HOW DOES GOD FEEL ABOUT YOU?
“1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. 5 You have hedged me behind and before,and laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.” Psalm 139:1-6
I would imagine that most of us have been to a funeral where we hear people say some very positive things about the person after he or she is dead. But you do not have to die before you can hear God say some beautiful things about you. Psalm 139 is a very descriptive Psalm written by King David that expresses how God feels about you and me. For the next four days or so, Lord willing, I am going to look at this Psalm.
Today we will discover just how important we are to the Lord. God knows every minute detail about us because we are so important and valuable to Him (139:1-6).
“Lord, You know me as well as if You had diligently and thoroughly investigated me” (139:1). God has “searched me” like a miner searching for minerals or a lawyer investigating legal facts.
“Lord, You know everything I do while sitting down” (139:2a). The words “sitting down” and “rising up” are a merism which refers to everything between sitting down and rising up.
“Lord, You know what I intend to do long before I ever do it” (139:2b). The word “thought” can also include intentions or motives. The word “afar” is speaking of distance in time. God knows what we are going to think long before our thoughts are even developed.
“Lord, You know everything I do publicly and privately as if You had painstakingly sifted and separated each act from another” (139:3). God knows everything I do publicly on a “path” far from home and privately (“lying down”) in my home. The word “comprehend” (zarah) refers to winnowing or sifting. God’s concern for me is reflected in His intricate involvement in knowing everything I do. If God did not care about me, He would not pay so much attention to every detail of my life.
“Lord, You know all my ways because before I speak, You know exactly what I will say” (139:4). God knows what I am going to say before I say it.
“Lord, Your intimate knowledge of me makes me feel surrounded and controlled” (139:5). The word “hedged” is a military term used of an army surrounding a city on all sides. God’s thorough knowledge of me causes me to feel completely encompassed (“behind and before”). It seems like God has “laid” His “hand upon me” so that He makes me do whatever He wants me to do. Your intimate knowledge of me is a threat to my autonomy and wanting to act independently. Your control springs from Your complete knowledge of me.
“Lord, Your thorough knowledge of me is beyond my power to escape” (139:6). The word “wonderful” (pili or pali) means difficult or incomprehensible. God’s thorough knowledge of David is way too much for him! It is “high” like city walls that are too high to be captured. When David said, “I cannot attain it,” he meant that he could not overcome or get away from God’s complete knowledge of him.
Someone who knows all about us may reject us or expose our weaknesses, and this is scary for us to consider. We may feel overpowered and out of control. This was how David felt when he wrote this part of Psalm 139.
On the flip side, the fact that God is so interested in knowing everything about us shows how valuable we are to Him. You may feel unimportant and insignificant because no one seems to pay attention to you here on earth. But stop right there! God is crazy about you, so much so, that He has done a thorough investigation into your life. And He knows everything about you. You are not some piece of tissue or collection of chemicals. You are the object of God’s care and concern. This is why He has painstakingly sifted and separated every thought, action, word, and motive in your life. YOU … ARE … VALUABLE … TO … GOD!!! Let this soak into the depths of your soul. No one cares more for you or has more interest in you than God!!! Spend time with Him and get to know Him. Let Him show You how important you are to Him.
Prayer: Precious Father God, thank You for showing me how important and valuable I am to You. You know everything about me – what I do publicly and privately, what I think and say, and even my motives. Such complete knowledge of me, Lord, makes me feel surrounded and controlled. My tendency is to run from someone who knows me so well because I fear rejection. I fear that no one could love me as I am. But Your knowledge of me is not intended to scare me, but to show me how valuable I am to You. Thank You for showing me this today. Help me to believe it so I will stop trying to prove my worth through what I do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.