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If I was knowingly living in a manner contrary to the Word of God and His perfect will for me, would I ever consider praying for God to Judge me or to Examine me?  Not unless I wanted to be totally broken to full surrender to the God Who unconditionally loves me, saved me, keeps me, and will take me to Heaven when I die.  And unfortunately not too many Christians are concerned with or want to be broken anymore.

(Learn the blessed place of brokenness in a Christian’s life from Pastor David M. Atkinson’s article "Brokenness": http://www.titus2menandwomen.org/Articles/PastorAtkinson/SpiritualBroken/index2.shtml)

The World has crept into our churches "unawares" as God calls it.  We have read the world’s magazines for decades and have accepted much of the garbage we say we don’t believe.  We have become so desensitized to what God calls sin.  For example: I remember when murders first became explicitly explained on the news.  I remember how horrified I was and how it left me extremely sad.  I am thankful I am still saddened--but I know I have become greatly desensitized to the horror of murder by hearing about it over and over and over.

Why don’t Christians bless Jehovah with a ‘call aloud/ voice+yell’ as the Strong’s Concordance defines the word ‘voice’ in verse 7?  Why don’t we have that kind of voice of Thanksgiving telling others of all His wondrous works?

Verse 8 says, "LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thy honour (glory) dwelleth."  Do we?  Do we love to go and assemble ourselves in the house of God?  Do we love to "Be" in Christ: Steal away to a quiet place to be alone with God--asking Him to examine us, fellowshipping with Him, having a quiet time of listening to Him speak to our hearts, nourishing ourselves with His presence and teaching?    Verse 6 says we should desire to "compass (be about on every side of) thine altar, O LORD:"  Is that our desire?

Does our integrity matter to us as much as God wants for it to matter? 

Verse 11---"But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity; redeem (ransom, redeem, preserve) me, and be merciful (to find and show favaour) unto me.

Verse 12---"My foot standeth in an even place (harmony, justice, uprightness): in the congregations will I bless thee (bless God as an act of adoration) the LORD/Jehovah.

Why should we bless Jehovah?  How do we stand in an even place?

"We are complete in him. The man that walks in his integrity, yet trusting wholly in the grace of God, is in a state of acceptance, according to the covenant of which Jesus was the Mediator, in virtue of his spotless obedience even unto death. This man desires to have his inmost soul searched and proved by the Lord. He is aware of the deceitfulness of his own heart; he desires to detect and mortify every sin; and he longs to be satisfied of his being a true believer, and to practise the holy commands of God. Great care to avoid bad company, is both a good evidence of our integrity, and a good means to keep us in it. Hypocrites and dissemblers may be found attending on God's ordinances; but it is a good sign of sincerity, if we attend upon them, as the psalmist here tells us he did, in the exercise of repentance and conscientious obedience. He feels his ground firm under him; and, as he delights in blessing the Lord with his congregations on earth, he trusts that shortly he shall join the great assembly in heaven, in singing praises to God and to the Lamb for evermore." 

From E-Sword--author unknown

From experience I know even in the deepest trials and heartache we have the ability to remember Who Jehovah God is and be thankful for His Sovereign charge of our lives.  But to voice it aloud while living without integrity would be a situation that would---or should---bring much guilt about our living in hypocrisy. 

Oh LORD, may we Your children open our hearts with an overwhelming desire to be judged and examined by You so that we can, with a loud voice full of thanksgiving, praise You and bless You.  May we then live our lives with integrity so our praises of You will teach those around us and truly say to others, "I will bless the LORD/Jehovah" for His mercies are new every morning and His unconditional love and grace never fails.  May all who know us be able to ‘read’ from our lives, God is good---Always!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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