Relationships take time. And as time passes, as growth takes place, as maturity enters in, we can decide whether we want to go to the next level with a person and eventually, “safely” come to that uniquely “safe” place, open up to them.

This doesn’t have to be a husband or wife thing. It applies to every relationship.

Hopefully, over a period of time, we will all have someone we can safely tell our deepest, most sensitive secrets to. Someone we know can keep our confidence.

Such friends like these seem to know when there is something wrong with us, even when others don’t. They have been our friends for so long they can sense our mood, they can sense our innermost thoughts without even talking to us.

With an acquaintance, it’s different. We might tell them a little about our life, but we usually keep them from knowing all of the good stuff going on within us. We establish “safe zones,” weave our safety nets, protect ourselves and them.

Ironically, we will sometimes try to weave our “safety nets” underneath Jesus.

The further irony becomes our lack of awareness, God does know us. We cannot pretend we are something we are not with him. He knows us — inside and out, through and through. Ironically such knowledge as that should liberate us to share a remarkable degree of intimacy with him, but most of us run away from such a close relationship with our Father. Do we really want such a connection?

We declare to ourselves that it is no longer “safe” to be either around God. Yet, IF our “sincerest” “safest” desire, is to indeed become more like him, the only way to be transformed is by “risking our personal safety,” inviting him in to unceremoniously cross-examine all our hearts, our motivations, our desires!

Are we really, actually, genuinely, ready to risk such an “unsafe” eventuality?

I am not so sure we are if we were to seriously examine what God is saying here.

Psalm 139:23-24The Message

^23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
    find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
    get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
    then guide me on the road to eternal life.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Standing Toe to Toe with God … (Job Chapter 19) (Psalm 13 NRSV)

Standing Face to Face with God …. (Psalm 27:7-11 NRSV) (Jonah 1 – 2 NRSV)

“Investigate my life, O God,”

(What!?! Wait a Minute! Cringing and cowering)

“Find out EVERYTHING about me; “

(“Hold on, there … STOP!” Cringing, and cowering and gasping)

“Cross – Examine AND Test me,”

(“You mean put me on the witness stand? I was only joking around!”)

“Get a clear picture of what I am about”

(You mean me raising my right hand, making me swear an oath on a Bible?)

“See for yourself whether I have done anything ‘wrong’ ….”

(“I mean, you are actually taking me super-duper serious, right now, God?)

THEN and ONLY then, if there is anything left of me worthy enough,

(Me and my big mouth have always gotten me into a whole lot of serious trouble, but I would never, ever even remotely imagine anything like this!)

“Then Guide Me on the Road to Eternal life ….”

(“On second thought, maybe, just maybe it might all be worth it after all!”)

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray (“Yes! Lord! Absolutely? or Nope! No Way! No How! or …?”)

Take My Life, and Let It Be by Frances R. Havergal, 1836-1879

1. Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.

2. Take my voice, and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be
filled with messages from thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use
every power as thou shalt choose.

3. Take my will, and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.

See you all tomorrow – (I HOPE!?!) (MAYBE!?!)

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

https://translate.google.com/