Reflections on Psalm 139

 Psalm 139 NLT

 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.  You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.  You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.  You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!  I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.  I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—  but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!  I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name. O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?  Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

 

We are known. We are seen. We are understood. We are loved. Before we were even a thought in our parents’ minds, we were conceived in the heart of God. God knows everything about us, yet He loves us fiercely. He sees all of our actions. He is intimately acquainted with everything that we do. We cannot escape His presence. We cannot hide from Him. Let this be a testament to our great significance. The Creator of the entire universe passionately loves us. We have a great purpose. God saw us in the depths of the womb. Even there, His hand of love and protection was all over us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are brought forth with immense importance. Let's immerse ourselves in this truth no matter what the world says about our value. Our God loves us. He has a purpose for us. We are not  mistakes. We are not accidents. We are chosen. We are redeemed. We are loved. God is always with us. He will never leave us or forsake us. We are His children, the sheep of His pasture. His banner over us is love. God’s thoughts about us are precious. His thoughts are drenched with love toward us.  His love is deep and wide and high and long. His love has no end.  Our only response to His love is complete surrender. Our only response to His great love is to let Him search our hearts and point out anything that offends Him. The only response is to submit ourselves to Him and let Him conform us to the image of Christ.  His plan for us is good, to give us a future and a hope. Isn’t it amazing that God knows everything about us, the good, the bad, and the obscene? Yet He tenderly loves us. He calls us His own.  Whenever we feel forgotten, let us remember that God sees us. God knows us. God comprehends us. God loves us.

A Prayer

Dear God,

You have intimately known all of my depths. You see me, all of me, yet  You are not repulsed. You call me Your beloved child. Thank you for knitting me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for Your great intentionality. Help me to submit to You, my King. For, Your love has no end. Dear God, where can I escape Your great Presence? Your Light shines everywhere. I cannot hide from You. Help me to see myself the way You see me. Help me to be fully aware of Your great love for me. Oh God, I confess that I am often besieged by anxiety. Please search my heart and know my anxious thoughts. Please take away everything that offends You. Please submerge me in Your healing powers and cleanse me. I invite You into the hidden places of my heart. Shine Your light and remove all of my darkness. Oh God, thank you Your grace and Your mercy. Thank You for Your great lovingkindness. Thank You for never giving up on me even when I almost gave up on myself. You are good and You do only good. Lead me to Your everlasting paths.

In Jesus ‘Name I pray,

Amen