Modernized by Cliff Collins

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

When discussing this passage, I must assume that certain things are true without trying to prove them. This is usually true in preaching. Preaching must take for granted that certain things are agreed on both by the speaker and the listener, and unless certain things are assumed, preaching would be very difficult. Therefore, I will take it for granted that you believe in the existence and attributes of God, and that you admit that He exercises a providential government over all the affairs of the universe. Directly or indirectly He is concerned with everything that takes place, either positively bringing it about, or when it is about to occur He knows it and permits it in order that He may use it to His advantage. I will take it for granted that you believe that no event occurs without God either positively causing it, or else allowing it to occur with a plan to overrule or make some use of it for His own glory and the good of man. I don’t have the time to talk about God’s perfect attributes, but it must assume that you believe that God’s providence is, in some sense, universal, and that it extends to every individual. Based on these assumptions, I plan to show:--

I. WHAT IS IMPLIED IN THE SINCERE AND ACCEPTABLE OFFERING OF THE PRAYER THAT IS CONTAINED IN THE TEXT.

II. NOTICE SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH GOD ANSWERS REQUESTS OF THIS KIND, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”

I. WHAT IS IMPLIED IN THE SINCERE AND ACCEPTABLE OFFERING OF THIS REQUEST TO GOD?

(1.) First, it implies the realization that God is omniscient. When David penned this Psalm, he was in a state of mind that deeply realized the omnipresence of God, and the searching of His eye. He begin the Psalm by saying, “O LORD, You have searched me and known me You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For, there is not a word on my tongue. But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there, Your hand shall lead me; and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ even the night shall be light about me. Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.” (Psalm 139:1-12)

I have read these verses to show that David, when he offered this petition, was under a deep impression of the omnipresence and omniscience of God, and the searching blaze of God’s eye throughout his whole being. And I suppose that this is always the state of mind of every individual when he asks God to search him. The request itself implies the belief that God understands his true heart, and is able to search him.

(2.) An acceptable offering of this kind of prayer implies an awareness of the moral purity, or holiness of God. Notice that he prays to be searched so that his whole being may be exposed to see if there is any iniquity in him, and that he might be led in the way of everlasting life. This scripture suggests that David had such a sense of God’s purity that he was convinced that God was infinitely opposed to all iniquity.

(3.) This scripture also suggests his need to be perfectly pure. An individual that offers this kind of petition does not, and cannot, offer it without this conviction.

(4.) An acceptable offering of this prayer must imply, that one is thoroughly aware of his own moral or spiritual state. It must be that he is in a very honest, searching, state of mind in order to know all about himself: He is aware of his own spiritual condition and heartily desires that all his errors may be corrected.

(5.) This prayer implies an intense anxiety to be as perfect as God would want him to be. It implies a desire to be conformed to God’s perfect will. Notice that he prays that his heart may be searched to see if there was anything wicked within, and to be led in the everlasting way, which indicates that he was willing to be led to abandon all iniquity. Anyone who prays like this must have an intense desire to be completely delivered from the dominion of iniquity.

(6.) In order for this request to be acceptable, the person offering this prayer is not aware of currently living in sin. He is not indulging in any sin that he is aware of. The Psalmist would not have made this kind of request if he had been knowingly indulging in sin at the time. He wouldn’t have asked God to search him to see if there was any wickedness in him if he knew that there was wickedness in him. If he was knowingly indulging in sin, he could not have made such a request as this without being a hypocrite.

(7.) In order for this prayer to be an acceptable prayer, the petitioner needs to be deeply tried; penetrated with the light of truth to the deepest recesses of his soul. When an individual offers such a petition, he assumes that there may be things within him that he has overlooked, and he asks for the scrutiny of God’s eye to search them out, and to apply whatever tests are necessary so that he may see them.

(8.) This prayer also implies a willingness to be subjected to any process of searching that God may feel is necessary. He does not suggest any particular way in which he desires to be searched and tried, but he leaves that to God. He only asks that it may be done, without trying to tell God how it should be done. When we ask to be searched, without really wanting to be searched, there is a tendency to tell God how we should be searched, but this is not an acceptable way of offering such a prayer. The time and manner of the searching must be left entirely to God’s discretion. Let it be done! Let God do what seems good to Him! You need to be in this is the state of mind when you offer this type of prayer.

