When we think of sounding, we think of the sounding line once used by mariners. They threw the weighted sounding line overboard and let it rest on the sea floor. The increments marked on the line let the sailors know how deep the waters were. With sounding, the mariners could see if they were in shallow, dangerous waters or deep, safe waters.
A person can also be sounded as Jonathan did his father Saul to discover his true intentions toward David. Saul’s angry response revealed his evil intentions. To sound his father, Jonathan had to ask the question that touched the subject bothering Saul—and that was David.
People usually get around to revealing their true intentions, but if someone knows how to sound them, they can ask probing questions to find the underlying cause of things and divert them if their intentions are evil.
Psychiatry has a method of doing analyses that sounds a person. The psychiatrist asks leading and personal questions, encouraging patients to think about themselves and what’s troubling them. Then they analyze the answers and recommend a solution.
We can even sound ourselves. By reading God’s Word and with the help of the Spirit, we can look at the core of our being and have our intentions and motives revealed. God will show us which ones do not glorify Him and why He is not blessing our efforts.
When was the last time you took a sounding?
(photo courtesy of pixabay.com.)
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James H. Cagle has been preaching and getting the Word out since 1982. He has pastored for twelve years. He now writes for twelve newspapers weekly. He has published three books and is working on several others. James spent four years in the Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in 1980 as a sergeant. He grew up in Bemiss, Georgia, and graduated from Lowndes High in 1975. He currently resides in Nashville, Georgia.