Examine Ourselves

Let us examine and search out our ways, And let‘s return to the LORD.
Lamentations 3:40 (NASB)

This verse by Jeremiah laments the sins and judgment of Israel; it is a cry for repentance before Almighty God, a return to His holy ways. It is not a casual glance at their spiritual state; “examine” from the Hebrew word châphaś means to seek or search diligently. The word châqar for “search” is quite similar; to examine oneself intimately – to try the motives of the heart. As children of God we are called to to examine ourselves each day, to see if there is evidence of Christ our Lord in our life – to test our faith in Him (2 Corinthians 13:5). And if we look back into 1 Corinthians 11:28, we find the familiar description of how we approach the Lord’s Supper – examining ourselves first.

In these scriptures about self–examination, we are not just searching for sins but in how we deal with everyday life, and in particular the trials we face. It is such trials that try our faith in God, in how we serve Him, and testify of His blessings. Trials of this world try us spiritually, driving us to seek His presence more than in previous days. I speak from personal experience of recent days. It is a matter of what we do with trials; do we allow them to bend us, or do we surrender them in prayer before the throne of His Grace?

Dear Reader, let us come together in prayer; examine ourselves, and surrender humbly all to our Lord and Saviour. May we seek Him in the peace of His presence, that our storms may be hushed.

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Devotional Treasures

About the Author

Devotional Treasures is a daily source of Biblical posts on various sources; they are free to all. These are written by me, Alan Kearns, and are inspired by my own private reading/study of God's Word.

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