David said, “Search me O God”.  He asked the Lord to search his heart and try his thoughts.  He wanted the Lord to see if there was any wicked way in him.  He wanted the Lord to lead him in the way everlasting.  He wanted to be in the best relationship he could be in with the Lord.  He said, 

Know my heart.  To search is to look into carefully and thoroughly in an effort to find something.  It is to examine.  In Heb 4:12-13 the Lord, through his words, is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  The way he searches us is through his word.  He searches us when we are reading, when we hear teaching and preaching, and when we seek counsel.  

Mk 7:21-23 shows us the things that are in the heart.  These are the things the Lord sees since “man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart”, 1 Sam 16:7.  Jer 17:9-10 says, I the Lord search the heart.  He has to give us an insight as to what is there since our hearts are so deceitful.

Know my thoughts.  To try is to subject to something (such as undue strain or excessive hardship) that tests the person.  In Ps 26:2 David said, prove me, try me.  In Deut 8:2-3 God proved Israel to make them to know their character.  

You see, according to Prov 23:7 “as he thinketh in his heart so is he”.  What you think about in your teens, for example, is what you’ll be doing in your twenties and thirties.  In Jer 17 the Lord says, I search the heart and try the reins.  So the Lord searches the heart but he also tries the thoughts.  By trying us he exposes and reveals our thoughts and our true character.

See if there be any wicked way in me.  This is when the Lord is going to show you what he sees.  He’ll let you see yourself from his perspective.  And what he’s looking for is ANY wicked way.  

He has to show us because Prov 20:6 says “most men will proclaim every one his own goodness”.  You’re not looking for the wicked thing that the Lord sees.  For example, Jesus warned Peter of his denial.  Peter had no idea of the trial he was about to face that revealed he would, in fact, deny the Lord.  But when he was tried, his denial came out.  Then he saw it.

And lead me in the way everlasting.  This is the ultimate objective of the search and the trial, to get you to change to the everlasting way, to God’s way, to the way of eternal life.  

After his resurrection, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him.  When Peter affirmed his love, the Lord told him to “feed my sheep”.  And Peter did so, faithfully.  He even wrote about a crown of glory that he would receive for feeding the flock, 1 Pet 5:4.  

And Peter was also the one who wrote that we should suffer with Jesus through fiery trials and under wrong authorities 1 Pet 2.  Peter learned his lesson, he changed his wicked way and he went in the way everlasting.

Conclusion: Daily, ask the Lord to search your heart and to try your thoughts and show you the wicked way that’s in you so that he can lead you in the way everlasting.  You will be much happier in his everlasting way and so will the people who know you.