(9.) Finally, an acceptable offering of such a prayer implies, of course, that the petitioner is really willing to have his petition answered, and will not resist any process through which God causes him to pass as the means by which he is answered. I pass now to consider secondly--

II. SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH GOD ANSWERS REQUESTS OF THIS KIND.

First, God answers by His Spirit and by the application of His truth. God often allows light to shine into the mind, allowing individuals to see themselves differently than they’ve ever seen themselves before. But, even though it is true that God often, throughout human history, searches this way, yet it is, by no means, the only way He searches the human mind. In fact, God usually searches individuals in other ways. Please remember that God’s purpose in searching is not to learn more about us, but to allow us to discover ourselves, for He knows all about the state of our minds, our spiritual latitude and longitude, what we currently like, and what sort of characters we would become under any, and all circumstances. As a result, God, to drive out our view of ourselves, must apply such tests to us that will help us see ourselves as He sees us. In order to make us understand ourselves, and help those nearby understand us, God answers such prayers as these by means of His Providence without and by His Spirit within.

Have you ever noticed that the workings of God’s Providence and His Spirit never contradict each other? God works without by His Providence, bringing us into various states and circumstances that develop our character, and then comes by His Spirit, and presents it to our minds when it is developed. But I said that I will talk about some of the ways that God answers these prayers, and I will do so.

(1) For example, God often allows things to happen that really will show us, and those around us, what kind of tempers we have. For instance, people speak against us, and the ways in which we respond to their accusations shows what our tempers are. Now when we pray to be searched, God often applies such tests as this: he allows us to be defamed, and spoken against, in order to try the state of our minds and show whether we posses the virtue of meekness, or whether we will respond in anger. Now, perhaps, some of you have a test like this applied to you today. Someone has said or written something about you that damaged your reputation. Well, let me ask you, how did you respond? Did you respond in the meekness and gentleness of Christ, or did it make you angry? Perhaps you had been praying that you might be searched, and God caused your character to be tested so that you and those around you might see it. And what sort of character was it, listener?

(2.) God often arranges matters so that those around us test us with neglect--perhaps, sinfully so. Now God does not prevent this, but allows this to happen. He could have stepped in and prevented it, but He didn’t. Well, how does this affect us? It develops the state of mind that we were in. And what was the real state of mind that it brought out? Did it make us angry and manifest an unholy temper, or did it produce just the opposite? Perhaps God allows us to be treated unjustly, and when we are tried and tested this way do we manifest the Spirit of Christ? Do we find working in us the temper that was manifested by Christ in similar situations? Remember, that it is written, “If any man does not have the Spirit of Christ he is none of His.” (Rom 8:9)

Now we should be very ignorant of ourselves if none of these tests are applied. When people have nothing to try them, they are in great danger of deceiving themselves; but when people are tried, then their real disposition, and the temper of their minds are developed. Let me ask, has somebody cheated you? Has someone taken advantage of you? Has injustice been done to you? Has someone refused you honest wages, or refused to pay a just debt? Well, under these painful circumstances, what spirit did you manifest? Did you find the Spirit of Christ within you? Listen! These are Providences occurring to search you that you might understand yourselves, and that those around you might understand you. Perhaps you have been misunderstood, and misrepresented; well, how have you reacted? Perhaps those who have particular obligations to you have treated you disrespectfully. Well, how did you handle it? Did your indignation rise? Did you manifest an un-Christ-like spirit? Or did you find that the Spirit of Christ was in you? You prayed to be searched, and in answer to your prayer, your children or those related to you, and who are obligated to you, treated you in a very improper manner. It was the opposite of what you had a right to expect from them. Perhaps your servant or one of your employees did something very wrong. Now even though you admit that all this was very wrong and provoking, what effect did it have on you? What has it taught you? And what has it taught those who witnessed that situation? Has it revealed your state of mind? I’m sure it has; and if it was not outwardly visible, what were your feelings within? Someone, perhaps, has contradicted you! Can you handle contradiction? Do you bear it well? Were you patient under it? Did you act as Christ would have acted under similar circumstances, or did you behave un-Christ-like?

