Psalms 139:23: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts:
“In the joy of this new relationship I said to Jesus Christ. ‘Lord, I want this heart of mine to be yours. I want to have you settle down here and be perfectly at home. Everything that I have belongs to you. Let me show you around.’” Robert Munger – My Heart Christ’s Home.
David gives this statement in Psalms 139:23 right after telling the Lord he hates those who hate God. I wonder what prompted David to ask God to search his heart out after He made such a pious statement. Did he sense he was being a little too holy? Did he sense that his hatred for those who hated God was not the only reason for the hatred he felt? How many times have we piously declared that God is the only reason we desire something. “Lord give me a candy apple red Porsche so I can pick up little children and take them to Sunday School on Sunday.” David probably did not trust his heart and had to ask God to search it out because he could not be sure of his motives.
I have always been mystified by this idea of God searching out one’s heart. Doesn’t he already know our hearts, why must He search out our hearts? Doesn’t He know our thoughts, why must David ask God to know His thoughts?
The word “search” in the Hebrew is “chakar” which does mean to investigation examine or to search out. However, this is a qal imperative form so it is a sort of invitation. The letters and position of the letters in this word “Chet, Qof, Resh” would suggest this invitation would be an invitation to merge one’s heart with God. Inviting Him into his heart to clear out any rubbish which might be hidden so that his heart is sanctified and pure so that it may be joined with the heart of God.
Robert Munger wrote a little allegory called My Heart Christ’s Home, which you can find on the internet. In this story he pictures his heart as a house in which he has invited Jesus to live. He first shows Jesus around this house (chakar). He then takes Jesus into his study. Suddenly the man feels embarrassed over some magazines that are in the study and ashamed of some pictures on the walls. This is what is being expressed in Psalms 139:23. The particular verbal form of the word chakar would not so much express the idea of asking God to search out one’s heart as it would be to invite Jesus to take a tour of one’s heart. As you begin to show Him around your heart, He does not have to say anything. In his presence you are suddenly aware of things that will embarrass you in front of him and make you ashamed in front of Him.
Would you dare to invite Jesus to take a tour of your house? This is what David did. He even invited Jesus to try him. Here the wordtry could have two possible root words. Traditionally we use the root word bakan which means to try or test. However, the root word could also be banak. This word expresses the idea of instruction or to train. I like that better. Here David is inviting God to search out his heart so that He can find it a proper abiding place and then he asked that God instruct him in whatever way is necessary to make sure that God is comfortable in His heart.
Then David ask God to “know his thoughts.” The word to know is yadah which is an intimate knowing. David is well aware of the fact that God knows what he is thinking. What David is asking is that God will become intimate with His thoughts. He is asking that he only think thoughts that are compatible with God. He wants to think only thoughts that will make God comfortable. This morning as I awoke I found I did not have to get up for another half hour. I laid back down trying to go to sleep but resisting further sleep as I feared oversleeping. My thoughts were wondering to all my earthly concerns and fears. These thoughts were so disturbing I knew I had to get out of bed and do something to get my mind off my concerns. Suddenly I found myself praying, “God, give me only your thoughts.” I don’t remember what thoughts came to my mind, but in the next few minutes I felt so restful and peaceful I didn’t want to get up and leave my thoughts behind.
I believe that is why God led me to this verse this morning. He wanted to confirm that as I walk through the fires, He is trying to be comfortable in my house or heart, He is only doing what I have asked, and that is to search (chakar) this home or heart that I have invited him into and to burn away the things that make Him uncomfortable. As he does He is instructing me as to what makes him comfortable in my home or heart and if I find this process of making my heart comfortable for Him too uncomfortable for me, I can ask Him to be intimate with my thoughts and He will share His thoughts with mine and make me comfortable in His heart.
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