God judges our lives much differently than we judge others, even ourselves. In Psalm 139, the psalmist cries out to God because he has been misjudged and slandered by others. He doesn’t defend himself to his enemies. Instead, he goes to God and asks for God to judge his heart and his motives. 

The fact the psalmist wants God to judge his heart is his best defense. He wants to know what God thinks of his thoughts and his actions. He wants God to “search” his life and know him at his deepest, most secret levels.

It's comforting to realize that we can trust God to judge us in a way that benefits us. The psalmist wants to know God’s conclusions about his life because those are the only judgments that matter. 

How would our lives be changed if we petitioned God to search our hearts and thoughts? If we knew God’s judgment of our lives, would anyone else’s opinion carry much weight? 

We often make choices we think will bring approval from those around us. The psalmist sought the correction and approval of the best judge, God himself. He knows us, he loves us, and he wants the very best for us. At the end of the day, if we find ourselves right with God, does any other opinion truly matter? 

Allow the word of Christ to dwell in your life richly and, like the psalmist, you can eagerly ask God to search your heart and your thoughts because he will see his Son in your life. At the end of the day, his approval is all you truly need.