Perhaps, in your business today, some of those whom you employ did not do their job, or destroyed some of your property. All this might have been exceedingly wrong and highly provoking. But, let me ask, what spirit did you reveal to those who had done the wrong? Was it the same spirit that Christ would manifest? What’s been the result of such an occurrence? Observe, these things never occur by accident: God plans that every circumstance should help develop our characters, that they should try us and prove what there is in us and reveal it to our own consciences, and reveal to us the source within us of all our actions. Now when these tests of your character and disposition have been applied, what’s been the result? Did you discover that you were still nothing but the same old sinner? That instead of finding Christ within you, and His temper developing itself, you found the old man with his deceitful lusts!

(3.) How often when individuals pray to be searched and tried, God gives them business opportunities to prove if they love their neighbors as themselves, or whether they will try to profit all they can from their neighbors, and use any means to this end that is legal, or ruin them from a business point of view. God tries them to see if they will really consider their brother’s interest as well as their own, to see if they will share the profits where there is any money to be made; or whether they will dip their hands as deeply in their neighbors pockets as they can without losing their honest reputation. Now God often tries men in this way. He will often give them opportunities to take some advantage over their neighbor. A neighbor who is in need of a small loan comes to an individual that professes to be a Christian, and who is quite able to lend it; but he pretends that to comply with the request he’ll have to make great sacrifices. But he really wants to give his friend money only if he will pay a high rate of interest for it, plus lots of security. This is a test for him. He finds a neighbor in trouble; how does he act? Does he come forward like a Christian man and help his neighbor, as Christ and the apostles would have done, if they were in similar circumstances? Now, whenever cases like this occur, they are golden opportunities for us to know ourselves, and are designed to search us to the bottom of our hearts.

(4.) Often, God so arranges it, that an individual can take advantage of others without danger to his reputation. He is very cautious not to take advantage when there is a chance of being caught. He definitely doesn’t want to ruin his reputation. But sometimes, there is little or no danger to his reputation by being dishonest, and the best time to be tested is when he has no selfish reasons for being honest. A man may be naturally dishonest, but he will not be dishonest when it is likely to hurt his selfish interests or reputation. But when this is not the case, when he can be either honest or dishonest without hurting his reputation, then is the time for a man to check himself and see whether it is the love of God or the fear of man that motivates him.

Suppose that a customer has paid you too much money and nobody but you knows about it, or suppose you have found something in the street, and you can keep it or return it as you please: now these are tests from God; and how completely such circumstances show to men what their true character for honesty is. The honest man would no more take, and use the mistaken change, than he would cut his own throat; nor keep the articles found in the street any more than he would leap into a fire. Now suppose, that instead of finding the Spirit of Christ manifesting itself, he discovers the opposite spirit, and has to resort to selfish reasoning to quiet his conscience, and make himself appear like an honest man. Well, it is written on him, “Mene, Mene, Tekel,” weighed in the balances and found wanting.

(5.) God often allows men to accumulate property that they may have an opportunity to extend the cause of truth and righteousness on the earth; He tries them to see if they will do it or not. Professing Christians claim that they are stewards for God, that everything they possess is His; and, consequently, is at His disposal. Now is it true that these men act in harmony with what they profess? Well, God often tries them to see if they are hypocrites or not.

(6.) God in His providence often allows us to suffer losses by bad debts, or by fire, or by some such means, just to see whether we will think and speak of these losses as being our losses--whether we consider these losses as God’s or our own. As professing Christians, we profess that everything is God’s, and that we are only His stewards. Well, look at a Christian who once had lots of property to manage; and somehow he lost it all, and he goes around saying that he has suffered great losses. He proves by his conduct that he acted hypocritically in professing that he believed it to be God’s property, and that he was only the steward of it. Suppose a clerk, whose boss had sustained heavy losses, should complain that he had sustained the losses, how absurd and untrue it would be. When we are in possession of property, we may profess that it belongs to God, and even deceive ourselves into the belief that we are sincere in our professions, but when a loss occurs, it often shows us that we did not regard it as God’s, but our own.

