Examination with Kind Eyes

“Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.” (Ps 26:2-3 AV)

Without God’s lovingkindness, the first request would be insane!  David is not perfect.  None of us are.  In his request, he knows if God examines him, there will be faults found.  The only way this makes sense to ask for the LORD to examine oneself is if we can also rely upon His lovingkindness.  Without mercy, God would examine and correct all faults found without any regard for forgiveness, patience, tenderness, compassion, etc.  The request above is one of deep faith.  David is asking God to look him over thoroughly even though his general habit of life is truth and righteousness.  He is asking the LORD to try his reins, or motives for his actions.  He is asking the LORD to look at everything in his life and who or what he is so that He can fix what is wrong while recognizing that which is right.  This will only work if we have faith in His lovingkindness for the bible teaches us that no one could stand the righteous judgment of God if but for the companion attribute of mercy.

My wife and I like watching cooking shows.  Some of the competition shows are both entertaining and informative.  We were watching Masterchef.  Then we started Junior Masterchef.  We enjoy the latter much more.  All the adult drama is gone.  The kids are competing against each other, but they are competing against themselves even more.  When we started watching, I wondered how brutally honest the judges were going to be.  Especially Joe.  Joe was not kind to the adult chefs.  He was famous for throwing fits and being overly dramatic when tasting food.  I thought these poor kids would not be able to take the judging that was coming their way, or the judges would be way too kind to them.  Neither was true.  Gordon Ramsey was always matter-of-fact.  He was never overly concerned with a chef’s emotional reaction to his opinion.  I thought he might take it easy on the kids.  But he was the same judge with the kids as he was with the adults.  What really surprised me was the humility in those children.  Some would weep but most did not.  They took the criticism as an opportunity to improve.  They never took it personally.  It was accepted as it was offered.  Constructive criticism was meant to help them meet their goals.  This is what David is doing above.  He has walked in truth.  Not all the time.  Most of the time.  Yet he still wants God’s constructive criticism in every area of life.

It takes quite a mature believer to ask for that which David asked.  To ask the LORD to examine him and make the claim that he walked in truth is a feat in itself.  To make that claim while being humble enough to ask for correction where he is not is a step higher.  What makes this possible is faith in the lovingkindness of God.  Our earthly fathers, authority figures, or friends may not be so kind.  If we ask them to share what they believe might be our blind spot, they may give it to us with both barrels and with no compassion whatsoever.  Not the LORD.  If we sincerely wish to grow into Christlikeness, we must trust the lovingkindness of God.  He knows our frame better than we do.  He knows what we can handle and how much we can handle.  He will not drop the whole load all at once.  He will incrementally work on our faults as we can handle them.  That is the lovingkindness of God.  So, if we are too afraid to ask the LORD to reveal where we are failing, the answer may sting a little.  But it will never be more than we can endure.  Trust Him and His lovingkindness.  We will walk more and more like His Son, Jesus Christ.