Test Me!

Some phrases in the Scriptures make me uncomfortable! Yes, the Scriptures speak to all, even ministers, and certain phrases more than get my attention. One of those passages is Psalm 26:3 where David says, “Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.” I believe David is asking for more than just a test of his faith here, much more.

If we as believers really want to know whether our faith is real then we must look to the place it should occupy in our lives. It is not enough to know the truth and believe the truth; there is more required. It is still possible to know the truth yet still be wrong in God’s sight.

Right now you might be thinking that this pastor is not swinging in the right tree, but hear me out. People put forth a public faith all the time. They sing and say ‘Amen’ in worship. They know the language of faith and God always seems to be on their lips. Yet, this is not true faith; it is nothing more than a superficial faith. It is religion at its best but it is not a relationship with God.

Faith, if it is authentic, flows from our relationship with Jesus Christ and is guided by the Holy Spirit. It runs through our heads but rests in our hearts. It takes hold of our very being and influences our choices and decisions. It will occupy our hearts and resonates in our soul. It will allow us to look truthfully at our sin yet help us understand that through Jesus Christ we have been freed from the power of sin. It is a real faith, it is an authentic faith, and it begins and ends with our faith in Jesus Christ.

It is a deep-seated faith that will produce repentance, hope, love, humility, kindness, and unselfishness. It is alive, it is active, and it abides in our hearts. So it might be that David is not being over- confident in his request, just a bit more honest than I would be. Maybe he is saying Lord test my faith, measure it honestly, and I will not flinch because it flows from my heart and the deep recesses of my soul. It has been birthed out of the truth that you love me and it is in that truth I will abide.

Maybe there is more comfort in David’s words than I originally thought. Maybe I should call out to God with a similar request: Lord test my faith, I want to know if my heart is where it should be. Do it now, the sooner the better!

RefRev