Scripture
1O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
2You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
4You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
5You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
7I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
8If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave,[1] you are there.
9If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
11I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
12but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
13You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
17How precious are your thoughts about me,[2] O God.
They cannot be numbered!
18I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
19O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!
Get out of my life, you murderers!
20They blaspheme you;
your enemies misuse your name.
21O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?
Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
22Yes, I hate them with total hatred,
for your enemies are my enemies.
23Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Translation notes (2)
- 139:8 Hebrew to Sheol.
- 139:17 Or How precious to me are your thoughts.
14Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
Playing the ever-popular "blame game" when we give in to temptation never leads us to the destination where we want to go. In fact, it keeps us from recognizing our responsibility when giving in to the temptation we face. After all, we must take responsibility for our actions when we choose to follow our temptations and sin.
James does not mince words when he explains the role we play when it comes to our temptations in James 1. He explained that "temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away" (verse 14). According to James, we ourselves have a role to play when it comes to our temptations. Temptation comes from our own desires within us. That means we have to take responsibility for our part regarding temptation: we can either say no or give in to it. When we recognize our responsibility, we can better battle against the temptations we face daily.
David, the writer of many chapters in Psalms, understood that his sins and temptations began from within. This understanding is evident by his prayer in Psalm 139, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life" (verses 23-24). David knew that temptations and sin come from within, and He invited God to search Him and reveal anything that offended Him so that he could let go of whatever offended God with the help of the Holy Spirit. Let's be honest, friends, about the role we play when we are tempted. Let's follow David's example and invite God to search us and point out any areas that offend Him so He can lead us "along the life of everlasting life."
Moving toward action
Memorize James 1:14. Let this verse remind you of your responsibility when it comes to sin and temptation. Let it remind you that your temptations do not control you and that you can choose whether to act on the temptations you face. As you face temptation, remember that God is with you and ready and willing to help you fight against it. Ask Him for help when temptations come your way.
Going Deeper
Psalm 139:1-24
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