This post is a continuation of yesterday’s devotion.
You must first read Psalm 139 in its totality. Get yourself a good grasp of it.
Yesterday I talked about intimacy. I wrote this: “There is a bare bones honesty David is yearning for. As Augustine is credited with saying, ‘Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.’ ”
One can’t help but read this psalm and not see David’s heart for God. He is searching for intimacy and in the process is inviting God into the deepest recesses of His heart. In my mind it is like David is throwing open every door to every room in his heart and saying, “Make Yourself at home. There is no room, no place, You cannot enter. There is no room off limits to You.”
That is never a comfortable place to be in. We all have secrets that we are withholding from others. An addiction. A thought. An action. Tragically, like David tried, we can hide it from people but can never hide it from God.
The following thoughts come from the book, The Trail, by Ed Underwood…the book I have been trying to dissect. There are three question followed by three requests.
Q#1- (Verses 1-6)- Do you appreciate my circumstances? Answer: Yes, of course He does. His knowledge of my circumstances couldn’t be more exact. It’s overwhelming.
Q#2- (Verses 7-12)- Are you near? Answer: He’s everywhere. We couldn’t get away from Him if we tried.
Q#3- (Verses 13-18)- Do you understand me? Answer: David let us know that is an absurd question when we consider that God formed us in the womb and He is preoccupied with thoughts of us.
Finally, 3 requests he makes- (Verses 19-24)- Deliver me. Search me. Guide me.
That’s about it for today. I’ll stop there because that is a lot to think about. My request is that you reread Psalm 139 with the questions and answers in front of you. And then ask, “How do I feel about this? How will I allow it to change me today? If you care to share your experience in the comments, I’d love to hear from you.
1-6 – Not only does he appreciate my circumstances, he understands my motives, my thoughts, and here is the, scary but relieving part…” Since God knows these deep things about me, then I have no excuse to attempt to hide from Him… Just like Adam and Eve, I may try to cover myself, but any attempt to do so is worthless… So why not allow God to be fully engaged with me, why not allow God to move me.
7-12 – Goes right along with 1-6… not only does God appreciate and know me, but I can never escape Him. I cannot hide from Him, I cannot run… He knows where I am going before I get there, He knows what crevice I may crawl into… I am truly never alone
13-18 – God knows me inside and out. After all He made me, He formed me. Since I am broken, what better place to be than with my maker, with the One who created me. Why would I go to the auto shop to fix my computer… When I crashed my drone, and attempted to repair it on my own, I got it to fly, but it was never the same… It wasn’t until I shipped it back to the manufacturer and got it returned did it fly as it should. The same goes for me, I can try all the “self-help” and listen to all the better-yourself gurus… but none of those plans or people will get to the Heart of the matter like the One who created me in His image. The great physician.
Good thoughts for pondering this morning, thanks!
Ryan S.
Great breakdown of the Scripture Ryan. Much more detail than mine and much more revealing. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
‘“Make Yourself at home. There is no room, no place, You cannot enter. There is no room off limits to You.”’
Amen. No secrets, no hidden spaces.
I’m convinced it needs to be this way Linda. Thanks for coming by and making a comment.
I’ve always felt humbled by this particular Psalm, Bill; it’s one of my favorites! I love that there is no place we could ever go or be that God is not there with us.
Blessings!
That is an important aspect and truth to take from this psalm Martha. So glad you have “latched” onto that one.
Father, help me to be like David in his psalm, a broken man, but knows where to go for help. Help me to invite You into every aspect of my life so that I can grow spiritually and mature in my walk with You. Father no one knows me to the depths that You do, and no one can change me in the ways that You can. Make me a better version of me, so that I can serve You with a servants heart.
That is a very poignant and much-needed prayer Gail.
Bill, Psalm 139 was, and still is, life-altering for me. I remember the day I first read it. The revelation of how much God knows me and loves me transformed me. I had been an unwanted pregnancy, and therefore, there was no bond between my mother and me her whole life. So, this Psalm was pivotal in healing my damaged soul. Oh, how I love David’s Words. How I still go back to them when I need to be uplifted. Hallelujah!
Thank you for your honesty Diane. This is a powerful psalm. You are a testimony to how “unwanted” pregnancies are still beautiful creations of God and should not be terminated. Again, thanks for your honesty and glad you can keep going back to this psalm and find refuge.