“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23–24, NKJV)
In our previous devotional, we learned that self-righteousness, self-justification, and our own judgments can conceal the evil within our hearts, preventing us from recognizing our wrongdoing. How, then, can we discover this hidden evil?
We Must Examine Ourselves Through God’s Word
The first thing we must do is set aside the belief that we are always right and examine ourselves according to God’s Word. We need to ask whether what we believe is right is truly right in God’s eyes, and whether we are seeking our own interests while claiming to serve Him. However, when our hearts are covered by self-righteousness and self-justification, it becomes difficult to recognize the evil within us. Therefore, like the psalmist, we should ask God to search our hearts and help us recognize the evil we cannot see for ourselves.
We May Discover Our Evil Through the Correction of Others
David had sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah, yet he had not acknowledged his wrongdoing. When the prophet Nathan told him a parable, David became furious at the wickedness of the rich man in the story and declared that he deserved punishment (2 Samuel 12:5–6). But when Nathan confronted him, saying, “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7, NKJV), David acknowledged his sin.
David was outraged by another person’s wickedness, yet he had failed to recognize his own. Likewise, God sometimes uses the advice or correction of others to help us recognize our wrongdoing. When this happens, rather than making excuses or judging the person who corrects us, we should examine our own hearts.
Hidden Evil May Also Be Revealed Through Trials
Our hearts can be compared to muddy water. When muddy water is left undisturbed, the dirt settles at the bottom, and the water above appears clear. But when the water is stirred, the dirt rises from the bottom, making the water cloudy again. Our hearts are much the same. When everything is peaceful, we may think our hearts are clean. However, when we face trials, the evil hidden deep within us may come to the surface.
Sometimes, through illness, hardship, or prolonged suffering, we discover things about our hearts that we never recognized before. Job was a man who feared God and turned away from evil. Yet during his severe trials, his tendency to defend his own righteousness became apparent. After God spoke to him, Job recognized his shortcomings and repented (Job 42:1–6). Job’s suffering was not punishment for his personal sins, but through those trials, he came to examine himself more deeply.
Therefore, when we face trials, we should learn to be thankful rather than complain about our circumstances. Although trials are painful, they can become opportunities to recognize and cast away the evil we did not know was hidden within us. Of course, not every illness or hardship is the result of sin. Nevertheless, when we realize that even difficult circumstances can help us examine ourselves and change, we can find reasons to be thankful in the midst of our trials.
Sometimes We Realize Our Evil Only After Facing the Consequences of Sin
Some people refuse to acknowledge their wrongdoing even after hearing God’s Word or receiving correction. Only after suffering the consequences of their sins do they finally realize that what they did was evil. By then, they may already have caused pain and harm not only to themselves but also to others.
Yet even when we face the consequences of sin, we should consider God’s heart. God does not want us to remain in sin. He wants us to recognize our wrongdoing, come to hate the evil within us, turn away from it, and be transformed. Hebrews 12:10 teaches that God’s discipline is for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. Therefore, God’s loving discipline is intended to correct us and lead us toward holiness.
This is why it is important to recognize and cast away the evil hidden in our hearts before we have to learn through the painful consequences of sin. We should be willing to set aside our own thoughts and turn away from wrongdoing when God gives us opportunities to recognize it through His Word and the counsel of others.
The reason we must discover and cast away hidden evil is not simply to avoid the consequences of sin. It is to remove self-righteousness, self-justification, and self-centered thinking from deep within our hearts so that we may become more like Jesus and truly obey God’s will rather than our own, thereby pleasing Him.
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5, NKJV)
God examines not only our outward actions but also the deepest parts of our hearts. Today, let us pray, “See if there is any wicked way in me,” asking God to help us recognize and cast away even the evil we cannot see within ourselves.
Have you ever discovered evil hidden in your heart through God’s Word, someone’s correction, or a difficult trial? Let us share our experiences and encourage one another in faith. Please also share this message with others so that we may all take time to examine our hearts before God.
I thank God for today’s message, and I also thank our Pastor Ji for explaining today’s QT with such a good example. He explained that when we have dirty water, all the dirt settles at the bottom. But when we shake the water, the dirt comes up, and then we realize how dirty the water actually was. In the same way, our hearts can be filled with many kinds of evil. From the outside, we may look good and show good behavior, so that the dirt inside our hearts is not visible. But when we become angry, fight, or face difficult situations, that hidden dirt comes out. Then we realize what is really inside our hearts and how much we still need to change.
God does not want us to remain in sin. He wants us to recognize our sins, remove them from our hearts, and become clean before Him.
Amen.