O LORD, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.

Psalm 139:1-6

The hymn “Search Me O God” draws its inspiration from this Psalm. It is a prayer of confession, a plea for forgiveness and renewal. According to records the lyrics was written J. Edwin Orr in 1936 at a revival meeting in Ngarua­wa­hia, New Zea­land. Although it can be sang in three different tunes but the original tune is named Maori, which is the Polynesian Indigenous Tribe in the island. “Search me O God” is a prayer and a request that sounds unnecessary. After all, God knows everything in our lives whether it is the outward expressions or the inward longings. 

What does it mean when we pray, “Search me O God?” First, it means acknowledgement of God’s infinite knowledge. One of the characters ascribed to God is omniscient. When we say God is omniscient we mean God is all knowing. And it includes not only the affairs of the universe but in the language of the Psalm writer even the affairs of our own personal lives. We remember Jesus who advised us not to fear because God knows what’s going on. He said; “But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:7)

Second, to say “Search me O God” is to put ourselves under God’s scrutiny. It is an act of humble and complete surrender to a power that is incomprehensible and greater than we are. There are folks who don’t like the word surrender, some prefer the word yield. Whether it is yield or surrender, the end result remains the same. In the presence of God we do not pretend to be someone who holds a bargaining chip. We just simply bow down and submit ourselves to God’s examination. The phrase “bowing down” either in prayer or in the presence of God signifies not only respect but also our acceptance that God reigns supreme above us.

This is our prayer today “Search me O God.” Even if it is unnecessary with God, we cannot help but articulate this prayer with our lips because a heart that longs for God finds its outward expressions in words and in deeds.

Prayer

Search me O God, Amen.

[Like a seed planted in the soil, it is our prayer that God's Word will grow in us as we nurture it in our hearts. Allow the seed to germinate. Your reflections and responses are welcome. Please click on the Add a new comment icon below.] Past Daily Devotions are archived at the bottom of the Sermons page.