Psalm 139

In reading back over my journal for the week of February 20-25, 2004 the event that stood out was Tanya’s miscarriage and I wrote about that on January 17.  Everything else was just daily life, maybe because that was such a traumatic experience so nothing else really mattered.  That means I really don’t have anything to write about this week from my journal.  Let’s see where God leads.

If there’s one word that stands out to me as I look back over my life I think it would be “presence”.  God’s presence.  Somehow I’ve just always known He is with me.  Even as a child I just knew Jesus loved me and was with me.  Yes, there was a moment in time when I realized I needed Him as Savior but even before that I never doubted His presence in my life.  To be honest I don’t understand this but I’m oh so grateful.  I believe this assurance is one of the reasons Psalm 139 is my favorite. 

The All-Knowing, Ever-Present God

For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.

¹ Lord, You have searched me and known me.
² You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from far away.
³ You observe my travels and my rest; You are aware of all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, Lord.
⁵ You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me.
⁶ This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me.  It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.

⁷ Where can I go to escape Your Spirit?  Where can I flee from Your presence?
⁸ If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.
⁹ If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits,
¹⁰ even there Your hand will lead me; Your right hand will hold on to me.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night”—
¹² even the darkness is not dark to You.  The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to You.

¹³ For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well.
¹⁵ My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.

¹⁷ God, how difficult Your thoughts are for me to comprehend; how vast their sum is!
¹⁸ If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with You.

¹⁹ God, if only You would kill the wicked—you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me— ²⁰ who invoke You deceitfully.  Your enemies swear by You falsely.
²¹ Lord, don’t I hate those who hate You, and detest those who rebel against You?
²² I hate them with extreme hatred; I consider them my enemies.

²³ Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.

There is so much in these 24 verses but the theme I see the most is that God is with me.  He’s already wherever I may go, He knows all about me, and He wants what’s best for me. 

I will admit that vv. 19-22 use to bother me some.  They don’t seem to fit in these beautiful words spoken by David to God.  However, after living as many years as I have and seeing so much evil in this world I understand it a little better.  There are days when I just say, “Lord, please destroy the wicked.  Don’t allow those who oppose You to see another day.”  But then I say, “Your will be done.”  Only He knows what’s best for and in each life.  This plea for the end of wickedness is followed vv. 23-24 by a personal plea to search out and destroy any found in my own heart.  I need to pray this daily.

The message God has for whoever is reading this Psalm today may be different than the one He has for me.  It has changed for me over the years as the rhythm of my life has ebbed and flowed.  So please, open your mind and heart to the voice of God as you read David’s words.  Allow Him to whisper His personal message to you as He reveals just what you need to know at this point in your life.  That’s what He does you know.  He’s a personal God who loves you just as if you were His only child.  He’s known you since before you were in your mother’s womb.  He knows you today.  Trust His voice.

Father,

Thank You for this beautiful Psalm that speaks to us individually and as a people.

Open eyes, hearts, minds, and souls to the words we need each need to hear from You.

Then help us to do as You ask.

In Jesus’ Most Precious Name,

Amen.