Lord, Examine Me...

Psalm 139:23-24 (NET)
²³ Examine me, and probe my thoughts!
Test me, and know my concerns!
²⁴ See if there is any idolatrous tendency in me,
and lead me in the reliable ancient path!

See the Color Key at the bottom of the page

Scriptures the Lord is Using to Lead Me in the Way Everlasting

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NET)
Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: Fear God and keep his commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.

Proverbs 8:13 (NET)
The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride and the evil way and perverse utterances.

ARROGANT PRIDE

James 4:4-6 (NET)
⁴ Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy. ⁵ Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, “The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning”? ⁶ But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.”

James 4:5 (James B. Adamson, The Epistles of James. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976), 173)
Or do you suppose it is an idle saying in the scriptures, that the spirit [not the Holy Spirit] that has taken dwelling in us is prone to envious lust?
[most people who do a truthful analysis of their pre-Christian lives will have to agree - it is closely related to covetousness, which is idolatry]

Ephesians 5:5 (ESV)
For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous [greedy (NET)] (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Colossians 3:5 (ESV)
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness [greed (NET)], which is idolatry.

EVIL WAY: Following after the World, the Flesh and the Devil and having Selfish Ambition

Ephesians 2:1-3 (NET)
¹ And although you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air [devil], the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience, ³ among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest…

1 John 2:15-16 (NET)
¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, ¹⁶ because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world.

Philippians 2:3 (NET)
Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

PERVERSE UTTERANCES

James 3:6-8 (NET)
⁶ And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence—and is set on fire by hell. ⁷ For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind. ⁸ But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

1 Peter 3:9 (NET)
the one who wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from uttering deceit.

 

John 14:21 (NET)  
The person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.

1 John 2:3-6 (NET)
 ³ Now by this we know that we have come to know God: if we keep his commandments. ⁴ The one who says “I have come to know God” and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person. ⁵ But whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him. ⁶ The one who says he resides in God ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked.

1 John 5:1-5 (NET)
¹ Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered by God, and everyone who loves the father loves the child fathered by him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and obey his commandments. ³ For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments do not weigh us down, ⁴ because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world.

Hebrews 10:7,9 (NET)
Here I am: I have come to do your will, my God.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NET)
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding.
⁶ Acknowledge him in all your ways,
and he will make your paths straight.

2 Peter 1:4-10 (NET)
⁴ Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire. ⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; ⁶ to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love. ⁸ For if these things are really yours and are continually increasing, they will keep you from becoming ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately. ⁹ But concerning the one who lacks such things—he is blind. That is to say, he is nearsighted, since he has forgotten about the cleansing of his past sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to be sure of your calling and election. For by doing this you will never stumble into sin.

John 15:4-10 (NET)
⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned up. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is honored by this, that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples.
⁹ “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (NET)
¹⁰ Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. ¹¹ Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers [principalities], against the powers [authorities], against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. ¹³ For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace, ¹⁶ and in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NET)
³ For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards, ⁴ for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments ⁵ and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.

James 4:6-7 (NET)
...“God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” ⁷ So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NET)
...we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely...

1 John 1:9 (NET)
But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.

Isaiah 30:15 (NET)
For this is what the master, the Lord, the Holy One of Israel says: “If you repented and patiently waited for me, you would be delivered; if you calmly trusted in me you would find strength...

Philippians 4:5-7 (NET)
⁵ Let everyone see your gentleness. The Lord is near! ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Matt 6:25,33 (NET)
²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?
³³ But above all pursue his kingdom and [His - Christ's] righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

James 2:15-26 (NET)
¹⁵ If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. ¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that—and tremble with fear. ²⁰ But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²² You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? ²⁶ For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Job 1:21 (NET)
He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. May the name of the Lord be blessed!”

When We Cry Out to God He Hears Us

James 4:10 (NET)
Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.

Hebrews 5:7 (NET)
During his earthly life Christ offered both requests and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his devotion.

Matthew 27:46,50 (NET)
⁴⁶ At about three o’clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
⁵⁰ Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.

Matthew 27:46,50 (ESV)
⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
⁵⁰ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

Psalm 3:4 (NET)
To the Lord I cried out, and he answered me from his holy hill.

Psalm 3:4 (ESV)
I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.

Psalm 18:6 (NET)
In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried out to my God. From his heavenly temple he heard my voice; he listened to my cry for help.

Psalm 22:5 (NET)
To you they cried out, and they were saved; in you they trusted and they were not disappointed.

Psalm 22:24 (NET)
For he did not despise or detest the suffering of the oppressed; he did not ignore him; when he cried out to him, he responded.

Psalm 30:2 (NET)
O Lord my God, I cried out to you and you healed me.

Psalm 30:8 (NET) [see entire Psalm]
To you, O Lord, I cried out; I begged the Lord for mercy:

Psalm 31:22 (NET)
I jumped to conclusions and said, “I am cut off from your presence!” But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.

Psalm 34:6 (NET)
This oppressed man cried out and the Lord heard; he saved him from all his troubles.

Psalm 66:17 (NET)
I cried out to him for help and praised him with my tongue.

Psalm 107:6,13,19,28 (NET)
They cried out to the Lord in their distress; he delivered them from their troubles.

Psalm 118:5 (NET)
In my distress I cried out to the Lord. The Lord answered me and put me in a wide open place.

Psalm 120:1 (NET)
In my distress I cried out to the Lord and he answered me.

Psalm 138:3 (NET)
When I cried out for help, you answered me. You made me bold and energized me.

Psalm 119:145-152 (NET)
¹⁴⁵ I cried out with all my heart, “Answer me, O Lord!
I will observe your statutes.”
¹⁴⁶ I cried out to you, “Deliver me,
so that I can keep your rules.”
¹⁴⁷ I am up before dawn crying for help.
I find hope in your word.
¹⁴⁸ My eyes anticipate the nighttime hours,
so that I can meditate on your word.
¹⁴⁹ Listen to me because of your loyal love!
O Lord, revive me, as you typically do!
¹⁵⁰ Those who are eager to do wrong draw near;
they are far from your law.
¹⁵¹ You are near, O Lord,
and all your commands are reliable.
¹⁵² I learned long ago that
you ordained your rules to last.

Praise the Lord and Give Him Thanks!

Colossians 3:15-17 (NET)
¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 4:2 (NET)
Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NET)
in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 57:7-11 (ESV)
⁷ My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!
⁸ Awake, my glory!  Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!
⁹ I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
¹⁰ For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!

[ Be Exalted, O God-Awesome God - Brent Chambers with Lyrics ]

Color Key

• Obeying God and the Commands of God
• Things we should not do; Fear of the Lord
• Loving God and He us; What God will do for us
• Knowing and remaining (abiding) in Christ
• Crying out to God
• The devil and powers of darkness
• Related emphasis added