Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind.

Psalm 26:2 ESV

We have another humble king in our reading today. Josiah was confronted with the truth of God’s word and he weeps for his sin and the sin of his people. Is that your reaction when you realize you missed the mark?

The verse I ended with yesterday about the Lord leaving Hezekiah alone to see what was in his heart is a scary one to me. I don’t want to be left alone. As far as I’m concerned, there is no good thing in me. God’s all the goodness I got. I need Him or I die. But He does ask us to make choices that He won’t make for us.

In Psalm 25 we had the thrice repeated request for guidance. Here we have the thrice repeated request for testing. Why? Why would you ask for testing? Don’t we pray, “Lead me NOT into trial or temptation?”

1 Peter 1:6-7 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold…may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The trial comes with suffering, grieving, but it’s for just “a little while.” On the other side is proven genuine faith which is more precious than gold.