Isaiah 45-46
1 Thessalonians 3
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” 2 Corinthians 13:5
Some of us have an annual check-up with our doctor. An annual check-up is different from a typical doctor’s appointment because we go in feeling fine and the doctor will poke and prod us, do some blood tests and conduct some scans to see if there is anything wrong. The spiritual equivalent of this is self-examination, where we deliberately put ourselves in the place where we can be broken.
The Puritans were known for self-examination, and they wrote a prayer that gives an accurate look into the condition of our hearts: “O Lord, my every sense, member, faculty, affection, is a snare to me. I can scarce open my eyes but I envy those above me, or despise those below. I covet the honor and riches of the mighty, and am proud and unmerciful to the rags of others. If I behold beauty it is a bait to lust, or see deformity, it stirs up loathing and disdain; how soon do slanders, vain jests, and wanton speeches creep into my heart! Am I comely? What fuel for pride! Am I deformed? What an occasion for repining! Am I gifted? How I lust after applause! Am I unlearned? How I despise what I have not! Am I in authority? How prone to abuse my trust, make will my law, exclude others’ enjoyments, serve my own interests and policy! Am I inferior? How much I grudge others’ preeminence! Am I rich? How exalted I become! You know that all these are snares by my corruptions and that my greatest snare is myself. I bewail that my apprehensions are dull, my thoughts mean, my affections stupid, my expressions low, my life unbeseeming; Yet what can You expect of dust but insincerity, of corruption but defilement? Keep me ever mindful of my natural state, but let me not forget my heavenly title, or the grace that can deal with every sin. Amen.”
After reading this prayer, some of us may say, “It makes me feel uncomfortable.” But God does not want us to go through this because He likes to make His children feel terrible. On the contrary, God wants to bless us. Psalm 32:1-2 tells us, “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.”
Yet, we may ask, “if God wants to bless me, why do I have to go through all this?” We all need oxygen to live, right? But unless we breathe out carbon dioxide, our lungs cannot take in any oxygen. Likewise, we can only “breathe in” God’s blessings when we “breathe out” our confession.
O Lord, You know my heart, You know what is going on beyond the surface of my life. I breathe it all out to You so that I can breathe in Your blessings. Thank You, Lord.
1 Thessalonians 3
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” 2 Corinthians 13:5
Some of us have an annual check-up with our doctor. An annual check-up is different from a typical doctor’s appointment because we go in feeling fine and the doctor will poke and prod us, do some blood tests and conduct some scans to see if there is anything wrong. The spiritual equivalent of this is self-examination, where we deliberately put ourselves in the place where we can be broken.
The Puritans were known for self-examination, and they wrote a prayer that gives an accurate look into the condition of our hearts: “O Lord, my every sense, member, faculty, affection, is a snare to me. I can scarce open my eyes but I envy those above me, or despise those below. I covet the honor and riches of the mighty, and am proud and unmerciful to the rags of others. If I behold beauty it is a bait to lust, or see deformity, it stirs up loathing and disdain; how soon do slanders, vain jests, and wanton speeches creep into my heart! Am I comely? What fuel for pride! Am I deformed? What an occasion for repining! Am I gifted? How I lust after applause! Am I unlearned? How I despise what I have not! Am I in authority? How prone to abuse my trust, make will my law, exclude others’ enjoyments, serve my own interests and policy! Am I inferior? How much I grudge others’ preeminence! Am I rich? How exalted I become! You know that all these are snares by my corruptions and that my greatest snare is myself. I bewail that my apprehensions are dull, my thoughts mean, my affections stupid, my expressions low, my life unbeseeming; Yet what can You expect of dust but insincerity, of corruption but defilement? Keep me ever mindful of my natural state, but let me not forget my heavenly title, or the grace that can deal with every sin. Amen.”
After reading this prayer, some of us may say, “It makes me feel uncomfortable.” But God does not want us to go through this because He likes to make His children feel terrible. On the contrary, God wants to bless us. Psalm 32:1-2 tells us, “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.”
Yet, we may ask, “if God wants to bless me, why do I have to go through all this?” We all need oxygen to live, right? But unless we breathe out carbon dioxide, our lungs cannot take in any oxygen. Likewise, we can only “breathe in” God’s blessings when we “breathe out” our confession.
O Lord, You know my heart, You know what is going on beyond the surface of my life. I breathe it all out to You so that I can breathe in Your blessings. Thank You, Lord.
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