(7.) God will reveal our temper to us, and enable us to see whether we are impatient, or otherwise. He will show us if we are ambitious; whether we desire to climb and scramble up to some height, so that we can look down with scorn or contempt on our fellow man.

(8.) God often gives us opportunities for self-display, to see whether we will display self; and, on the other hand, he often denies us such opportunities, to see if we will murmur and be envious of those who do. Many people will find it easy to speak out against self-displays when they don’t have the means to indulge in it. They will proclaim their objections to those professing Christians who ride in fancy cars, and lavishly furnish their houses in a superior style. But give these critics the means of doing the same, and watch what they will do. See if they will not imitate, and perhaps act more extravagantly, than those whom they had condemned earlier. A short time ago, they were very piously speaking out against self-displays, but now they have the means of doing the same thing, and they do it. It is easy to see that it was not principle that caused them to speak as they did, but simply because they could not indulge in those things themselves, they pretended to be greatly grieved with others for doing so.

(9.) Sometimes God will deny individuals many things to see if they will be satisfied with the providence of God. Do they bear poverty well, or are they envious of the rich? Are they in their poverty what Christ would have been in similar circumstances? Thus riches and poverty, sickness and health, and a thousand other things, are sent to try men, and prove to themselves, and to those around them, what their real state is.

(10.) God often tries us to see if we are self-willed--to see if our wills are ready to submit to His will; or whether we will make ourselves unhappy and wretched because of what God has allowed to come upon us. It is often true that individuals don’t know if they are self-willed. As long as God’s providence seems to pet them, they are very pious, and can talk about submission with the greatest apparent sincerity. But just let God drive across their path: lay His hand on them: blow their schemes to the winds of heaven: and see whether they will talk of submission then; see whether they are self-willed, or whether as little children they will instantly submit. Can they say with the Psalmist, “Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, nor with things too profound for me. Surely, I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord From this time forth and forever.” (Psalm 131) What a blessed man! When he was tried, he said, “Surely I have behaved like weaned child with his mother.”

Probably most of you have had opportunities of knowing by actual observation what this means--perhaps you have seen a self-willed child ready to wrestle with everybody, but what a great change comes over it when its will is subdued. God often in His providence tries individuals, but who, instead of being a weaned child have been like an un-weaned child; instead of being able to say as the Psalmist did, they confess, “I’ve been like a young bull unaccustomed to his yoke” restless, self-willed, domineering, and ready to make war against God. Most of the people I am talking to tonight, have passed through such scenes as these. Now, let me ask, how have you been affected by these trials? What was the state of mind that you discovered in yourselves? God was searching you, applying the tests that should infallibly show what was working in your minds.

(11.) It is often very important for God to introduce measures to show if we are disappointed by anything that He allows to affect our life. When we devote ourselves to God, we are willing that everything which we possess, even our own life, be devoted in any way that God should choose. If we are in a right state of mind, we will not be disappointed at any providence, believing that everything occurs by the will of God; and this being the case, everything must be right and conducive to our real good. Now when circumstances occur to disappoint us, if we don’t allow ourselves to be disappointed, we may understand and conclude that our will is what is should be.

(12.) God often tries us to see if we idolize our friends. He visits us with affliction, or the loss of property, to try whether our affections and love are set as much on God as on our friends. Do you remember the case of Eli, when he was informed of what had occurred to his family? He said, “It is the Lord, let Him do what seems good to Him”. (I Sam 3:18) Now it is important for us to have opportunities of God’s providence to try us. There is, no doubt, a meaning in everything that God continuously bestows on us: and the very things that we are apt to regard as evil things, when we are in a bad state of mind, are working for our good. But let us be in a right state of mind, and we will not object to be thoroughly tried, for we know that the grace of God will be given to assist us to bear the trial. We can say with Paul, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. (Phil 4:13) And the trial does us a lot of good!

It is good for us to be searched and tried and stripped; if need be, of property, health, friends, and everything else, no matter what it is, for then we will have the satisfaction of feeling the grace of God spring up in our hearts, and shining forth all around us. My purpose today was to pass very rapidly over an outline that I hope you will fill in by looking back from time to time at what is happening around you. What has happened today to try you? How did if affect you? Keep an eye on this tomorrow, and remember that God is searching you to try your temper and state of mind. Perhaps, you are a Christian mother and your child is unruly and unreasonable, how does this affect you? Do you know that God is allowing this to see whether you will be patient or not?

