“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalms 139:23-24)

As I read these verses, I realize that I am the one making this request. I am looking at being a willing participant in this search/hunt/inquiry. Doesn’t this make sense, that my life will not be benefited if God is the only one initiating this search and it is exclusively for Himself? For me to benefit, I must be deeply involved in this search.

But this verse is talking about much more than a quick investigation for general information. Let’s look at it through a word study.

Search (Heb: chaqar, khaw-kar) to penetrate,  hence to examine intimately, find out, search, seek

Know (Heb: yada, yaw-dah) to know, used in a wide variety of senses, 74 different meanings; maybe the most thorough word defining knowledge

Heart (Heb: lebab, lay-bawb) the heart [the most interior organ] often used to express the spirit of a person

Try (Heb: bachan, baw-khan) to test, to investigate, prove

Thoughts (Heb: sar’aph, sar-af) cogitation, thinking, thought

See (Heb: ra’ah, raw-aw) to see, 46 definitive words, to see in almost every aspect

Any (Heb: kowl, kole) the whole, all, any or every, altogether

Wicked (Heb: otseb, o-tseb) the resulting pain (mental or physical) from wickedness

Lead (Heb: nachah, naw-khah) to guide, to transport (as a colonist), lead forth

Everlasting (Heb: olam, o-lawm) concealed, i.e. the vanishing point, eternity, always

Paraphrased, I can make the following application:

Help me examine myself God, as intimately as possible, and help me know myself (including my spirit) as thoroughly as possible like you do. Help me to investigate my thinking so I can see every aspect of myself, especially the mental or physical pain my wickedness has caused you and others. Please, help me discover what is necessary to be transported into your “colony” where I can learn to become prepared for eternity.

Now, I am not only aware of what God wants me to do, I can become an active participant. I am not only involved in this search, but I can discover what it is about me that keeps me from enjoying Christ-likeness. (Therein is a source for fine-tuning my Christianity.)

Now, I can join God as He helps me to expose more and more of my sin nature, my flesh.