Psalm 139 may be the most personal song David ever wrote. It is full of the words I, me and my, yet it is not self-centered. It is about how fully God knows, sees and loves one person. Many people feel unseen, forgotten or unwanted. Some carry wounds from how they were treated as children. Others wonder if their lives have any purpose. As we close this series on the Psalms, Psalm 139 reminds us that we are known, never alone and made on purpose.
Fully Known
O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me (Psalm 139:1-6). David says God knows when he sits down and when he rises. He understands his thoughts from far away. Before a word is on his tongue, God knows it completely. That can be frightening if we have something to hide. Scripture says nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight (Hebrews 4:13). But for David, being known is comforting. God’s hand is upon him, surrounding him behind and before. Jesus said even the hairs of our heads are numbered (Matthew 10:30). To be fully known and still fully loved is what every heart longs for, and only God can give it. He knows your worst and loves you still, which is why He sent His Son. Such knowledge, David says, is too wonderful for me.
What part of your life have you been trying to hide from God, and how will you open it to Him in honest prayer this week?
Never Out of Reach
Next David asks, whither shall I flee from thy presence? (Psalm 139:7-12). If he goes up to heaven, God is there. If he makes his bed in the grave, God is there. If he takes the wings of the morning and lives at the far edge of the sea, even there God’s hand will lead him. Many in our congregation have crossed oceans to build new lives. This psalm reminds us that God was already waiting on the other side. Jonah tried to run from God’s presence by sailing for Tarshish, but God found him (Jonah 1:3). The Lord declares that He fills heaven and earth (Jeremiah 23:24). Even darkness is not dark to Him, and the night shines as bright as the day. You can never drift beyond the reach of His hand.
Where do you feel farthest from God right now, whether in a place, a season or a struggle, and how will you invite Him into it this week?
Made on Purpose
David marvels at how God formed him in his mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-16). I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. God saw his unformed body and wrote all his days in His book before one of them came to be. God told Jeremiah that He knew him and set him apart before he was born (Jeremiah 1:5). Your life is no accident. You are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works He prepared for you (Ephesians 2:10). The psalm ends with a humble prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart (Psalm 139:23-24). David asks God to show him any wicked way in him and lead him in the way everlasting. The God who made us is the God who can remake us.
What good work do you sense God has prepared for you in the coming season, and what first step will you take toward it this week?
Conclusion
Psalm 139 gives us three precious truths. You are fully known by God, and in Christ you are fully loved. You can never go where His presence cannot reach you. And you were made with care and purpose by the One who wrote your days in His book. As this year closes, pray David’s final prayer: search me, O God. Then let Jesus lead you in the way everlasting.
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