This week, we’re in Psalm 139, a chapter of Psalms with which many of us are very familiar. In this psalm we see the psalmist making three important points: (1) God knows everything, (2) God is present everywhere, (3) the psalmist, himself, hates sin and has a deep desire to be led correctly.
Today, we will focus on the first six verses.
1 O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
Yes, fellow under-shepherd, God knows us – not just about us. He knows us intimately – every detail, every rhyme and every rhythm about how we think, every aspect of how we act, every nuance about the motivation about everything we do.
So, as we delve into the first six verses of Psalm 139, be reminded, and be confident…
1.) That our God has examined our hearts and knows everything about us.
2.) That our God literally knows when we sit down and when we stand up.
3.) That our God knows our thoughts when we’re close by Him and when we’re far away.
4.) That our God sees us when we travel and when we rest at home.
5.) That our God knows everything we do.
6.) That our God knows what we are going to say even before we say it.
7.) That our God goes before us and follows us. He hems us in!
8.) That our God places His hand of blessings on our heads.
9.) That our God knows this knowledge is really too wonderful for us, too much for us to understand, but wants us to be assured of it anyway!
Fellow under-shepherd, I pray this first portion of Psalm 139 helps you to live – as you shepherd others – in light of what God has revealed to you through these six verses. He knows us intimately, and we must live accordingly.