See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” When we pray these verses for ourselves, or for South Fellowship Church, we are inviting God to examine our motivations, our anxious thoughts, our fears to reveal any sin, any offensive attitude toward God or toward others. In Psalm 139:23-24 David prays, “Search me, O God, and know my heart test me and know my anxious thoughts. In the Bible our emotions, thoughts, motivations and our very souls live in our hearts. But Moses, David, Jeremiah, Stephen and Paul also talk of circumcision in terms of the heart. In the Old Testament, circumcision was God’s appointed outward sign of his covenant with the Israelites. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.
Yet the LORD set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations-as it is today. To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. For you created my inmost being you knit me together in my mother’s womb. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. You discern my going out and my lying down you are familiar with all my ways. You know when I sit and when I rise you perceive my thoughts from afar. You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.
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