23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV)
This Scripture passage is a prayer of David, where he invites God to examine his heart and reveal any hidden sin or wrong ways. It comes at the end of Psalm 139 ,where David marvels on the intricacies of the human body and the inescapable reach of God’s Spirit. God knows when we sit and when we rise (v. 2), our thoughts (v. 2), and even our unspoken words (v. 4). Whether we feel we have descended into the depths or are sitting in the heavens (v. 8), God’s presence is there. While some may feel frightened or wary of a God with such intimate knowledge of us, David seems to delight in God’s constant companionship and deep understanding of our design. As I read verses 23 and 24, they seem to me a humble request by David for guidance and purification from a loving God who carefully created us and longs to care for us in every way. David already declared in verses 1 – 16 that God already knows everything about him, so these verses appear to be an affirmation of trust. David is inviting God to continue the examination that had already begun even before David was conceived.
In David’s day, searching the “heart” meant a quest for understanding the inner thoughts and feelings of a person – more like searching the soul. Today, though, doctors regularly search the literal hearts of their patients.
Cardiac catheterization is a test or treatment for certain heart or blood vessel problems, such as clogged arteries or irregular heartbeats. It uses a thin, hollow tube called a catheter. The tube is guided through a blood vessel to the heart. Cardiac catheterization gives important details about the heart muscle, heart valves and blood vessels in the heart.
During the procedure, a doctor can test the pressures in the heart or do treatments such as opening a narrowed or blocked artery. Sometimes a piece of heart tissue is removed for examination.
If the patient’s heart has a narrowed coronary artery, the doctor will perform an angioplasty. Coronary angioplasty is a procedure to open clogged blood vessels of the heart. Coronary angioplasty treats vessels, called coronary arteries, which deliver blood to heart muscles. A tiny balloon on a narrow tube, called a catheter, is used to widen a clogged artery and improve blood flow.
Angioplasty is often followed by the placement of a small wire mesh tube called a stent. The stent helps prop the artery open and decreases the chance of the artery narrowing again. Most stents are coated with medicine that helps keep the artery open.
Angioplasty and stent placement may be a planned procedure to improve blood flow to the heart muscles. The procedure also may be used as emergency treatment for a heart attack.
After the cardiac catheterization is completed, the doctor meets to share the results with the patient. The doctor explains the areas of blockage, the procedure used to remedy the issue and steps a patient can take to prevent further complications.
The heart can be a somewhat mysterious organ, because often things seem fine – until they don’t. We take for granted that our heart will continue beating as it always does, and since we are unable to see any blockages on our own, it takes an invitation from us for a doctor to begin an investigation.
For many of us, our “hearts” (souls) are just as mysterious. Often, we can tell when something doesn’t seem to feel right inside, but we try to ignore, mask, or numb the pain instead of investigating and seeking an actual remedy. When you feel fear, anxiety, depression, or any other spiritual blockage threatening to overwhelm you, I invite you to imitate David’s simple request. Remember with gratitude how God fearfully and wonderfully created you (v. 14), and that He is with you regardless of how far or near you feel from Him (v. 7 – 12). Ask Him to look deep inside your spiritual heart, and trust that He will lovingly help you in your struggles. The inner workings of our literal and figurative hearts may be a mystery to us, but nothing is a mystery to Him!
1 You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain. (Psalm 139:1-6, NIV)
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Fearfully and Wonderfully Made 