Divine Investigation
http://bible.us/psa26.2.nkjv Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart. The prayer of the Psalmist reveals the insufficiency of self-examination. If good intentions had been sufficient, the desire for godly investigation would have been unnecessary. The heart of any good man can play good whenever it is goodly-conditioned. But no good man can accurately predict the response of his heart, prior to its examination in trying times. For example, a good heart understands the value of humility; but it is not necessarily a humble heart, until it is proven with humiliation. The song of trust and obedience to God is appreciated by a good heart in times of great supply; but only a faithful heart can be patient with God in times of unpleasant deprivation. Whereas, the interest of divine investigation is not the provocation of a good heart. Actually, divine investigation helps with the preservation of purity in the heart.