Testing.

Psalm 139:23, 24
Search me, 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.

A friend brought her 3 year old daughter in for me to look in her ear. She was complaining of pain, so my friend stopped in at lunch. I got out my otoscope, and we tried to get the little girl to let me take a look. Now having your inner ear looked at might hurt just slightly. But the exam is necessary to find out what is wrong and then administer appropriate treatment. Well, this three year old was having none of it. She squirmed and cried, not willing to let me stick the tip of the ear speculum into her ear's external canal. Obviously, she was afraid the exam would cause pain, and she didn't trust that I had her best interest at heart.

God examines us (1 Thessalonians 2:4,1 Chronicles 29:17, Psalm 17:3). Whether we want him to or not. Our comfort with that exam is dependent on our trust in him and our degree of faithfulness to his commands. God calls us also to examine ourselves (Galatians 6:4, 2 Corinthians 13:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:21). Our comfort with this exam is based on our faithfullness to God and his commands and our beliefs about who God is and who he is not. We often neglect this examination, because we know we fail to meet God's standards AND are unwilling to change. But, as in Psalm 139:23,24 above, sanctification occurs if we are submitted to God, willing to change and be obedient to his direction. This maybe painful, but it brings glory to God and is ultimately to our benefit.

O that I would not squirm and fight the examination I need from my loving God; that I would not shy away from the treatment I need to mature in my walk with him.