13 For You formed my [i]inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for [j]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My [k]frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.19 O that You would slay the wicked, O God;
Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.
20 For they speak [l]against You wickedly,
And Your enemies [m]take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any [n]hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
The second half of this psalm has similar themes but takes them to a whole new level. Previously, the psalmist spoke of how God knew his very thoughts, and knew what he would say before he even said it. In v. 16, we see that God has written down everything we’ve ever done, all our days are recorded… before we were ever born!
We also saw how much God cares for us, how He is always with us, no matter where we go. Then in v. 17, the psalmist speaks of God’s thoughts towards us. They are practically uncountable, as they would “outnumber the sand.” Any idea how many grains of sand there are? Me neither, but that’s how much and how often God thinks of you.
Yet what does all this mean for us, and for the psalmist? What do we do with it? One reaction I spoke of before, but the psalmist adds a couple more for us. First, we should hate wickedness and all that rises up against God. As many have said before me, this isn’t about the people, who are lost in sin and desperately need Him.
This is about hating the very sin that entangles them and the spiritual forces that seek to enslave people for eternity. And it is about hating the sin that seeks to grasp us again. With the psalmist in v. 23, we should ask God, “Search me and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts…” See if there be any “hurtful way” in you, causing pain to yourself or to those around you.
Give it all to God, and let Him lead you in the everlasting way. Let God purify you, and purge any wickedness from your heart. It isn’t an easy process, or a quick one, but the rewards are eternal, and the impact only He knows.