Psalm 139:23-24 NIV: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
This often-quoted scripture is one I like to use as a meditation and prayer. The Psalm’s author, David, courageously invites God into his inmost self. Ironically, in the beginning of this Psalm, David declares that God already knows everything about him. He knows David’s thoughts, his movements, the words he will say before he even speaks them. He admits God saw and knew him before his body was even formed. And yet, David models something important here; despite God already being aware of every minute thing about us, an invitation is worth the effort.
A question: is the invitation for God or for us? My thought is it’s for us. God clearly doesn’t need permission to search us, but when I reach out and ask him to examine my motives, feelings, actions, and thoughts, I surrender myself to something greater. That posture is extremely important to my formation!
The piece of art I did tries to visualize these aspects from the verse. The Hebrew word for ‘search’ is chaqar, meaning properly to penetrate and figuratively to examine intimately. Using a microscope light penetrating the heart is how I represented this. The Hebrew word for ‘test’ is bachan, which means to test, specifically test metals, but also to examine or investigate. I love the image of a scientist working in a lab, testing different materials. The long, wispy strands coming from the brain are then tested with a scientific pipette. For the visualization of “see if there is any offensive way in me,” I liked the concept of a satellite from afar with an eye, looking at the whole person. The words for ‘offensive way’ are otseb darak, better translated as a painful course of your life. Think of it as asking God to see if there are actions you are taking that are hurtful or painful to others.
The trilogy of completeness is here, as is so often seen in scripture. David addresses his thoughts, his emotions (heart), and actions; thinking, feeling, and doing. Ultimately, the Psalm ends with the outcome David is hoping for. He wants God to lead him in the way everlasting. The Hebrew word for ‘lead’ is nachah. The root of this word is to guide, and by implication, it means to transport. I used the image of a car on a highway heading off to the globe and beyond to represent this.
As a point of reflection, perhaps you can spend a moment thinking about all these elements. Your emotions, thoughts, actions, and also your future. Which one needs some gentle invitation for God’s intervention? And if it’s been a while since you’ve opened your whole self up to allow God’s probing, maybe now is the time.
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