Book Launch

Before moving on to today’s post, as promised, I am stoked to share with you the book launch for To the Young Believer that took place with CLC Kenya last week. The launch took place via Zoom, and live on Facebook. It is an hour-long interview with the CLC Kenya National Director, the beautiful Muthoni Mercy Omukhango. Muthoni asked some great questions, some I was prepared for and some I wasn’t, which was a lot of fun! It felt to me like there was a great connection in the Spirit between our two countries and the work that God is doing in the body of Christ.

I hope you enjoy the interview, which can be viewed here as linked on the ‘My Books’ page on the top menu of my blog site.

Now, today’s post.

The Searching Heart of God

I don’t know about you, but I go through seasons when my head is very noisy. I’m in one of those right now; my ‘quiet times’ are loud. For a long while, I’ve learned to ignore all the mind chatter in my times with God, as thankfully, I now understand God is bigger than all that and that He is delighted that I’ve simply come before Him. The knowledge of His greatness has comforted me at those times since I am obviously powerless to silence my mind.

However, the noise has ramped up of late, despite the quietness of my daily living. Along with the thought chatter, there are often many accusatory voices. If you’ve been a Christian for even a little while, you will relate to this. These accusatory voices are subtle, often disguised as our thoughts, and make it difficult for us to focus our hearts on the Lord while we are bombarded with all manner of things.

I find great comfort in Psalm 139, verses 23 and 24.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. (NASB)

Praise be to our God, who knows our hearts. We come boldly before Him, and if our hearts are sincere, God knows. He alone can search our hearts. As part of His searching, we rejoice that He tries us so that we are found faithful. He sets the right matters before us, in our inner and outer worlds, that will prove what is in our hearts, and prove that we belong to Him. He is our faithful audience who sees more than any other. He is the God who sees (Genesis 16:13).

God alone can determine if there is any ground for accusation. He alone can see if there is any hurtful or wicked way in us. But God does not condemn us; if He finds any hurtful way, His Holy Spirit will convict us of our wrong. And in His unsurpassable love, there is no fear or shame. His searching is kind, and His heart is toward us. We are His beloved children.

As He knows and searches, tries and proves us, He leads us in His path of life, the life of His Son—the path of righteousness, a way everlasting. This brings great assurance to know that amid the audience in our inner world, there is the One who knows us.

What comes to mind is the image of standing in the witness box before a prosecutor and a jury of false witnesses. Suddenly, in walks the Judge. Only, the Judge knows you. He looks you in the eye, and your heart is instantly relieved because you see it is He who is judging the case; the One who knows you and the One you know.

All accusation falls to the ground.

Oh Lord, we are eternally grateful that You alone know us completely. The knowledge that Your watchful eye sees into the depths of who we are brings comfort, security, confidence and peace. These are the hallmarks of being in Your Beloved Son, it is through Him that we are known by You. Thank You for placing us inside Jesus, inside whom there is no condemnation.

Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1 NASB)