(13.) How often will God try us to see whether we are really willing to lose the good opinion of the world--to lose the respect and confidence of our friends, and to lose social distinctions for the truth’s sake. Some man, perhaps, has been cast down from the heights of society, has become poor, and loses his friends and reputation; how is he affected? Does this trial cause him to shine forth in holiness, caring little how men regard him, as long as the event is for his spiritual good, and for the honor of God? Indeed everything that passes in society--new fashions--new dress styles--new colors--are constantly developing the state of our minds. Are our minds focused on these things? To what extent do they affect us? It is interesting to see how such things will affect professing Christians, as well as others. The plan of God in this dispensation is to make all men understand themselves--whether they are professors of religion or not. Thus He says of the church in ancient days, “Forty years have I led you in the wilderness to humble you and to prove you, to know what was in your heart, whether you will keep His commandments or not”. (Deut 8:2)

(14.) Often God will introduce dispensations that may severely test professing Christians, and prove whether they love God supremely. Now I have observed that there are many people who claim to love God supremely, who will stand by in silence while God’s name is blasphemed by men who seek to bring dishonor on His name and to subvert His kingdom; but these same professing Christians, if any word is spoken against themselves, quickly become angry and upset. They can see contempt, and abuse heaped on God without exhibiting, or even feeling, much grief--or being able to sympathize with the Psalmist, when he said, “I beheld the transgressors and was grieved”. (Psalms 119:158) “Rivers of waters run down my eyes because they don’t keep Your law.” (Psalms 119:136) Now do they think that the Psalmist expressed himself in a manner that was not true? Of course not! Wickedness took place before his eyes, and how did it affect him? Why he tells God and us how it affected him, “I beheld the transgressors and was grieved”. Now nothing is more common than for God to allow wickedness to occur before our eyes to see what state of mind it will develop. To see whether we are more devoted to our own characters than the honor of God. Now whenever these things occur the fact is revealed whether we love God or ourselves supremely.

Let me make a few quick remarks, and then close.

(1.) People don’t always realize what is implied in the prayers they offer to God. They offer requests to God without realizing what is implied in the requests that they offer. For example, they pray to be searched, but they do not understand what is implied in such a request! Do they know what they are asking for? People, in making requests, should understand what they are asking for and what may be necessary as a condition of receiving an answer.

(2.) Men often receive answers to their prayers without recognizing the answers. They are praying, but looking in another direction. They have their own thoughts about how God should answer. For example, how many people have offered the prayer covered by our passage; and they have this idea that the searching should take place when they are in their closets--not thinking that its really impossible for God to do this. Now when people pray with this idea, they don’t recognize the answer to their prayers, because the answer comes from a different direction than the one they are looking in. Perhaps some of you have received some answers to your prayers that have totally confounded you. You prayed to be searched, and instead of having the inward light that you expected, you find yourselves in such a state that feels as if you were being attacked by the spirit of Satan.

(3.) Many times, people resist the answers to their prayers. Yes, God frequently answers petitions, in a certain sense, even when they are not offered in a right spirit, and perhaps the answers are intended to show that they were not offered aright. For example, an individual prays to be searched, and God searches him to show that he is not able to be searched. Professing Christians pray that they may be searched, and the minister comes forward with their portraits drawn full length and holds them out for them to see. Now just look at them! They cannot bear it! What’s the matter with them? They prayed only a few days earlier that they might be searched, and now see the result of the searching!

