More Than Enough
READ
I don’t know about you, but today’s passage is hard to read. Hard words to say. Hard things to actually ask God to do.
My natural tendency is to look past the things I know are wrong in my heart — to gloss over the “offensive ways” and move on. I find it difficult to admit impure motives or uncomfortable thoughts, and honestly, I’d rather skip being tested altogether. I like easy things. I crave being comfortable.
And yet, I know my posture should look more like David’s. Open. Willing. Inviting God into the places I’d rather keep hidden. The question is — how do I actually get there?
Let’s take a moment to read Psalm 139:23-24:
“Search me, God, and know my heart!
Test me and know my anxious thoughts!
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
REFLECT
We were on one of our usual morning walks when I turned to my closest friend and asked her two simple questions.
“Will you help me? Do you see something in me that I’m not seeing?”
I was giving her permission to say things I might not be able to see on my own. I wanted her honest, grounded perspective — not flattery, not judgment, just the kind of clear-eyed love that only a trusted friend can offer. And because I knew how deeply she cared for me, I felt safe enough to be that vulnerable.
What we’ve discovered together on those walks is this: the heart needs to be kept in check — and that is hard work. Asking God to examine us, and even inviting a trusted friend into that process, takes real courage. Sometimes I feel like quitting before I’ve even begun. But I’ve also come to know that following Christ means I simply cannot stay the same. And as uncomfortable as that is, I’ve learned to want it.
When the process gets hard, I come back to this truth: God is for me. Just like my friend — He’s not waiting to catch me failing. He’s not looking for reasons to condemn. He loves me, and He’s pulling for me. That truth is what gives me the courage to stay in it. It’s what keeps me willing to open up the harder corners of my heart and say, “Okay, God. All of it. Even this.”
Being formed into the image of Christ requires this kind of honest, consistent self-examination. It means regularly asking God to show me what needs to change — and then actually sitting with what He reveals. When He does, my soul grieves, my heart confesses, and something shifts. I find forgiveness on the other side. I find a new sense of direction. And I find myself loving Him more deeply than I did before. I think that’s exactly what David was after when he asked God to “lead him in the way everlasting.” He wasn’t just looking for a clean conscience — he was looking for a closer walk.
I want to stay committed to that. I want to keep depending on Christ — and a few trusted people — to help me see where my heart needs to grow. I know this process takes a lifetime. I know I won’t reach the finish line on this side of heaven. But I rest in the fact that I am being formed — little by little, day by day — by His mercy and grace. And that is more than enough.
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
Is there anything you’ve been neglecting to fully bring before God — a thought pattern, a motive, a habit you’d rather not look at too closely? What would it mean to invite Him into that today?
David’s prayer was an act of trust — he believed God’s examination would lead somewhere good. Do you trust God enough to pray this prayer and mean it? What makes that easy or hard for you right now?
Is there a trusted friend in your life you could invite into this kind of honest, heart-level conversation? What’s one step toward that kind of relationship this week?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
Father, help me to want what David wanted — a heart that’s open to You, even in the hard places. Give me the humility to invite You in, and the faith to trust that what You find there won’t drive You away. May I know Your love so completely that I have no reason to fear condemnation or hide in shame. And give me the courage to invite a trusted friend alongside me in this journey — not to judge, but to walk together toward You. Amen.
Port City writer Holly Campbell wrote today’s devotional.