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By Hellen J. Kuleskey
I. Why do we as God’s children need Him to search our hearts and to test us?
1) Because we do not know our own hearts.
The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer.17:9) Obviously, only God knows our hearts. We may have buried long-standing negative emotions in our subconscious mind. We may have learned to control these emotions as we have grown in the knowledge of the Lord and His Word. But God knows if we still harbor resentment, unforgiveness, anger and even rage that we allowed into our lives early in life—before we came to salvation in Christ. Although we may not be aware of their presence, these negative emotions are sins that hinder us in our walk with the Lord and render us unable to receive all of God’s promises.
2) We need God to search our hearts because “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt.12:34).
Have you ever said something in haste that you wish you hadn’t said? The words just slipped out of your mouth and you said, “Oh, I didn’t meant to say that.” Your mouth spoke that which was in your heart. Whatever is in our hearts comes out of our mouths. James wrote to believers, “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:10). Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Matt.12:35).
3) We need God to search and test our hearts because we hurt and offend others by what we say and do.
The Amplified Bible reads: “...See if there be any wicked and hurtful way in me.” Words can be very hurtful and damaging. The writer of Proverbs said, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Prov. 18:21). We also read in Proverbs that “the mouth of a righteous man is a well of life” (Prov. 10:11). Remember the virtuous woman in the 31st chapter of the same book? “She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness” (Prov. 31:26).
4) We need God to search our hearts because of the judgment.
Jesus in speaking to the Pharisees said, “For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned” (Matt. 12:37). We shall also be judged by what is in our hearts. In His sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “If a man looks on a woman to lust after her, he has already committed adultery in his heart.”
II. How Can I Have a Clean Heart?
1) Pray the prayer the Psalmist prayed.
Ask God to please search your heart. He will not do it without your permission and invitation. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. God will never do anything in us that we will not willingly let Him do. He made us free-will beings and He respects that.
2) Be obedient.
Whatever the Holy Spirit reveals and prompts you to do, be obedient. Don’t make excuses for sin even if you have been deeply wronged. Confess sin and ask for forgiveness and cleansing in the blood of Jesus. Let go of all past hurts and grudges; make restitution or ask forgiveness if the Holy Spirit so leads.
3) Be prepared for a process.
Purifying of the heart is not a one-time experience. Remember God transforms us “from glory to glory,” and we learn “line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little and there a little.” (See 2 Cor. 3:18 & Isa. 28:10.)
4) Don’t dwell on the past or focus on the “housecleaning.”
The Holy Spirit’s work is to uncover; we don’t have to dig. In my own life, I have made the error of going around and around in an eddy, confessing the same sins and sinful attitudes over and over again instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to deal with it. That cycle has been and still is a trick of the enemy of souls. Do not fall into his clever trap.
5) Our part is to keep our focus on Jesus.
Praise Jesus for who He is and what He did at Calvary. Meditate on the Word that tells us who we are in Christ and what Jesus has bestowed upon His Body, the Church.
In the Old Testament when King Jehoshophat was told that a mighty army was coming against him and his people, he called a fast and prayed to God. He ended with these words, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you” (2 Chron. 20:12b). His declaration of total dependence upon God brought a speedy answer. Remember, it is “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.” (Zech. 4: 6).
God searches and cleanses our hearts, but He cautions us to protect them. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Prov. 4:23).
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