Thoughts for the Day

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...

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Listening to the problems of students sitting their GCSE and A level exams recently, has made me realise how hard it has been for young people recently. The difficulties of the covid pandemic has caused many to miss much of their course work. But it has also badly affected the year above who are now away at college. A University lecturer was complaining recently at the number of course books that her students had failed to read and at the amount of plagerism this year; many had also not attended lectures on line or in person. In such a situation there was little way that she could estimate their progress, and she felt doubtful that her comments, designed to help the students would achieve much either.

Psalm 139 is one of the most beloved of psalms, and we usually look at it from the perspective of God seeing us from before our birth to our grave, but today I want to think about another aspect of this lovely psalm. The writer sees God as the One who examines us, and who unlike those who must grade the work of students, is so close to us that he knows everything about us. He sees our faults and our good points, and continually examines us, not to punish us but to encourage us to learn more about Him and about ourselves. Only then can we hope to improve and grow in faith and in discover how we should live our life.

Heavenly Father,
You keep us close to You;
Your teach us;
You examine us;
and You encourage us.
Help us to realise that You set the 'course work'
and although You examines us,
it is always with the purpose of helping
us to improve ourselves
and to grow closer to You.
Amen.