I just remembered something that I observed once. A Presbyterian church, in the center of New York, had existed for many years without any religious revivals until it was in danger of completely dying. I went there for the purpose of merely spending a night. The members of the church were holding a prayer meeting. I declined to lead the meeting because I was a stranger, so one of the elders led the meeting. He began by reading a long Psalm, or hymn, and they sung it; and he then read a passage of scripture and did what he called pray. He doled out a long talk to God, in which he said a great many things about their state and condition, how long they had been so, and that they had met there every week for many years to pray, etc. Another hymn was sung, and another leader did the same as the first. They said about three such prayers, when one of the elders asked if I would make some remarks before the meeting closed. I complied with the request, and took their prayers as my text. I asked them plainly if it was understood that the meeting was called to mock God? They had met together once a week for many years, and had confessed their sins, but they had never forsaken them, and what was that but mockery? I took up each man’s prayers separately, and pointed out to him, while I remarked--if what that man said is true, he is a hypocrite! I then took another one’s prayer, and said to him, now you are certainly a hypocrite too, if what you said in your prayer is true--that is clearly obvious. Well, they looked so angry, that I expected them to get up and walk out the door, yet I did not spare them. I just threw their prayers back in their faces, and charged them with holding a prayer meeting to mock God. They turned and twisted about in their seats for some time, and were most uneasy, until finally one of the elders fell forward in tears, saying, “it’s all true, it’s all true.” This was the beginning of a revival, which completely spread throughout the neighborhood within a few weeks.

These men had not understood that they were mocking God. While they pretended to hold a prayer meeting, they asked to be searched, and God searched them in a way that they did not expect. As I said, people will often pray to be searched without understanding what is included in the answer. Just take up their own confessions sometimes, ask them if they mean what they say, and tell them, “if you are guilty of what you say you are, then you are wicked men, and you will certainly be lost unless you repent immediately”. Just adopt this course of action, and you will soon see whether they are willing to be searched, whether they are in earnest.

All the trials of saints are in answer to their prayers, and they are sent to try them. Sometimes this fact is not recognized, and sometimes when people recognize this, they become afraid to be searched. I have known people afraid to have spiritual blessings bestowed on them, lest the trial that accompanies the blessing is too severe. A woman once said to me, “I am afraid to ask the Lord to sanctify me, for if He does I am fully persuaded that He will take my husband from me.” Although it’s not often that people understand so distinctly the state of their minds in this respect, yet there is no doubt that people are often afraid that God will introduce some sanctifying dispensation. They are afraid He may deeply wound them in some tender part; perhaps deprive them of friends, children, or perhaps even their own characters.

(5.) The things that try the unregenerated part of mankind are often in answer to the prayers of the saints. The saints pray that God will convert sinners, and God adopts the means that are needed to this end, and the means that are adopted perhaps were not anticipated, and are not recognized as answers to prayer. It often happens that individuals need to lose their character, their friends, or their property--they are so hedged in that God must adopt some harsh measures in order to bring them into a right state of mind and cause His truth to operate on them.

(6.) Saints who ask to be searched must be willing to suffer anything that God sees fit to lay on them. They must make up their minds to submit to any dispensations of His providence.

(7.)Saints should be prepared to personally receive answers to their prayer. Perhaps God lays them on a bed of sickness just when they had some very great object in view. It is intended for their good, therefore they should not murmur or complain, but receive with thanksgiving the good that is intended for them.

(8.) It is necessary for us to pass through these trials because it would not be wise for God to always feed His children candy. We need discipline: it makes us good soldiers. A soft and comfortable religion that goes through no trials produces very little fruit. These providential trials take away our dross and tin, and make us strong in the Lord. How lovely is the character of the Christian who has patiently endured the trials he had to pass through. He becomes like a weaned child, and quiets himself under all the dispensations of providence: he receives everything as if it is bestowed on him from his Father.

I could say so much more. I must close by saying that the holier Christians become, the more sincere and earnest they are to have themselves completely searched, developed, and cleansed. The more they feel that they need to lay their whole heart before Him, and ask Him that His providence may search it, and purify it on every side until He is satisfied with his own work. Christians, are you in the habit of asking the Lord to satisfy Himself; to do that which shall bring you into a condition that will please Him? Do you long for the pruning knife to be applied, and purge you of all your selfishness and everything that is offensive to God, so that you may stand before Him as a young child in meekness and love, while He looks on you and says, this is My handiwork, and it is very good. Ask God to search you then, and do not be afraid to have it done. Look on the trials of life as coming from your heavenly Father, in order that if you are really self-deceived you may know it, and if you are not, that you may grow up into the likeness of the Son of God. Amen.