“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24

I believe that we all have things that we supremely treasure. Some may highly regard people and greatly value objects, while others cherish prestige, popularity, activities or experiences. Whatever the case may be with each individual, the possessor of the treasure will diligently watch over it and guard it sometimes with their life. The Lord Jesus in Matthew 6:21 tells us, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” It is as it were, each item of our treasure/valuables has a connection to an inner chamber of our heart. And what we value most occupies the most ground in our hearts.

Proverbs 4:23 admonishes us to guard over our heart with great care because it is the safety deposit box where our treasures are kept. In it lies a vast reservoir of possibilities for good or evil. By nature, our heart is full of wickedness and deceit (Jer 17:9), but when it is cleansed and purified by the blood of Jesus Christ (Heb 9:22a) and by the Word of God (Jn 15:3), it can reveal the very face of God (Matt 5:8). With such possibilities within us, is it any wonder that we are exhorted to employ all diligence in guarding our hearts?

Psalm 44:21 revealed to us that God knows the secrets of the heart. How do we remove the impurities and uncover those secrets of the heart that defile us and hinder us from loving God with a pure heart? God is well aware of all the clever subterfuges that litter the landscape of our hearts; therefore, He tells us in Revelation 2:23 that “I am He who searches the minds and hearts.” And again we are told in Hebrews 4:13 that “all things are open and laid bare” to His eyes. Praise the Lord that He knows our true heart condition. Thus, if we are to deal with our inner heart's problem; we need to heed the prognosis and the prescription of God Who is our Cardiologist. It behooves us therefore to deal with the things in our hearts that the Lord revealed to us to be problematic. Thus, we can maintain a pure and clean heart before the Lord. Our part in all of this is to respond to His initiatives and act accordingly. Like David, we too need to constantly pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart . . . and lead me in the everlasting way.”