What a powerful plead! Here, David is asking God to test his motives and his heart by putting him on trial (verse 2). Most of the time, we redoubt the trial, the cross-examination of God. My brother, my sister, can you imagine you, as a student, going to your teachers and asking them, today give me a test. What a powerful request isn’t it? You have to be sure of passing it to be able to ask it.
Let’s put this Psalm into context first. This was probably written when David was facing his son Absalom’s rebellion. Now, David is asking God to declare him “innocent” and to vindicate him because “I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered” (verse 1). What does this means? He is not saying he is sinless. Anyway that is impossible for any human being to achieve. In fact, he is pleading with God just like we also do when we face difficult situations. He wants God to clear his name of the false charges made against him by his enemies. But, because David had a close relationship with God and knew how God works, he did not ask the Lord to exterminate his enemies, let alone to fight his battle because his enemies were bothering him. Instead, he said, people are bother me, “Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness (verses 2-3). What a lesson from David, my friend. How do you plead to God before an unwanted situation? How do you plead your cause before God?
Most of the time, we come before God with a finger pointing at the person or the situation that bothers us. Do we ask Him to check our integrity? Do we, like David, confidently declare Him our loyalty and genuine commitment. This should teach us that, many times, God does not deliver us from our enemies because of our own deception: yes, we cannot stand before God to ask Him to vindicate us from an unwanted situation while we are not blameless before His sight. Of course, you may say, today we have the blood of the lamb that was pour out to justify and purify us. True enough, but the blood of Jesus works for those who love Him and those who love Him accept and follow His commands too: “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me” (John 14:23-24)! My friend, David was in a covenant with God. Today, through Jesus we too are in a covenant with God. Therefore, we should also be able to ask God to examine us, trusting Him for the forgiveness of our sins and to erase our records according to His mercy, mainly when we face unwanted situations. But this requires a life of integrity and a sincere commitment to Him. Stay blessed in Jesus’ name.