Today’s Spiritual Theme: God, Search Me!

Scriptural Focus: Psalms 139: 23 KJV “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.”

King James Version

Supporting Scripture: Psalms 51:10 KJV “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

King James Version

Devotional Reflection

God, Search Me!

Sis, let me just warn you… this verse we have reviewed previously while on this journey, several times. I think because this is something that I personally pray and ask God for daily and sometimes throughout the day. I want to do things the way He wants me to do them. Now don’t get me wrong, I am in no way perfect but it is a daily journey to strive towards perfection. But let’s get to work on this particular verse. I don’t know about you but we should want God to search our hearts. To dissect it, tear it a part, piece by piece. I feel like I want God to dissect my heart and tear away at parts of it that do not belong there. What’s in my heart, you say, well, pain, disappointment, insecurity, fear, -must I go on! If you be real for just a moment – I am sure that there are areas in your heart that you need dissected. Let’s get to work.

There are parts of my heart that I keep hidden from everyone around me. I purposefully bury things deep that only me and God know about. Things that I am ashamed of and disappointed in myself for. I feel like those around me couldn’t handle all of that. But only God can get in there and find these hidden things and not only dissect but help me to heal in these secret places of the heart.

There are things in our hearts that we don’t want to discuss and I feel like we need to go there today. If you have a minute, let’s just take a look at a few things.

Bitterness: Sometimes our life expectations and the actual outcomes create an area of her heart known as bitterness. We are not happy with the outcomes that life has presented to us. Whether that is a a bad relationship or a career outcome, we look at these things as if we were let down by “life” forgetting that it is God that orders our steps.

Trauma: I am so glad that THE GOD ALMIGHTY has the power to remove the pain of trauma. And don’t kid yourself, trauma is not a place that we should drown our hearts in. The pain of trauma can rob you of life. As a matter of fact it chokes the life out of your heart and you develop a hard heart. But only God can break past the hard shell and restore the tissue of your heart. Only He can bring life back to your heart.

Insecurities: And all of us ladies struggle with insecurities! Some of us are trapped by our insecurities. How we look, how we dress, how we speak…girl stop! You were fearfully and wonderfully made. Don’t allow your insecurities to bury themselves deep inside your heart and keep you from living a life of joy.

Fear: My favorite! When fear enters your heart you live a life that is dictated by your fears. In other words, it controls your life. You don’t make a move without reviewing how your fear feels about the move you are about to make. I’m tired of allowing the fears in my heart to keep me bound. I want to turn FEAR into FREE! God did not give us the spirit of fear but of peace, love, and a sound mind and we should live our lives with this confidence.

Sis, today stand with me allowing God to search your heart and to renew the “tissue” of the heart so that we are able to live a life of joy and freedom.

I was sitting here thinking and realizing that when God searches the heart he finds areas that a renewing. In Psalms 51, David is asking God renew the spirit within him. And in this walk after God searches my heart, He will definitely have to renew everything he just dissected. And the great thing about God is that he does not leave you empty.

Thank you Lord for your renewal. We will continue this on tomorrow – it’s a good one.

Journal Prompt

Let the Dissection Process Begin

Today, let’s reflect and ask God to search our hearts and perform a dissection process.

1.Make a list of the areas of the heart that you need God to search.

2. Now make a list of the hidden areas of the heart that you did not list above. Be honest sis.

3. Write down next to each of the items what you would like God to replace these areas with.

4. Now pray for strength through the process.

Today’s Challenge

A Renewed Spirit, A Dissected Heart

Today, I want you to sit in a quiet space – with absolutely no sound. And begin a private conversation with God that follows this format:

Lord, search my heart. Travel deep into every secret place of my heart to remove that which does not belong but replace it with your love.

That’s it! Only 5 minutes of your time.

Today’s Prayer

Lord, thank you for today’s lesson! Thank you for your love, peace, wisdom, and understanding. Now Lord, I ask that you search my heart today. That you dig deep into not only the surface of my heart but also the deep areas that I hide from everyone. And Lord dig even deeper into the areas that only you see. I need your healing, I need your touch. Today, oh lord, remove the areas that continue to cause me pain. Remove the areas that keep me captive with fear and resentment. Lord, I know that you can, if it be your will. But Lord, I also ask that you refill the areas that you remove with joy, peace, love, longsuffering, temperance and all of the fruit of the spirit. Please Lord replace these areas with your gentleness and your touch of kindness. Thank you Lord in advance for what you are doing in my heart. Help me to understand your will for my life and provide me with the endurance to continue running this race. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Sis, Remember This…

Sis, in order for you to move forward, a dissection must happen. Welcome to the lab – God is the surgeon! In His hands you can be reassured that he will remove what is not needed so that you can heal and move forward.