God Knows Us Intimately–We Cannot Deceive Him (vv. 1-6). The verb “search” means “to examine with pain and care.” The Jewish people used this word to describe digging deep into a mine, exploring a land, and investigating a legal case. Our friends see the outside, but God sees the heart, and we cannot deceive Him. Adam and Eve tried it (Gen. 3:7-24), Cain tried it (Gen. 4:1-15), and even David tried it (2 Sam. 11–12), and all of them discovered that God knew all about them. “Understand” in verse 2 means “to distinguish and discern with insight” and not just gather raw data. “Compass” in verse 3 is a picture of winnowing grain, and “try” in verse 23 means “to test metal.” The fact that God knows us intimately and exhaustively is asserted in verses 1, 2, 4, 14, and 23. He knows our actions, our locations, our thoughts and words, our ways, and our motives. “All things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13 nkjv). But even more, He knows what is best for us and does all He can to guide us that way. He hems us in behind and before and puts His hand on us to steady us and direct us. The word translated “beset” (kjv) or “enclosed” (nasb) means “to guard a valuable object,” so God’s knowledge and guidance are for our protection. What should be our response to this? We should be overwhelmed by the height and depth of God’s knowledge and be thankful that He knows us perfectly. “I am not equal to it!” David exclaimed.