It is time for your Check-up

Read Psalm 40.

Regular check-ups are part of maintaining a healthy life.  While physically we may undergo an annual examination, the believer in Jesus needs a spiritual one everyday.  Too often we wait until something is wrong to visit with the doctor and run the tests.  David felt overwhelmed by sin (v.12) and threatened by enemies (v.14).  He turned to the Great Physician for a complete analysis.  Here is the checklist for all of us.

1. My feet. (v.2)
He had been bogged down in a pit and was sinking.  When we get away from God, we dig a hole for ourselves that can only lead to self-destruction.  But God brought him out of it and put his feet on solid ground.  The steps of his life were now secure.

2. My mouth. (vv.3-6)
God looks beyond our words to the source inside.  What is in the heart and thinking comes out of the mouth.  We need regular cleansing.  When a person places their faith in the LORD, He puts a new set of words within us.  They are words of praise to God and everyone around us hears them.  So much so that they want the faith that we have.

3. My ears. (v.6)
Figuratively, God had to dig out David's ears so he could hear what God wanted done.  This world can plug up our listening ability and drown out what God is trying to say to us.

4. My heart. (vv.8,10,12)
A healthy spiritual heart begins with a commitment to do God's will, instead of our own.  What God wants becomes the guiding desire of life.  It pumps life and energy throughout everything we do.  Sin causes us to causes spiritual heart failure.

5. My lips. (v.9)
A speech analysis demonstrates clearly the genuineness of our heart's commitment.  We restrain and get rid of words that displease the LORD.  Our new speech proclaims the good news of what God has done for us.

6. My head. (v.12)
His sense of a guilty conscience and feelings of being overwhelmed prompted this check-up in the first place.  Jesus offers cleansing through the forgiveness of sins.  The result is clarity of thinking and peace of mind.

The Doctor is always in and waiting for us.