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Beside Still Waters: Consent to the search

Therese Apel

Police officers at night. Photo by Therese Apel

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalm 139:23-24

When I was riding with the Rankin/Madison Interdiction unit, when they would pull someone over, they had to get consent to search the vehicle or there had to be probable cause or a warrant. If someone didn’t give consent, a K9 search could be done of the outside of the vehicle and if the K9 alerted to a suspect smell, that was probable cause to search the vehicle.

Without getting into everybody’s opinion of that process, it’s worth saying that I decided that if I ever get pulled over, it’s just easier to let them search. If you’ve got nothing to hide, you’re back on the road.

This verse is talking about asking God into our hearts to search for the things that are hidden. I love that it specifically says, “my anxious thoughts.”

Sometimes God stops us and in those moments we don’t know what we’re feeling or why we’re feeling it. We’re depressed, we’re anxious or afraid, we’re stressed out. Sometimes we aren’t spending enough time with Him.

It never hurts when you feel like that just sit down and ask God to search your heart. Give Him consent, and let him search every nook and cranny. If he wants to look under the hood, just stand back and let Him. If He wants to check the trunk or under the seats, more power to Him.

The thing is, sometimes we’re hiding things from Him, and sometimes things have fallen down in between the seats that we need Him to remove. Ask Him to find anything that is hidden, and allow Him to get it out of there.

The best first step to peace is having a clean conscience and a clean heart before God. When you see his lights in your rearview mirror, go ahead and pull over. ❤️

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