Exposing and sifting

For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:12-13 AMP

Earlier this week I was struggling with a situation. I didn't understand why I was having such a strong emotional reaction to the circumstance. My mind was trying to rationalise my feelings, but in my heart I knew my own wisdom was very insufficient and indeed my own conclusions were inaccurate. As it says in Proverbs,

The plans of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man, but from the Lord comes the [wise] answer to the tongue. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits (the thoughts and intents of the heart). Proverbs 16:3 AMP

There was only one place to go to understand the root of my reaction. God. I needed to sit at the feet of Jesus, ask Him to show me what was the cause of my reaction, and wait until he He revealed the truth. I needed Him to expose the thoughts of my heart and help me to sift them. After all, only God knows everything about me.

O LORD, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me. You know my downsitting and my uprising; You understand my thought afar off. You sift and search out my path and my lying down, and You are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue [still unuttered], but, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. Psalm 139:1-4 AMP

Sure enough, God exposed what was at the root of what I was feeling. He gave me a single word - abandonment. That word resonated completely with my heart. What joy I felt to finally know what was behind the seemingly uncontrollable emotional reaction I was experiencing. 

Immediately I was able to ask forgiveness for believing that I had been abandoned, and forgetting that even if I felt that someone had abandoned me, Jesus was always with me. Who is better to always have by your side, than Jesus? From that moment forward I was able to engage maturely in the situation, knowing that no matter what, God loved me and would never leave me nor forsake me.

Question for today, is there something in your life that you need help from God to expose and sift? Invite Him to show you what is the root cause of your actions / reactions. He knows you and loves you. He wants to see us mature and be transformed more and more into His image.

And all of us, as with unveiled face [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 AMP