Examine me and know my heart.
—Psalm 139:23
Thurman refused to have physical exams—said if something was threatening, he didn’t want to know about it. He’s no longer with us.
I have several friends who bought the farm sooner than they had to. They weren’t opposed to checkups, but neither were they diligent about them. By the time the complication that took them out was caught, it was too late.
Routine physicals can uncover hidden problems that may lead to serious health issues. Prevention is preferable to may-or-may-not-work treatments.
Is there a spiritual application? Yes, there is. It takes courage to go for the checkup, but David scripted it for us: “God, examine me and know my heart . . . See if there is any bad thing in me. Lead me on the road to everlasting life” (Ps 139:23–24).
Physicians occasionally miss-diagnose.
God never does.