David was one man who had a heart for God. He loved God, and overall, he wanted to please God in all he did, though he did have some sins.

In the above verses, David asks God to do three things: 1. “judge me”; 2. “examine me”; and 3. “prove me.” With these three words, he invites God to do a thorough examination of his heart and life.

Multiple times in the Psalms, David asks God to “judge” him and let him know if there be sin anywhere in his life. Once revealed, he was willing to confess it and get right again with God.

Believers should go to God every now and then and do the same. Only God can see us for what we really are and know what sins may still be lurking in our hearts. We often have blind spots to our sins, or we may be harboring a sin we do not want to let go.

Christians (and lost people) sometimes stay away from church or from the Lord’s Table because they do not want to give up some sin that God might expose. By not yielding that sin, that believer keeps themselves from being able to enjoy God’s best for them.

Confessing our sin to God and seeking His mercy enables believers to be free in heart and know that God will hear their prayers. David says that because God will “judge” him and because he is willing to deal with those things that God reveals, he can say that he is sure that “I shall not [back] slide” – go further away from God.

The truth is that if we are not willing to go into God’s presence and let Him point out sin that we may deal with it – that person is backslid already. Romans 14:22 says: “Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.”

God always sees our hearts, and He is still looking for those believers who will walk close to Him – in the light.