has already done: “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.” There is nothing about us that has escaped His attention. But for this morning we are going to add in Psalm 26:2, where David takes it a step further. He doesn’t run from God’s examination; he invites it: “Examine me, O LORD…”

Most of us don’t mind examining the things around us. We can examine somebody else’s actions, attitude, words, and even somebody else’s relationship with God. We can quickly recognize what they should have done differently. But spiritual growth requires us to turn the examination inward and say, “Lord, what about me?”

That can be an uncomfortable prayer because God’s examination goes deeper than appearances. We can look fine on the outside while something very different is happening within us. We can smile and still be carrying resentment. We can serve and still be exhausted. We can worship while secretly wrestling with disappointment. We can say the right words while our hearts are holding the wrong attitude. People see what we present, but God sees what is actually there.

David says, “prove me; try my reins and my heart.” He is inviting God into the deepest places of his inner life. This isn’t simply, Lord, look at what I did. It is, Lord, examine why I did it. Look at my motives. Look at my thoughts. Look at what I am holding onto. Look at the places where my heart may need Your correction.

And Sis, God’s examination isn’t meant to make us afraid of what He might find. Remember Psalm 139:1: He already knows. We aren’t revealing anything to God that He hasn’t seen before. The examination is often for us. God shines His light into places we may have ignored, justified, covered, or simply failed to recognize so that we can see ourselves more clearly.

Maybe that’s one of the ways we grow deeper with God. Instead of always praying, “Lord, change this situation,” sometimes we need to pray, “Lord, examine me in this situation.” Before asking Him to change another person’s heart, we can ask Him to show us ours. Before defending our response, we can ask whether our response reflected Him. Before assuming that we are right, we can give God permission to reveal anything in us that needs to change.

Psalm 139 tells us, “You have searched me.” Psalm 26 teaches us to respond, “Then examine me again.” That’s not condemnation; that’s relationship. It’s the prayer of a woman who trusts God enough to let Him look beneath the surface because she knows that whatever He reveals, He can also help her change.

Journal Prompt

Take a quiet moment and ask yourself:

When was the last time I asked God to examine me instead of asking Him to examine someone else?

Think about a current situation in your life and write:

“Lord, what do You want me to see about ME in this situation?”

Then give yourself permission to sit quietly before God without immediately defending, explaining, or correcting what comes to your heart.

Today’s Challenge

The Heart Examination

Today, take five quiet minutes with God.

Before you ask Him for anything else, pray:

“Examine me, O LORD.”

Then examine these three areas:

My Motives: Why am I doing what I’m doing?

My Reactions: What have my recent responses revealed about my heart?

My Heart: Is there anything I am holding that God is asking me to release?

Write down one thing God brings to your attention and one step you can take today to respond to what He has shown you.

Today’s Prayer

Lord, You have searched me and You know me. Today, I willingly invite You to examine me again. Look beyond what others see and search the deepest places of my heart. Examine my motives, my thoughts, my reactions, and my desires. Show me anything I have ignored, justified, or refused to see. Give me the humility to receive Your correction without becoming defensive and the courage to change what You reveal. I trust You enough to let You examine every part of me because I know that Your desire is to draw me closer to You. Examine me, O Lord, and make my heart more like Yours. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sis, Remember This…

God’s examination isn’t about exposing you to others. It’s about revealing you to YOU.

Sis, don’t be afraid to ask God, “What do You see in me?”